Shameless Research Paper

Shameless Informative Essay
In 2011, I watched a new television series. The new series aired on Showtime after a show called Dexter. The new series is known as Shameless. Shameless is based on the long running series, Shameless U.K. Shameless is the American take of the U.K. version. There is a lot cruder language, and nudity in the American version. The series focuses on the Gallagher family, and they live in Chicago, Illinois. The show refers to the Gallagher family living on the Southside, which is the “ghetto” of Illinois. Both Shameless U.S. and Shameless U.K. have similar character names and plots. In this paper, I will focus only on Shameless U.S.
Shameless is about the life of the dysfunctional Gallagher family. In this section, it

will focus on the main characters of the series. The dad, Frank Gallagher is an alcoholic, drug abuser, and a negligent father. The mom, Monica Gallagher, is an absent parent, bipolar, and a drug abuser. Monica is not introduced until later in the series. Fiona is the eldest daughter, she is the caretaker. Fiona is a strong, responsible, and the main provider of the household. Fiona has raised her younger siblings since she was a young girl. Fiona is always trying to give her siblings everything they need. In season five, Fiona gets cocaine from a friend. She leaves it out and somehow her little brother, Liam, ingests it in his system. Liam is four at the time, and gets hospitalized. Fiona is put on probation and eventually violates probation and is sentenced to a couple of months in jail. Fiona gets married, but cheats on her husband with her ex-boyfriend. Then, she gets a divorce. Fiona begins dating her boss, who is an ex-drug addict. Fiona was about to get married for the second time, but she finds out her fiancé is still using drugs. Fiona calls off the wedding. Fiona stops trying to get in relationships. Fiona turns her life around gets a job a restaurant. She ends buying a laundromat and tries to convert it into a hipster laundromat. She sells the laundromat and makes a profit. Fiona invests in an apartment complex, so she can make a profit. Philip referred to as Lip, is the second oldest. Lip is the most intelligent out of his siblings. Lip is a scammer, and will find ways to trick the system. Later in the series, Lip gets a full scholarship to college, because of his academic excellence in high school. Lip also develops alcohol dependency, because of a bad breakup with his professor. Lip wanted to be an engineer, but gets expelled from college after smashing his professor’s car. He tries to get help by going to rehab and AA meetings.
Furthermore, Ian Gallagher is the third oldest, and he is bipolar.

Ian finds out he is bipolar later in the series. Ian is also gay, and his family did not until the middle of the first season. Everyone in his family accepts him, except for his father, Frank. Ian is promsicu0s and drops out of school to go into the army. He impersonates his older brother, Lip to get drafted. Ian eventually crashes a helicopter and become military fugitive. Ian gets into a relationship with the neighborhood thug, Mickey. Mickey and Ian date until, Mickey goes to prison, because of attempted murder. Additionally, there is Debbie Gallagher, she is the fourth oldest, and is caring and motherly. Debbie tries. hard to grow up early. She tries to be accepted by the promiscuous girls in her middle school. Debbie wants male attention and she goes about it in a bad way. Debbie gets pregnant at 15. She manipulated her boyfriend into to having sex. She told him she was on birth control, but she was not and she got pregnant. Debbie wanted a child, because she wanted a family with her boyfriend. Fiona wanted Debbie to get an abortion, but she wanted to have a child, so she the baby. Debbie gives birth to a girl, Franny, named after her father, Frank. Debbie boyfriend leaves her when he finds out she was pregnant. He goes to live his dad in a different state. Debbie is a caring mom, but does not get support from her family. Debbie ends up getting engaged to a physically disable man, and they have an apartment. Debbie joins a trade school, and is studying to become a

welder.
In addition, Carl Gallagher, has a destructive personality, is a bully, and is not intelligent. Carl is the fifth youngest, and he likes weapons, fire, and damaging materials. Carl has flunk many grade levels. Carl becomes a drug distributor in middle school. He gets caught with cocaine on him with his cousin. He is sentenced to juvenile detention. When Carl gets out he sells drugs, with his friend juvenile detention. Carl sees his friend get arrested, for killing a kid. Carl quits selling drugs. Carl gets a girlfriend, and she cheats on him and gives in Chlamydia. Carl starts to hang out with his ex-girlfriend’s dad, who is a police officer. Carl starts to go on police busts, and wants to become a police officer. Carl signs up for military school. Carl receives a scholarship and goes to military school. Next, Liam Gallagher, is the youngest. He is smart, innocent, and intuitive. Liam is black, so Monica cheated on Frank and got pregnant with Liam. Frank considers Liam as his own. Liam is the baby of the family, and the older siblings take care of him. Liam is hospitalized from ingestion of cocaine, but is well. The doctors find out he does not have cognitive or physical issues from the cocaine. Liam goes to a private school when he starts kindergarten. Frank gets Liam a full scholarship by manipulating the principal at the private school. The main characters are Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, Liam, and Frank.
The minor characters that are the Ball family. Kevin and Veronica Ball are friends of Fiona and the Gallagher siblings. Veronica or referred to as “V” is Fiona’s best friend. Veronica is sassy, comical, and not apologetic. Veronica and Kevin own a bar that everyone in town goes to. Veronica helps Fiona if she is ever in trouble, Kevin or referred to as “Kev” is sweet, fatherly, and illiterate. He is married to Veronica and they are an interracial couple. Kevin owns the bar, and is the father to twins. Kevin and Veronica both have twins, and this caused them to almost get a divorce. The twins put a strain on their marriage, because they only thought about the babies and nothing else. The Ball family fix their issues and get back together. Veronica marries a woman, Svetlana, without legal documentation. Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana have a polygamist marriage. Svetlana takes their bar away from Kevin and Veronica. Veronica and Kevin split up with Svetlana. Kevin and Veronica’s marriage becomes stronger when they breakup with Svetlana. The Ball family gets less dysfunctional when they end their relationship with Svetlana.
In conclusion, Shameless is a layered series. The characters show positive development. The series is one of my favorite on television. The Gallagher family is dysfunctional and entertaining. The show is relatable, and demonstrates life lessons. The series gives the audience an inside look on some families of the Southside of Chicago. The series is currently on break, but will be back this year.