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

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

Domain
In his senior year, Patrick ensures that Sinbad does his bidding in the game, usually by force. Sinbad is often the guinea pig for his childhood experiments. For example, Sinbad is forced to put lighter fuel in his mouth and ignite it, so that his brother and friends can see: ‘he 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’s arm and caught up with the rest of them. Or when Sinbad loses a shoe in the game, Patrick goes with his brother to look for it.

jealousy between brothers
Although there is very little age difference between the boys, Patrick doesn’t seem to be jealous of his younger brother for getting his mom’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 dad just so Sinbad’s belief in Santa won’t be broken. Once again, when his Ma attends to Sinbad’s sore legs, Patrick takes a very clinical approach to the incident. He is never really seen comparing his parents’ love towards Sinbad and himself.

Group pressure

Peer pressure often decides Patrick’s attitude towards his brother. ‘He Hated Sinbad… The older brothers hated their younger brothers. They had to. It was the rule. Therefore, he subjects Sinbad to unnecessary harshness 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 recognizes his real emotions towards his brother. If Sinbad were to die, Patrick tells himself, “I would have no one left to hate, to pretend to hate… I loved Sinbad.”

Emotional dependence
As children, Patrick and Sinbad do not seem to be emotionally close. The growing rift between his parents deeply disturbs Patrick, who then turns to Sinbad for support and reassurance. ‘Pretending to be protecting him, I wanted him close to me, to share, to listen together; stop it or run away’. But almost always, he is coldly rejected by his younger sister, who seems to have gone into his shell to deal with the problem. By Patrick’s own admission, “Sinbad was a secret.”