The Autobiography of an Idea · Character
Patrick Sullivan
Louis's father, a musician and dancing master with artistic leanings and nondescript notions, who seeks out orators rather than creeds and wants to be proud of an educated son.
supporting
Also known as Patrick, Sullivan
First appearance: I: The Child
As a supporting figure in The Autobiography of an Idea, Patrick Sullivan is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The child's father, described as Irish and indifferent to the child's move to the grandparents' farm.
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Patrick is drawn to painting, orchestras, and above all to a thinker and orator, attending Theodore Parker's sermons not for doctrine but for the eloquence itself. He is a proud man who spends good money on his son's…
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See Patrick Sullivan in I: The ChildCharacter Web
11 connectionsA slice of how Patrick Sullivan sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Early Family & Childhood Influences
- Protagonist
+6 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage is the dramatic climax because it represents the psychological peak where the narrator’s obsessio…
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Patrick Sullivan appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Patrick Sullivan in I: The Child