All The Years Of Her Life By Morley Callaghan

Does everyone have responsibility? Does everyone have the same responsibilities? When does one start taking responsibility? In her short story “All The Years Of Her Life”, Morley Callaghan uses Mrs. Higgins and setting to demonstrate the importance of finding responsibility. Most people already know what their responsibilities are. When Mrs. Higgins first got to the drug store, “She came in, large and plump, with a little smile on her friendly face” (175). Mrs. Higgins knew she would need to sweet talk Mr. Carr, so she had to look and be friendly. To her, it was her responsibility to help her child get out of this situation. When Mrs. Higgins brought Alfred back home from the drugstore she told him sternly, “Mind, now, not a word of this to your father” (177). Mrs. Higgins’ responsibility is her family and keeping her family happy and safe. She went to great lengths to keep him from the cops earlier in the story, and knows that if his father finds out it will make things worse. To keep the whole family happy, Mrs. Higgins takes care of the whole situation.

Alfred has good role models to look up to because, “His two older brothers were married and his sister got married last year” (174). Alfred was in a family full of people growing up and taking responsibility for their own lives. He had many examples and people to follow but he just didn’t grow up like the rest of his siblings. You could be in a very good environment and it won’t help. Alfred was already out of school but couldn’t keep a job which lead to, “He lived at home with his mother and father” (174). Living at home meant he didn’t even have that many responsibilities. He had parents who continued to take care of him. He was living in a sheltered world that allowed him to not need to take responsibility. Alfred lived in an environment that gave him opportunity to grow up, but was to