The portrayal of the family of origin is perhaps the most successful drama ever. I've always had a slight distaste for lustful characters, but Patrick is completely understandable, even a little distressing. Too scary to even imagine how Patrick got through the day he was sexually assaulted by David. How can there be such a father?
Mothers have always been a source of hope, so when Patrick found out that Eleanor actually knew about it, it was completely understandable that Patrick was angry when he heard the praise of his mother at his mother's funeral. Eleanor is neither innocent nor child-like. People are Complicated, the good deeds one does on the one hand cannot offset the indifference and indifference she faces towards her son on the other, if what David did to Patrick was cruel, then Eleanor's cruelty was even more complicated, mixed with powerlessness. , and anger that shatters hope.
When Patrick became a father was like repeating the past, the continuation of the "cancer". Seeing Patrick's addiction and cheating, Robert's seeing and disappointment, he couldn't blame him. Hopefully, however, Robert is more expressive, Mary is more independent, and Patrick is more introspective.
David's famous saying is probably "Nothing but the best, or go without", which is an excessive demand of himself and others. And the requirements of himself are always giving in, but he is always asking others to satisfy him forever, and he is never satisfied. Essentially, an incompetent, despicable, shameful person. (BTW, his group of friends is really the epitome of the middle-aged and elderly wine table, so disgusting Nicolas, the moment when he died of a heart attack at the end is the most refreshing and happy moment in the whole play.)
But Patrick is not. Patrick's famous saying is "Nobody should do that to anybody else", which is to comfort himself and to reflect on himself. Patrick quits drugs, quit drinking, went to Support Group, is a guy who wants to get better, after all in the end he has decided to be bored of ghosts and wanted to see people.
Mary is a really good character, an emotionally stable and independent woman, the most romantic sentence in the whole play is probably "if you change your mind", of course, it is more romantic when Robert said to Patrick "in fact you should change your mind, that's what it is for". David's cancer is not going to continue in this family, and I am sure.
In the last scene, Patrick walking into the bathroom said to David no and nobody should do that to anybody else. I really hope that was true.
View more about Patrick Melrose reviews
