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1. Characterisation of the persons

Cal Mc Cluskey
Cal lives in a Protestant area with his father. He lives in a Catholic family. Shamie and Cal hold together when it comes hard. His mother died when he was a child. Cal has long hair and smokes a lot. He is about twenty years, plays guitar and speaks a little bit French. Cal is a quiet character. His friend is Crilly. But Cal doesn’t like him, he doesn’t want have any relationship to him because he is so dangerous. He is involved in the movement with Crilly although he doesn’t want this. Cal is impresses by Marcella and falls in love with her. Before he fell in love with her he was a person which had no self-confidence, no aims. But when he fell in love with her, he evolved a lot. He is a very sensitive, nice and helpful person. Now he works on the Morton’s farm. He likes it better than to work in the abattoir, because on the Morton’s farm there is no smell. Cal is happy to work there. When he is together with Marcella he forgets the world around him. Only the murder on Marcella’s husband makes him feel guilty. It’s a very difficult situation for him because he can’t live with this guilt. Cal is a person who doesn’t like violence. He is against violence of both sides.

Shamie Mc Cluskey
Shamie is the father of Cal. He lives with him in a Protestant area although he is a Catholic. His wife died because of an illness and his elder son Brendan lost his life at a car crash. When trouble was in Northern Ireland he went away for some years. In England he had a bed, time and so on but he moved back to Northern Ireland and bought a house. He works in an abattoir. Shamie dislikes that his son is to make friends with Crilly. Cal and Shamie speak about finding a job for Cal. Shamie wants Cal stays with him, he shall not go away. He worries about his son because he seems to be lonely. But he is also very proud of Cal. Cal can come to him when he has a problem, Shamie is a good father. He has a quiet character but he can also say his opinion. Shamies friend is Cyril Dunlop. When he was younger he went to school with him. But Shamie gets depressions because of his dangerous environment, for example his burning house (Chapter 3).

Crilly
Crilly is a Catholic and in the same age like Cal. His friend is Cal which he knows from school. He is a nasty and big boy with large ears. Crilly doesn’t play a good role because he is a violent boy. When he was in the fourth class he punched a boy. He borrowed money but he didn’t give it back. But the other people had respect for him. He speaks in a simple vulgar language and is a part in the movement of the IRA. But he isn’t very intelligent and has no compunctions.

Finbar Skeffington
Finbar is about thirty years old and is a Catholic. The man is very religious because he fights for living in his own country. He is a small person with brown hair, a round face with glasses and is well dressed. But he has no good character because he is the head in a local group of the movement. His character is very dangerous because he lets kill people which don’t that what he wants. He lets break their legs. So he isn’t a fair and decent person because he does criminal things. Young boys work for him. They rob shops and steal money. When they steal it they go to him and get a little bit from Skeffington. He is very intelligent and a teetotaler.

Marcella Morton
Marcella has black hair and brown eyes. When she was young she visited the university. She lived in Italian. Her family had a cafe. The d’Agostinos sent her to the nuns. Marcella is a Catholic although her husband was a Protestant. She was married with him for 5 years. Before she married she must left her home. But Robert was killed one day. She has a daughter, her name is Lucy. After Robert’s death Marcella wanted to start a new life. She got a job in the library. Now she lives on the Morton’s farm. She doesn’t want to leave the farm because the father of Robert is ill and Robert was the only child. Marcella falls in love with Cal. She is ten years older than Cal. Marcella is a relative modern person. But she can’t speak very good Italian. She has a good character.

Cyril Dunlop
Cyril is an Orangeman and the friend of Shamie. He is in the same age like him. He works on the Morton’s farm. Cyril is a fanatic person because he has a violent opinion about the Catholic religion. For every dead Protestant people a Catholic people should die.
2. Summaries of the chapters

Chapter 1
Cal wants to see his father because he needs his cigarettes. Then he goes home to wait for his Giro which arrive by post. After few days he finds his Giro on the mat and then he goes to the post office to get his money. With the money he buys cigarettes. He goes to the library to spend time with reading. There he sees a new woman called Marcella. When he is home again he looks out of the window and sees four youths. One of the boys gives Cal the two fingers. Next day, Cal goes to the library and brings the tape back which he borrowed the day before. Then he goes home. Twenty-past five he goes out and waits for Marcella in a shop doorway. Marcella goes to her car and Cal follows her. She gets into her car and drives away. When he is home Cal’s father tells him Crilly wants to see Cal at nine o’clock. At nine o’clock he drives to Crilly’s home, there he meets Skeffington. Skeffington asks Cal if he want to drive for them and work for the movement. He takes it on although he want out. His wish is, all this have an end. But he knows what the Skeffington’s do when somebody is against them. On a Friday he waits for Marcella in the street. When he sees her he follows her. She has a lot of groceries which fall down. Cal goes to her and helps her to picks it up, so that she thanks him. At home he gets a note. It’s a warning from UVF. Cal tells this his father which loads his gun. Then they go to bed.
Giro – Scheck
mat – Matte
library – Bibliothek
movement
grocery – Lebensmittel
UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) – protestantische Organisation

