The first part of this story focuses on the actions of the younger son, while the middle of the story is about the actions of the father, and the last part of the story is about the actions of the older son. Let's look at the story from each of their perspectives. The younger son focuses our attention on the danger of riches, the consequences of selfishness, and the need for conversion. The father focuses our attention on the mercy of God and God's unconditional love. The older son focuses our attention on our need to forgive and to rejoice in the good fortune of others. The story has traditionally been interpreted as being primarily about the young son—hence the title “parable of the prodigal son”—but you will find writers who view the story as being more about the father or even the older son.