Hair of the Dog

I always like to explore the relationships of family. I believe that some of the most dynamic and interesting situations arise between them.  Family members take the good and the bad with one another, because in the end, they are typically the people that know you the best and the longest.

Family members are close; they fight, they steal, they hurt, they forgive.

Hair of the Dog does just that in investigating the relationship between two brothers (a favorite theme of mine).  However, in this story instead of one brother being “good” and the other “bad,” both characters are flawed.  The only difference is that the younger brother is trapped in his cyclical self-destructive world, while the older brother has just begun to escape from it.

I think this is a situation that many can relate to or empathize with.

Alcohol is a powerful vehicle in my stories largely because it one way or another impacts so many people regardless if they partake in consuming it or not.  People can be addicted to it, periodically abuse it, are influenced by it, or are close to those individuals that do.  It’s a bringer of great joy and also a facilitator for great sadness; sometimes difficult to escape.  Readily available, it’s a constant temptation, a reminder of what could-be.

Brothers can form a solid alliance or they can be the worse of enemies.  In this story, the older brother struggles to decide what he should do with regards to his younger brother’s request for help.  Does he provide the support he knows his brother needs despite his wife’s trepidation, or does he cast him aside knowing that the temptation is always there to resort to his former life?

At its heart, this story plays very much on the Biblical allegory – Am I my brother’s keeper?  The answer invariably depends on the situation.  And making those types of decisions in difficult situations is what gives a character his definition.  It’s usually a turning point for things to come, one way or another.

Do you give up the future to save the past?  Do you turn your back on your kin in order to preserve the potential for future happiness?

Taken from Why People Do What They Do by Emilio Iasiello

Published by Deer Hawk Publishing www.deerhawkpublications.com

Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency https://loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/emilio-iasiello/