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Irish Lad

compelled determined symbolic catalytic
An archetypal figure drawn from a compact Irish parable President Bartlet quotes to reframe political risk as moral necessity. The Irish Lad functions as a rhetorical instrument: his decisive action — tossing his cap over an apparently insurmountable wall and forcing himself to follow — crystallizes courage under constraint. The figure carries no personal history beyond the anecdote, yet his compelled choice catalyzes concrete debate in the West Wing, converting abstract principle into a behavioral model advisers must reckon with.
1 appearances
Political rhetoric and moral instruction
Also known as: the Irish lads (parable), Irish lads, the lads

Irish Lad's Journey

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1 moments
S1E20 · Mandatory Minimums
Throwing the Caps: Bartlet's Framing Moment

Expresses absolute inevitability and moral clarity within the anecdote—no dramatic wavering, only consequence-driven resolve.

Evoked as the active subject of the parable: the lads' decisive gesture (throwing caps) becomes the narrative device forcing follow-through and converting hesitation into action.

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