The most heartbreaking instance, for me personally, of how profound the Southie pride had indurated MacDonald to headship and cruelty, was his lack of being able to cry over losing his brother, Frankie. He had admired him and Frankie had been a positive male figure in MacDonald’s’ life. He died is a very meaningless way and it was heartbreaking that such a strong and compelling person was killed in such a degrading way. When Frankie was killed, it would have been understandable, logical and realistic for MacDonald to become emotional and shed a tear, but the cultural press of denial forced the emotions to become suppressed.
