Easter Rising
Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. "Ireland?" I felt sick at just the thought of it. Ireland was the last place on earth I wanted to see. And now, when I was only calling to borrow money, Grandpa was making me promise I'd use his loan to go there.
2. I couldn't imagine growing up in a place like this instead of Old Colony Project. To me it was like being in a cartoon or a dream. That shade of green I'd never imagined, the bearded goat, the clouds that seemed to move faster than a speeding bus, breaking open to funnel columns of sun, like searchlights that raced across faraway fields.
3. I found out that the Irish didn't really celebrate Saint Paddy's the way they did in Southie but they were starting to bring in the green beer as an American thing, along with the over - the top parades. But corned beef, Oweney told me, was basically meat you might feed the dog.
4. Minuted after we got onto the bus, Ma let out a big sigh."My God, they're really not over it, huh?" In my community work with mothers whose kids had died, I'd learned that talk of getting "over it" was just about the worst thing they could ever hear from friends who didn't have a clue.
5. Just moments before getting out of the car for the church, when I saw Ma still had her accordian slung over her shoulder. I had wanted to ask,"What the hell are you going to do with that on Easter Sunday?" But I no longer had to. I understood that you never know when you'll need to give whatever you've got to give.
questions -
1. Why was Michael so against going to Ireland when his Grandfather suggested it?
2. Why did Michael say he couldn't imagine groweing up in a place like Ireland?
3. Why did Ma bring the accordian to play for strangeres in Ireland?
4. Why didn't Ma feel the connection os loss with the mothers of Ireland who had lost children of their own?
vocabulary -
1. mesmerized -page 188 to hypnotize.
2. elaborate -page 231 worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness.
3. bamboozled -page 231 to deceive or get the better of (someone) by trickery, flattery, or the like; humbug; hoodwink
literary terms -
1. setting - Ireland, specifically, Kery, Donegal and Castleisland.
2 .exposition - Michael takes his mother to Ireland to see their herritage ands relatives.
outline -
Michael and Ma go to Ireland and visit with and meet relatives for the first time. Michael finds a connection to his family and their homeland that he never dreamed was possible. He also was able to bond and come to have a better understanding of his mother and her ways.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. After Kevin died, I wasn't afraid of death anymore. Eight months after Frankie's death, we were told that Kevin had hung himself in jail. Though Ma didn't believe that, because she said a cop on Whitey's payroll had visited him the night before he was found dead outside his cell.
2. All my life I had struggled with the answers to the question,"How many are in your family?" and it wasn't getting any easier. My mother had lost the baby, Patrick a year before I was born, but we always included him in the count. Since we thought of him as a kind of guardian sibling.
3.On the sluggish trolley race home, all I could think about was that I'd never before seen just how ugly the world was.
4. I was looking at my father for the first time. Ma said he'd come to see me when I was a baby, but I was nineteen now and he hadn't come to see me since. I knew I was looking at him for the last time too. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see the resemblance to myself.
5. "Jesus Christ, what the hell did you go over there for with no money?" Ma wasn't yelling at me, she was just screaming to me since I was all the way across the Atlantic. Ma always yelled through phone lines, but whenever I called her long distance I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
questions -
1. What made Michael's family think Kevin's death was not a suicide?
2. Why didn't Michael try harder to prove that George Fox was his real father after George's sister denied him at the wake?
3. What made Michael leave so suddenly for the trip to Europe?
4. Why didn't Michael tell his family before he took off for England?
vocabulary -
1. condolences -page 129 Sympathy with a person who has experienced pain, grief, or misfortune.
2. trudging - page 168 a laborious or tiring walk.
3. labyrinth -page 170 an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit.
literary terms -
1. settings - Home, the funeral parlor and church in Dorchester and Europe, mostly England.
