Literary Criticism: The Intoxicated (Shirley Jackson)

 

The plot is about a drunken man who talks with a teenage girl Eileen.

There are a few characters: The hosts (Husband & Wife), a young man with light, clean glasses and a pouty mouth, The drunken man is depicted as a tall man dressed in blue, and a group of friends.

The main themes are conformism and generational conflict.

The conflict is between the drunken man and Eileen when she cares about the future of the world telling him that the end of the world is due to the adults.

The title and the incipit are very interesting, the title is "The Intoxicated man"

The world is moving towards a conformist society? Are adults the architects of the decadence of society? and morality?

Where does he come from? Why is he not allowed to fall asleep on the couch? What degree of intimacy does he have with his family?