Small Things Like These

Furlong, the novel’s protagonist and the character Keegan follows through third-person closed perspective, is referred to by his last name in the narration, although the other characters call him Bill. Keegan’s choice to address her protagonist as Furlong is a reminder that he is The Exception in the conservative town of New Ross: He takes on his mother’s last name because his father’s is unknown to him. Moreover, the name “furlong,” which refers to an imperial measurement, is not a common Irish name, making him seem even more of an outsider. The circumstances of Furlong’s birth would be expected to hamper his future in a society that attempts to render young single mothers and their babies invisible. However, the protection and encouragement of Mrs. Wilson, whose social and economic power are remnants of the old regime of British imperial rule in Ireland, enable him to thrive by the standards of the time. He considers himself one of “the lucky ones” (11) when he contemplates that he managed to go to technical school, marry a smart, attractive woman like Eileen and have five flourishing daughters. Throughout the novel, Furlong is conscious that other families are more “badly off” (11) than them.