Chapter 2
One Sunday Cal goes to church. The priest speaks about Matt Talbot. When the communion comes Cal sees Marcella. A little child stands beside her. Cal wonders because Marcella’s husband was an Protestant and Marcella goes in a Catholic church. But Marcella doesn’t notice Cal when she stands up. After church Cal drives to Clones to see a football match. When he is on toilet he meets Skeffington which will see him on Sunday in consequence of the movement. The next days Cal goes to the library to see Marcella. On Friday his father gives him a job. Cal splits the wood in blocks and drives in a lorry to a woman. The woman takes the blocks when Cal split them again. He takes it on and in the evening he walks home. Three young boys follows him and smashes him. He and his family shall leave the Protestant area. The next day he drives to Morton’s farm and sees the yellow Anglia of Marcella. He split the blocks with a sledge-hammer. Cyril Dunlop an Orangeman comes to him and they speak together. During his work Marcella and her daughter comes to him and they speak together too. After his work he goes to Mrs Morton and gets his money. He hears a loud coughing from a room but he can’t see anything. Few days after Mrs Morton asks Cal if he wants to work on the farm. Cal except because he will not hang around any longer.
split – teilen
lorry – Lastwagen
sledge-hammer – Holzhammer

Chapter 3
Skeffington will see Cal and so one night he drives to Skeffington’s house. Crilly wants to rob a shop. At nine o’clock they go out and drive to a forestry plantation where Crilly loads his gun. Then they drive towards Margherafelt. Cal parks in front of the shop although he isn’t allowed to double parking and Crilly robs the shop. With the stolen money they drive to the plantation again. There, they dump the car and get into the van. Then they drive to old Skeffington’s house. On the way Crilly gives Cal any fag money. In old Skeffington’s house they count the money. Cal wants out of the movement but he can’t say it, because Skeffington will break his legs. Skeffington tells them a poem. On Monday morning Cal drives to Morton’s farm in order to work. There he speaks with Dunlop and sees Marcella. On Thursday he drives to the library where he speaks with Marcella. After this, he goes home. His house is burning and so he runs quickly to his house. He searches for his father and finds him. Shamie’s cousin, Dermot Ryan offers them a bed. Shamie tells Cal that the gun is in the house and so Cal fetches the gun. He wants to leave England. On the next day, Cal waits at the corner of Cyril but doesn’t want Cyril takes him with the car. He decides to go to Morton’s farm. In the cottage, he gets depressions.
dump – lassen
fetch – holen
cottage Hüte

Chapter 4
Cal lives in the cottage. One day he decides to go to the Morton’s Farm. There, he observes Marcella through the gap from the bath-window. Marcella is fascinating him. But he doesn’t want Marcella sees him, because he can lost his job and the near of Marcella. So, he goes back to his cottage. Few days later a few men arrest him and bring him to the Morton’s farm. He describes his situation and so the Morton’s aren’t angry with him. But Cal has forgotten his gun which he doesn’t carry. Marcella and Mrs. Morton decide that Cal can sleep by them. Marcella persuades Mrs Morton that Cal can stay in the cottage. The next day, Marcella helps Cal in the cottage. Both speak together and Marcella offers him the clothes of her dead husband. She describes her situation on the farm. On Sunday, Marcella, Lucy and Cal go to church. Thursday night Cal and Dunlop drive into town. A few days after Cal goes to his father. His father is very depressed and sick but he doesn’t want to go to the doctor. After the visit Cal and Marcella drive to the Stray Inn and talk together. One day Cal, Marcella and Lucy go for a walk and pick blackberries. They talk together again. Lucy pricks herself and so, all walk home. Marcella takes Cal's hand. She shrugs when she sees, it’s Cal’s hand and not Lucy’s. Suddenly there is an explosion. Marcella and Lucy want to go back to the house. Cal goes to the place where the smoke is coming near. He sees a cow full of blood.
observe - beobachten
gap – Spalt
to persuade – überreden
to prick – stechen

