Mr Lyons

Industrialist

The managing director of a factory whose decisions directly control the livelihoods of the local working class

Paternal Detachment

His tendency to interact with Edward more like a schoolmaster or business partner than an affectionate father

The Redundancies

His cold economic choice to lay off workers which acts as the turning point for Mickey's mental stability

Traditional Masculinity

His belief that a man's primary duty is to provide financially while leaving domestic affairs entirely to women

Materialistic Outlook

His assumption that expensive boarding schools and financial security are sufficient to raise a well-adjusted son

Irony of Control

A man who successfully manages a massive industrial firm but has absolutely zero control over his own family's secrets

Class Insularity

His self-imposed isolation within a wealthy bubble which keeps him completely blind to the struggles of the town

Symbol of Thatcherism

A character who embodies the cold 1980s capitalist ideology where profit margins matter more than human live