Is Big Mac like a surrogate father/father figure in the Apple household?

[ggg-2 3,555]

By which I mean, do you think he helped raise his sisters alongside his granny after their parents' unfortunate and seemingly sudden passing? In "Bridle Gossip" Applejack threatened to tell Big Mac on Applebloom after she ran into the Everfree Forest, seemingly implying he's in charge of discipline at the farm. what do you think?

[Champion RD92 8,658]

Probably, considering their parents are dead, and he's the older brother. It would make sense that he would be sort of the father figure of the Apple household.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Well their parents did succumb to hero parent syndrome. So yea, he would have to be.

[PrymeStriker 408]

It's been blatantly implied many times. Therefore, yes. 

[Adorkable 2,737]

I completely agree with this, it just makes sense. Like a Father in most families, it would seem that the older male figure would have heavy responsibility like watching over the family to keep them safe. Big Mac has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

 

And an amazing singing voice.

[Shanks 10,817]

As Big Mac would probably say eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyup. Aside from Granny Smith he is the oldest and Applejack was relatively young when Ma and Pa Apple shook hooves with the grim reaper so Big Mac had no other choice but to become a father to Applebloom and to a lesser extent Applejack. Applejack probably had to do a lot to help out as well though which made her grow into her mother like role toward Applebloom.

[spacestorm 183]

This seems to be the natural course of things if parent are gone for good.

[Lightwing 12,980]

To understand my own answers,I like to order the Apple Family's power order on this way:

• 1.Granny Smith

  As the oldest member of the Apple Family,she had to took the responsability of Big Mac,Applejack and Applebloom after their parents's sudden dissapearance.

  All the other members of the Apple Family respect her,even Big Mac,who i'm going to talk now

• 2.Big Macintosh

  Technically,the leader of theApple Family should be Granny Smith,but(no offence),the age had caused her to be relegated on a second plane on the power order.Therefore,Big Mac can be considered not a father,if not like the leader of the Family,due for his positiom as the biggest of the 3 brothers,and the pony who makes the hardest works on the farm.

• 3.Applejack

  Like his brother,after their parents's sudden dissapearance,she had to grow up before time,taking resppnsabilities on the farm at a short age.

  She's the third on the power order.If both Granny Smith and Big Mac fail,she's the one on charge of all the responsability of the farm

• 4.Applebloom

  To make this have more sense,i'll say that Applebloom was a baby when their parents dissapeared.Meanwhile everypony was working at the farm,she was too young even to make the simpliest jobs.She can help Granny Smith on a few tasks,but she doesn't have enought strenght to buck trees with her sister.

Now that everything is explained,i'll give my answer:

As the biggest of all the 3 brothers,Big Macintosh had to takes the responsabilities of taking care of her little sisters,and even the farm at a very young age.

His strong constitution made him able to do the hardest works on all the farm(prepair the field for the apple seeding,pulling hard objects,etc...).

 

That makes me reach the next conclusion.The maximum figure of power on the Apple Family is Granny Smith,but everypony has a lot of respect too for Big Macintosh.

Seeing that Granny Smith is old,she can't take often the reins of the power,so all the responsabilities fall over Big Macintosh.

When Applejack warned Applebloom on "Bridle Gossip",Big Macintosh was being the one with the responsabilities on the family,and that both Applebloom and Applejack respect him,and he's not a simple pony whose only answers are "Eeeyup" and "Nope".(Ponyvile Confidential showed how Big Macintosh,being angry with Applebloom after what she made to Applejack,he screamed to her,but she couldn't reason with him,due for his anger.That shows that Big Mac is more autorithary and important than it seems on his normal scenes)

Edited April 24, 2014 by Lightwing

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

Yeah, and I think Applejack is just as much a mother to it.

 

Both of them contribute just as much work to the farm's upkeep and bringing in enough income to survive as Big Mac does, and has many times been a voice of wisdom and comfort to Apple Bloom when she's felt lost or uncertain. Big Mac and Applejack both try to fill their parents' shoes for the sake of Apple Bloom, as well as their own necessity, both offering something unique to the household that the other one can't.

[Scootalove 10,692]

I believe so. Since their parents' death, Big Mac and Applejack are able to work together to fill the void and the role that their parents left behind to take care of Apple Bloom. So, yes.

[LED Dasher 228]

From Applebloom's persepctive, yes. Big Mac is like a father figure and Applejack is like a mother figure.