Chapter 5
Cal’s father is very sick. Marcella tells Cal the Morton’s will go to Belfast for a week because Mr Morton is ill. Cyril and Cal end their work earlier. Cal goes into Marcella’s room and finds a diary and reads it. When Marcella is coming she asks him to stay for a meal. Marcella and Cal speak together again. Cal leans over her and kisses her but at this moment she withdraws from the kiss. Cal goes away. They don’t see them any days. In this days the first snow are fallen and one night Marcella knocks on the door of Cal. They go to bed, nestle together and have sex. After this they go to Marcella. On Thursday Cal drives with Dunlop to town to buy any presents. In the library he meets Crilly which brings him to Skeffington. They want to know where Cal is living. At the same moment a Land Rover with policemen stand in front of the house. They come in. Crilly and Skeffington are caught by the police but Cal can flee. He goes to the phone and tells about the bomb in the library. Then he goes to Marcella to give her the presents. On the next day he is arrested by the police.
3. Symbolism ( Events, places, happenings which show the violence in Northern Ireland
Examples of violence are shown at the beginning. For example in the slaughterhouse. There is a lot of blood and also when Crilly sharpens his knife (p.3-p.4).
When Cal is at home and looks through the window he sees four youths. At this moment they look to the Mc Cluskey’s house. One of this youths gives Cal’s eyes the two fingers (p.10).
Also a symbolism is given when Cal and Crilly are in the fourth class, Crilly beat a pupil because he didn’t what he want. Some boys had brought a series of pornographic pictures and showed them around. Crilly and other boys cornered Smicker. Crilly asked Smicker where the pictures are and thumped his knee into his balls and cracked his forehead with his knee (p.13).
One day, when Cal is at home he finds a note. In the note there is an advice from UVF a Protestant organisation. Cal and his father are threatened with letters of this group. They shall go away from their house. Even, their house is set on fire. Cal wakes up his father. He loads his gun and then they go to bed (pp.21-22).
On a Sunday Cal meets Skeffington. When he tells him he will leave the movement, Skeffington says to him he will find a person which hurts him. If somebody wants to leave the movement he is to be killed (p.33).
When Cal goes home from the Morton’s farm he sees three young boys on the other pavement. Suddenly they follow him. Cal runs quickly but the boys catch him up. They kick him in his belly and so on, because the Protestants want the Mc Cluskey’s leave the area (p.38-p.39).
One day, Cal’s father tells him, Skeffington wants to see him. He drives with the van to Skeffington’s house. When he is in the house, Crilly tells him that they rob a shop. At nine o’clock they go out. They drive to a forestry plantation and Crilly loads his gun. Then they drive towards Margherafelt and Cal parks in front of the shop. Crilly goes into the shop. Cal sees two women which are afraid. He begins to count. Soon a man with a dog comes to Cal and tells him it’s not allowed to double parking. Cal thinks on Crilly because he doesn’t come out of the shop. But suddenly the door opens. The two women rest on the ground. Crilly comes with a bag to the car and both drive away. They drive with the car to the forestry plantation and change to the van (p.51-p.54)
After Cal was in the library and goes home, he sees a light. When he comes near, his house is burning. He runs to his house and searches for his father. Both are lucky when they see them. This was a stroke from the Protestant’s. Cal will leave his father for a while (p.65-p.66). When he sits in the Stray Inn he thinks about the murder of Robert Morton. Crilly and Cal are on a party. They drove to Morton’s farm where Crilly shot Robert Morton. An other person saw it. Crilly shot the person but the person was only injured. Then they drove to the party again. So nobody knew what was happened (p.73-p.78)
Also a hint is given, when Cal is caught by the British army (p.82-p.83).
Dunlop’s opinion is also a violent opinion. Dunlop is a fanatic person because he dislikes the Catholics. He wants for every dead Protestant people a Catholic people should kill. When he will find the murderer of Robert Morton he will kill the man. Ireland can’t be a country with Catholics and Protestants (p.97).
The explosion in the field is also an example for violence. There are a stroke on cows. The cows are hit from a bomb and exploded. When Cal went to the place he saw a lot of blood and half cows (p.106).
When Cal drives into town to buys presents, Crilly finds him in the library. There, Crilly hides a bomb (p.127).
4. Cal’s involvement in the movement
