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Frank, Fonny’s father, represents the danger of succumbing to despair. During Fonny’s childhood, Frank is a jovial store owner who takes pleasure in his life, including wild and irreverent sex with his religious wife. However, the many setbacks Frank faces eventually lead him to hopelessness, a danger addressed several times in the book. By the time of the main storyline, Frank has lost his shop, which leads him to become angry and begin drinking heavily. Although he is pleased by the idea of Fonny having a baby, his response to his wife’s anger at the topic is not to engage with her as he once did despite their differences, but to knock her down. As the challenges to Fonny’s case mount, Frank needs to be encouraged by Joseph several times. At last, however, he loses his will to fight despair and, faced with the news of the trial’s indefinite delay, commits suicide.
