As human beings, it is predetermined that within our lives we will transgress others and be transgressed upon. With this in mind, it is crucial that we are both able to forgive and to be forgiven. In the depression-era novel Ironweed, author William Kennedy delves into the concept of forgiveness in the forms of both giving and receiving. He does this through the story of Francis Phelan, a homeless man living on the streets of Albany. Kennedy follows the journey of Francis as he embarks on his quest of expiation and attempts to square-up with all that he has cowered from over the past twenty two years. Despite his blessings of uncanny forgiveness from his wife Annie, his sons Gerald and Billy, his daughter Peg, and his life partner Helen, Francis …show more content…
Despite having been “born on the 13th”, and having lived only “13 days” (Kennedy 18), Gerald was arguably Francis’ greatest guide on his quest to expiation. Twenty two years after being dropped by Francis, Gerald was presented with two options: to “absolve [Francis] of all guilt, not for the dropping, for that was accidental, but for the abandonment of the family, for craven flight when the steadfast virtues were called for” (17), or to send Francis on a journey of expiation, for Francis, to try to make amends for all of his wrongdoings. Gerald’s decision to “impose on his father the pressing obligation to perform his final acts of expiation for abandoning the family” (19), ultimately made Francis a better man capable of …show more content…
The notion of self forgiveness happens to be a prevalent topic throughout Ironweed, as shown through Francis Phelan. As real life experiences indicate, we know that it is possible to feel unworthy of forgiveness, even when whomever you have transgressed has already forgiven you. This notion of self worth in regards to forgiveness troubles Francis immediately after dropping Gerald and lasts until he finally comes home and “fulfills his pressing obligation to perform his final acts of expiation for abandoning [his] family” (19). Both the self doubt and insecurities that entrap Francis gave him “a compulsion to confess his every transgression of natural, moral, or civil law; to relentlessly examine and expose every flaw of his own character, however minor” (50). Francis’ over examination of his flaws kept him away from his family, personal expulsion of guilt, and Helen.“[Francis] left Helen alone. ‘I ain’t good for you or anybody else,’ he said to her during his crying jag just before he went away. ‘Never amounted to nothin’ and never will’” (129). The same self doubt and insecurities that kept Francis away from both his family for twenty two years, and from Helen are what caused Francis to force himself back into a lowly awful condition by reconvening with Rudy and his fellow bums after having ate dinner with his family. Francis was distraught and alone,