Shamie tells his son that Crilly wants to see him at nine o’clock. Cal is involved with the movement and has to do some little things, but this is forbidden. Finbar Skeffington and his son need a driver and that to be to Cal. But Cal doesn’t want this he will nothing to do with it. Finbar wants Crilly and Cal rob a petrol station. Cal is increase with the job but only for money and when no person is killing.
One night, Cal has a nightmare. He dreams about the weapons in his house. But he knows that the Brit’s don’t search through the house because Cal lives in a Protestant area. It’s not allowed to have weapons.
On Sunday, after church, Cal drives to Clones. There he meets Skeffington. He will see him on Sunday. Cal tells him he will leave the movement. Skeffington tells him he will find a person which hurt him.
Cal find a job on the Morton’s farm. There he splits blocks for Mrs Morton. When he works, he hears a car. He sees that it is the RUC. The RUC rings the bell. Cal thinks the RUC wants to him because they know Cal that Cal involves into the movement.
One day, Cal’s father tells him, Skeffington wants to see him. He drives with the van to Skeffington’s house. When he is in the house, Crilly tells him that they rob a shop. At nine o’clock they go out. They drive to a forestry plantation and Crilly loads his gun. Then they drive towards Margherafelt and Cal parks in front of the shop. Crilly goes into the shop. Cal sees two women which are afraid. He begins to count. Soon a man with a dog comes to Cal and tells him it’s not allowed to double parking. Cal thinks on Crilly because he doesn’t come out of the shop. But suddenly the door opens. The two women rest on the ground. Crilly comes with a bag to the car and both drive away. Crilly is laughing about this easy job but Cal doesn’t think so. They drive with the car to the forestry plantation and change to the van. In Old Skeffington’s house they count the money. Cal wants to say he has a job. But he thinks, Skeffington will break his legs when he knows, Cal works on the Morton’s farm. When Skeffington asks him if he want any money he says to him he hasn’t good feelings about this. Skeffington tells Crilly and Cal that he is proud because they fight for the Catholic’s.
After Cal’s house was burning, Cal gets depressions. He goes to the Stray Inn and thinks about the murder of Robert Morton. Crilly and Cal are on party. They drove to Morton’s farm where Crilly shot Robert Morton. A person looked by this shot. Crilly shot of the person but the person was only injured. Then they drove to the party again. So nobody knew what was happened.
A long time he doesn’t see Crilly because he lives in the cottage. But when he drives to the town to buy Presents for Christmas, Crilly finds him in the library. He brings him to Skeffington. There, they want to know where Cal is living. But at this moment a Land Rover stands in front of the house. The police arrest Crilly and his father.
5. Cal is caught by the British army
When Cal is sleeping suddenly the room is full of blue light. Outside of the cottage there is a loud yelling. The soldiers kick the door and go in. They scream “Freeze”. Cal goes out of his bed, rifles and light point at him. He is hoisted from a soldier. They spread him against the wall and hands probed his body from top to bottom. They ask him what he do in the cottage. The other soldiers turn over his bed. The one soldier shining his light into Cal’s faces. He wants to know why Cal is in the cottage. Cal is bleeding, he describes that he works on the Morton’s farm. The soldier tells him that the Morton’s telephones them. Cal says that they don’t know that he is in the cottage. He tells, his house was burning. When Cal shall go out two soldiers point the weapons to him. With a Land Rover they drive to the Morton’s house.
6. Development of the relationship between Marcella and Cal
When Cal goes to the library to spend time he sees a new woman. Cal finds out that her name is Marcella. On the next day he goes to the library too. When he is in the library Marcella looks up to him. But then, she goes to the counter and does as if she hasn’t seen him. Cal gives Marcella the tape which he are borrow and goes home. But twenty past five he goes out and waits in a shop doorway until twenty to six. When he sees Marcella he follows her. But Marcella gets into her car and drives past. On Friday, Cal waits in the street. When he sees Marcella he follows her too. Marcela has a lot of groceries on her arms. Suddenly the groceries fall down. Quickly, Cal goes to her and picks it up. So, Marcella thanks him. When the night is coming and Cal rests in bed he thinks for Marcella. How he is together with her and put her arm around her.
On Sunday Cal goes to church. When the communion comes a young woman stands up and her child follows her. Cal sees that it is Marcella. But Marcella doesn’t notice Cal. He has thought Marcella is a Protestant woman because her husband was it too. They have a Protestant farm for centuries. Cal follows Marcella but both go in other directions. Cal gets a job. He splits the blocks for Mrs Morton. On the Morton’s farm he sees the yellow Anglia of Marcella. Marcella’s daughter comes to Cal and looks after him when he works. When Marcella searches her daughter, she sees Cal. Both salute them, Cal tells her that he was the person who helps her to pick up the groceries. At the moment Marcella’s daughter wants to go away.
