“The Prodigal Son Parable and
Maclean’s A River Runs Through
It”
By Patrick K. Dooley
Patrick K. Dooley, Ph. D.
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Professor of Philosophy at St. Bonaventure University in
New York
Received B.A. at St. Paul Seminary
Received M.A. and Ph. D at the University of Notre
Dame
Works Cited and Notes
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Read and Cited A River Runs Through It
“Some of the words are theirs: The Elusive Logos in A
River Runs Through It” by Mark Browning
“Fishing for the Words of Life: Norman Maclean's 'A
River Runs through It’” by Walter Hesford
“'Our Father's Art': The Lost Paradise of Norman
Maclean” by Diana Culbertson
Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature
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Published by Marquette University as a Christian
witness to literature from promoting the study of values
in literature.
Focus of the Journal is Christian thought and values.
Each issue includes essays, which incorporate Christian
perspectives as a way of looking at literature.
Quotes
“Early on, Paul’s exceptional ability as a fly fisherman
allowed him to break clear of his father’s rote and
regimented mode of casting. Instead of using the
Reverend’s simple four-count rhythm, Paul’s unique
shadow casting involved a complex, double pattern.”
—
—
“The parable ends with the father neither apologizing for
looking past the younger son’s misdeeds nor defending
his own generosity. He simply reiterates, “We had to
celebrate” (LK. 15:32)”
Quotes
“I argue that the ‘brother’s keeper’ provides the story’s
dominant motif, and unmistakable parallels between the
biblical parable of a father and his two sons and the
bitter-sweet memoir of life in Montana during the
1920’s enrich our appreciation of Maclean’s artful
storytelling” …but, “Beyond a poignant tale of a careless
but harming brother who needed to be helped,
Maclean’s novella also offers striking commentary on
another important theological matter, the mystery of
divine grace.”
Quotes
“Accordingly, I suggest that among the lasting
contributions of Norman Maclean’s magical A River Runs
Through It will be provided generations of biblically
attuned and theologically alert readers an occasion to
meditate upon the mystery of grace and an invitation to
contemplate the wonder of God’s favor.”
“One wants to ask both fathers, of the
prodigal son and of Paul Maclean, “why didn’t
you intervene when you knew what was
going to happen”
r r
o s
“Actually all the Macleans, even Paul himself,
realizes the tragic endpoint of his downward
and deadly spiral”
In Closing…
This article is relevant to our class because it
presents unique and intriguing interpretation of the
text that enhances our understanding and stimulates
our own interpretation of the story.
Our Works Cited
Maclean, Norman. A River Runs Through It. Chicago: U
of Chicago P, 1976. Print.
Dooley, Patrick K. "The prodigal son parable and
Maclean's A River Runs through It." Renascence:
Essays on Values in Literature 58.2 (2005): 165+.
General OneFile.Web. 6 Apr. 2010.