Sarah Wehle 1

Written by Bernhard Mac Laverty

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1

2 4 6 8

3 5 7

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Crilly

The constellation of characters in the novel Cal

Skeffington

Shamie Mc Cluskey

The policeMarcella Morton

Mrs. Morton withLucy, Marcella’s daughter.

loves

her

Mother in law

father

IRA members

afraid of

helps them

Cal Mc Cluskey

Sarah Wehle 5

ContentCal’s life Lovestory

C. and S. contact Cal and need him as a driver

Cal wants out of the IRA

Threat in the letterbox

Cal sells wood at theMorton’s farm

Cal is beaten up

Falls in love withMarcella in the library

hopes to get in touch with Marcella

• Out of work• Catholic• likes playing the guitar• likes going to the library• drives for the IRA

Sarah Wehle 6

Content

Cal lives in a cottageof the farm

Shamie becomes sickand is taken to hospital

Shamie’s house is burned down

Cal helps C. to attack a shop

Cal is offered a job On the farm → harvester

Marcella persuades Calto borrow a book

Marcella helps Cal to furnish the cottage.She falls in love, too.

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Crilly

Skeffington

Changes in the constellation of characters

Mrs. Morton withLucy, Marcella’s daughter.

Sarah Wehle

What do we learn about the conflict in Northern Ireland?

• »Nothing would happen in the daylight. They would not have the courage to be seen« (p.28)

• Cal is beaten up by three guys in the evening. (p.38)

• When Cal is in the bathroom: »What if someone were to burst into the bathroom now? How easy a target he would be, stark naked, blinded, groping with outstretched arms for a towel.« (p. 41)

• »A siren heehaved its way through the town at speed. An old man looked up, then bent over his book again.« (p. 64)

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Sarah Wehle

Why is the novel worth reading?

• human interest story

• lovestory

• the reader learns a lot about the problems in Northern Ireland and especially the problems the people and youngsters are faced with

• new is the connection of a love story with a youngster’s involvement into a terrorist group.

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Questions?