In the next days Cal drives to the library but Marcella isn’t there. On Thursday the library stays open late. Cal looks through the window and observes Marcella. Then he goes in and takes a book, but doesn’t read. When Marcella comes to him they speak about her daughter and books. Then he goes to the bookshelves, observes Marcella. When he has a book, he goes to Marcella, gives his name and goes home. After his house was set on fire, Cal goes to the cottage near the Morton’s farm. One night he sees a light. Then he goes to the Morton’s farm and looks through the gap from the bath-window. He sees Marcella into the bathroom. She is naked and takes shower. Marcella fascinating him . Suddenly Marcella comes to the bath window but she can’t see Cal. Cal goes back to the cottage because he can lost his job and the near of Marcella. One night a shrill light shines in him. The police brings Cal to the Morton’s farm. The Morton’s decide that Cal can live in the cottage. Marcella helps Cal with the furniture. She asks him if he want any clothes from her dead husband and Cal takes it on. Marcella tells him her life , where she come from and so on. Cal listen to her. In the next days they often spend time together. They pick blackberries with Lucy. Cal takes his clothes to Marcella. She washes them and takes it one night to him. There they speak about Marcella’s life, her depressions and her family. On Sunday Lucy, Marcella and Cal goes to church. But Cal doesn’t sit by them because he thinks Crilly is there. Marcella wants Cal shall come to the church every Sunday. When Cal are visit his father he goes to the library. Marcella and he drive to the Stray Inn. There, they speak about her mother-in-law. The next day they pick up blackberries. When Mrs Morton and Mr Morton drive to Belfast, Cal ends his work earlier. He goes to Marcella’s room and finds her diary. When Marcella comes home, she asks him if he want to stay for a meal. In the next days the first snow is fallen and Marcella comes to the cottage. There, Cal and Marcella have sex. On Thursday, Cal drives to town to buy presents for her and her child. After his fleeing from the police he goes to her and gives her the presents. But there is no good end because the next day Cal is arrested.
7. Marcella’s thoughts about Ireland, the Irish people, her husband
Marcella speaks about her life. She is very depressed and wants to leave the Morton’s farm. Her father-in-law coughs a lot and she can’t help him. She feels herself alone. Mrs Morton isn’t the easiest person to live because she has Parkinson’s disease. When Robert was died, she wanted a job. This was a compromise between Marcella and Mrs Morton when she should stay there. Her mother-in-law treats her like a schoolgirl. She wants to go to Italy because it’s a marvellous place. The Italian’s and the Ireland’s are like. They have the same religion things, friendliness but also the same way to kill each other. Marcella is a very anti-British woman. She compares Ireland with a child. A future is given when the British leave Ireland. Sometimes she feels very isolated in the Morton’s house. When Robert was killed she had no friends. She went to work again. Robert and Marcella had no sex a long time before he died. He didn’t make her lucky. She loved him but not for a long time. Robert was a person with a lot of charms. He could fascinating other peoples and was an intelligent man. But he lay Marcella because he had a lot of affairs. Marcella and Lucy were very active but Robert didn’t want to be by them. He waited in the car. Robert was very charming but he was no good husband.
8. Differences between film and book
Film Book
The film begins with the murder of Robert Morton.
Cal and his Father have no gun.
Marcella has a white car.
Cal doesn’t look for Marcella in the bathroom.
Marcella doesn’t speak so much about her husband.
The love story between Cal and Marcella is very short.
The scene with the blackberries isn’t in the film
The bomb of Crilly is in a book-shop.
The police stops the car.
Skeffington died at the accident.
The film was completed in 1984 and the story plays in 1983
The beginning in the book is in the abattoir.
Cal and his father have a gun.
Marcella has a yellow Anglia.
Here he does it.
Marcella speaks a lot about her husband and her life.
The love story between Cal and Marcella is describe exact.
In the book there is a scene with blackberries
The bomb is in the library
The police comes home to Crilly.
Here, the police shoots him.
The novel appeared in 1983 but the action plays between 1975-76.

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