Paddy Clarke is the main character in Roddy Doyle’s Booker Prize winning book Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. He is a boy born to working-class parents in Ireland. He has three brothers. A younger brother and two little sisters. Of his siblings, he seems closest to his younger brother Francis, affectionately named Sinbad.

Patrick and Sinbad have the same circle of friends. His childhood represents the typical power games seen in sibling relationships.

Domain
As a senior, Patrick makes sure that Sinbad carries out his will in the game, usually by force. Sinbad is often the guinea pig from his childhood experiments. For example, Sinbad is forced to put lighter fuel in his mouth and light it, so that his brother and friends can see: ‘It was like a dragon’.

Responsibility
Patrick also takes responsibility for Sinbad because he is older than him. When Sinbad can’t keep up with the older kids in the group, Patrick waits for him: “I had to wait for Sinbad. I looked back and there was no one behind us, but I didn’t say anything. I grabbed Sinbad by the arm and caught up with the others. Or when Sinbad loses a shoe at stake, Patrick accompanies his brother to look for it.

Jealousy between siblings
Although there is very little age difference between the children, Patrick does not seem to be jealous of his younger brother for getting his mother’s attention. Patrick is even seen doing nice little things for Sinbad in his childish way. When his dad pretends to be Santa, for example, Patrick plays with his parents just so Sinbad’s belief in Santa isn’t shattered. Once again, when his mother treats Sinbad’s leg pain, Patrick takes a very clinical approach to the incident. In reality, he is never seen comparing his parents’ love for Sinbad and himself.

Group pressure

Peer pressure often decides Patrick’s attitude toward his brother. ‘He hated Sinbad … The older brothers hated their little brothers. They had to. It was the rule. Therefore, he subjects Sinbad to unnecessary duress when he is with his friends. But at home, he hopes Sinbad will respond to his kindness. However, as the book progresses, Patrick learns to understand peer pressure and acknowledges his real emotions towards his brother. If Sinbad died, Patrick says to himself: “I would have no one left to hate, to pretend to hate … I loved Sinbad.”

Emotional dependence
When they were kids, Patrick and Sinbad don’t seem to be very emotionally attached. The growing gap between his parents deeply disturbs Patrick, who then reaches out to Sinbad for support and reassurance. “Pretending to protect him, I wanted him close to me, to share, to listen together; to stop him or flee. ‘ But almost always, his younger brother coldly rejects him, who seems to have retreated into his shell to deal with the problem. By Patrick’s own admission, “Sinbad was a secret.”