The point of view used in Frank O' Conner's "The Drunkard" is 1st person. The story is told through the eyes of a child but also includes reflection from the child as an adult. The theme of the story is a drunk father who is able to stay sober for long periods of time only to succumb to alcohol periodically. The son shares great acts of kindness that his father performs during his sober stretches.
The reflection as an adult about his own childhood is necessary because the child is an unreliable narrator because of his age and also because he is drunk at the time.
The inciting incident in this story is the death of the father's friend. After the man's funeral the father figures it is a deserving time to race to the bar and have a drink. The son accompanies his father to the pub and steals a drink causing him to become greatly intoxicated himself. The father then has to face an angry public when it becomes obvious that he allowed his son to get drunk. Seeing the affects of his action the boy actually becomes a lesson to the father and he is compelled to stop drinking.
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