There are basically only three men in the family dynamic. There is Michael, the young boy who grows up to become the narrator of this book, there is his absent father who struggles with discipline and direction in life, and there is Jack Mundy. The book has thematic subtleties that can be seen clearly by comparing and contrasting Michael's point of view about his family with Jack's point of view about religion. This comparison is invited by Jack's scandalous relationship to church and family alike.
The thematic connection between filial piety and religious belief is implied from Kate's matriarchal authority and her stance on church: She is boldly Catholic. As an Irish Catholic, her political, religious, and cultural beliefs are fixed in tradition. She is so pious in her faith that she even supports Franco's reign in Spain because the pope supports him. The men do not feel as bold in their faith. Although she is a portrait for leading one's life as a loving sacrifice, her beliefs are not suitable to Jack or Michael.
Michael does not know how to relate to his family. Without male role models to show him what a boy's role in a family can be, Michael is mostly curious and to himself. The book itself is shaped as Michael's slow and thorough remembering of his past. The question is, "Why is he so concerned with this part of his life?" In a subtle way, Jack's story answers exactly that question: By hoping to do well for his traditional, filial duties, Jack became a missionary to Uganda, but instead of helping them to find Jesus, they help open his mind to natural religion, making him independent and unique. Michael's tight family situation and emphasis on family duty leaves him staunchly independent and in need of space.
