The novel is a window to working class life
which was common in Dublin at the time.
Paddy's family have to cope
on very littel money- we see
this in at the beginning of the
novel when Sinbad loses his
shoe, the will not be enough
money to buy another one.
Liam and Aidan's house is
falling apart- his father
cannot affort to keept eh
house in good order.
the conversations in the novel feel
very natural- similar to how people
talk in real life. They share the same
flow.
Childhood/ adulthood
We are taken into the inner
world of a child, Paddy's
voice demands to be heard
in the writing of the book
Many parts of the book are recognizable
as average childhood events. the boys
engage in many adventerous activities
such as running through the nettles as a
dare.
We are never quite sure if
Paddy's view of the world is
brutally honest or just
exaggerated.
Both children and adults can
be difficult in the novel e.eg.
Kevin, Paddy's father
The adult world is routine and unadventerous-
Mrs Clarke cooks a specific meal every day of the
week, everything mathces this routine style.
The adult worls crashes into Paddy's
when he discovers that Mr Carke has
hit his ma. The incident creates even
more uncertainty for Paddy.
Machismo (a strong or exaggerated
sense of manliness)
The children in the
novel inhabit a very
macho culture
There is a strong
sense of survival of
the fittest.
The gang has a strong sense
of hierarchy, Kevin being the
one in charge.
Paddy shares quite a manly
bond with his father unlike
the sensitive Sinbad who is
much closer to his mother.
The women in the novel are
a stark contrast to the
masculine theme. Mrs
Clarke is shown as a very
emotional and maternal
charachter.
Family relationships
The Clarke's
family life is often
very difficult.
Thefamily engoys a few
moments of tenderness
together.
Paddy is very aware of family
tensions, not just within the
clarke family but within many of
the families around him.
Death, Violence and Fire
Paddy is fascined by death
Violence surrounds him, on
television and in his life
He and his friends are
fascinated with the destructive
power which fire has
Is it possible that a child who
commits such violent acts will grow
up to be a disturbed and violent
man?
By the end of the novel it seems that
Paddy has learned the differences
between right and wrong
Irish identitiy
Doyle's writing reminds
us of the distinctive and
irish culture
Mr Clarke is very aware and proud of his
Irish history and dentity, he sings several
Irish ballads with Paddy
Doyle very accurately presents the
Irish characters' colloquisms,
accent and syntax accuratley
Education
Doyle is passionate for children
from disadvantaged backgrounds to
recieve a good eduction, this is
visable int he book.
Although Paddy has several figures in his life who are trying to
educate him nobody is really encouraging his natural ability,
the worry is that he will not be allowede to reach his full
potential.
Paddy shows a genuine interest in
most things, it seems that he really
does want to learn
Popular Culture
Paddy's favourite team is Manchester
United, his favourite character is George
best
He talks several times about Father
Damien and the lepers
There are several mentions of
brand names which would have
been popular at the time such as
fig rolls
Religion
Athough religion seems to be
taken for granted in the Clarke
household Paddy does recieve a
distinclty catholic upbringing
Paddy believes in Goda and prays to
him but perhaps this is born out of a
sense of tradition and duty