Cal by Bernard MacLaverty was a wonderful novel full of political crisis and citizen alienation taking place in a small country with big conflict. MacLaverty offered up a deep plot that kept me on the edge of my seat, with danger lurking around every corner, literally. I thoroughly enjoyed this very straightforward portrayal of this young man just trying to live life in the midst of civil dispute on a grand scale. We definitely see the trouble colonialism causes in this very culturally rich country divided by two religions and the usurped control of a foreign government.
It was tragic to see the state of life for the Irish Catholics in Ulster. I was sympathetic for Cal and his father and the struggle they faced. I do not understand why their pride was more important to them than their quality of life. They stay living in a town they are constantly persecuted in even though they have no ties there but each other. Only the father has a job, but they refuse to relocate for a life that could be significantly happier and safer to say the least. Pride seems to drive all the trouble the characters face throughout the novel. Both sides are prejudice and murderous over the difference of religion. A fact we see across time and across nations.
All in all, amazing novel, eye opening and sobering to see through the eyes of a young man caught between his conscience and the loyalty to his nation.
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point!
ReplyDeletealso, thx for always being willing to talk in class.
I agree, this was an amazing novel. In my opinion the best one we've read this semester.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was pride that kept Cal and his father living in an area were they weren't wanted, but I think it has more to do with the fact that their house was the only house they had lived in, especially for Cal who grew up in that house. There's an emotional connection for the father and that house, maybe not so much Cal (at least in the stage of his life that we get to see).