Manus as Mother

As I was finishing up Translations by Brian Friel, I could not help but notice the way Manus is almost like a mother figure to his father, Hugh. Early in the story we see Manus giving Hugh his daily needs; his milk, tea and bread. Like a mother, Manus provides Hugh with milk but by the end of the play, he declares now that he is leaving, Hugh will "need only half the amount of milk now . . . Even less than half--he usually takes his tea black" (71). This seems like a simple and basic statement by Manus, but I saw Manus like a mother who is going away and leaving a child behind. Manus directs Owen with all the precautions and special instructions for Hugh. Mother's usually have a schedule and emergency numbers laid out for the babysitter and here Manus is the mother and Owen is the babysitter for Hugh. Manus also informs us he has ironed and hung up Hugh's dress shirts and put away his socks. I wonder how the characters will get along without Manus and whether Hugh will ever be able to "grow up" without relying on the help of others.