2. exposition - Kevin's death, then his natural father's death causes Michael to rethink his goals once again.
outline -
Kevin dies under suspicious circumstances, then Michael's "real' father George dies and Michael has to come face to face with a stranger that oddly looks exactly like him. All the strress makes Michael want to get as far away from home and family as possible. Michael packs his bags and with little money heads off to Europe. While in England he looks up family and also is able to see punk bands he only dreamed of seeing.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. After Kevin died, I wasn't afraid of death anymore. Eight months after Frankie's death, we were told that Kevin had hung himself in jail. Though Ma didn't believe that, because she said a cop on Whitey's payroll had visited him the night before he was found dead outside his cell.
2. All my life I had struggled with the answers to the question,"How many are in your family?" and it wasn't getting any easier. My mother had lost the baby, Patrick a year before I was born, but we always included him in the count. Since we thought of him as a kind of guardian sibling.
3.On the sluggish trolley race home, all I could think about was that I'd never before seen just how ugly the world was.
4. I was looking at my father for the first time. Ma said he'd come to see me when I was a baby, but I was nineteen now and he hadn't come to see me since. I knew I was looking at him for the last time too. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see the resemblance to myself.
5. "Jesus Christ, what the hell did you go over there for with no money?" Ma wasn't yelling at me, she was just screaming to me since I was all the way across the Atlantic. Ma always yelled through phone lines, but whenever I called her long distance I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
questions -
1. What made Michael's family think Kevin's death was not a suicide?
2. Why didn't Michael try harder to prove that George Fox was his real father after George's sister denied him at the wake?
3. What made Michael leave so suddenly for the trip to Europe?
4. Why didn't Michael tell his family before he took off for England?
vocabulary -
1. condolences -page 129 Sympathy with a person who has experienced pain, grief, or misfortune.
2. trudging - page 168 a laborious or tiring walk.
3. labyrinth -page 170 an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit.
literary terms -
1. settings - Home, the funeral parlor and church in Dorchester and Europe, mostly England.
2. exposition - Kevin's death, then his natural father's death causes Michael to rethink his goals once again.
outline -
Kevin dies under suspicious circumstances, then Michael's "real' father George dies and Michael has to come face to face with a stranger that oddly looks exactly like him. All the strress makes Michael want to get as far away from home and family as possible. Michael packs his bags and with little money heads off to Europe. While in England he looks up family and also is able to see punk bands he only dreamed of seeing.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. The last time I saw Frankie I was walking up Dorchester street, returning home from a long stretch in New York. Only two minutes out of the subway station and staring at the sidewalk, I was in a good mood imagining my future life in New York.
2. Frankie was a big fish in Southie, a star liked by everyone. Every time he saw me even though he no longer complained about my looking " f****d up, " he still stared at me like I was an alien.
3. I never saw Frankie again after that afternoon. It was my secret when people recounted their stories about the last time they saw Frankie.
4. I'd taken my final GED test just before Frankie died. I'd been feeling on track with my goals, but now all I could do to get away from the constant questions in my family about the robbery was wander.
5. I didn't mention the robbery to any of my friends; it was a Southie thing they would never understand. Those who'd read about it in the papers, I imagined, either didn't connect it to me or didv't know what to say. What do you say to someone whose brother was just killed while robbing a bank?
questions -
1. Why didn't the MacDonald brothers trty to do things together? I seemed the only closeness they had was through tragedy.
2. Why would Frankie get involved in a robbery when he had such a promising boxing career?
3. Why did Michael feel that he couldn't talk about his family or his problems with his friends?
4. Why did Michael feel the need to keep his last meeting with Frankie a secret?
vocabulary -
1. danceteria - page123 Is a term used to reference a night club.
2. scenester - page122 a person who is part of an artistic or social "scene"; also, a person who tries to fit into a "scene"
3. assertion - page127 a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason.
literary terms -
setting- The subway in Boston, and Andrew Square area of Southie. exposition - Michael learn of Frankie's death rigfht after seeing him on the street when he came from the subway.
outline -
Michael tries to get his life on track by taking his GED. Then tragedy hits his family again with the death of his brother Frankie during a bank robbery. This adds on to Michael's already growing scence of frustration and anxiety. It also puit his dreams on hold of having a better life.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. The last time I saw Frankie I was walking up Dorchester street, returning home from a long stretch in New York. Only two minutes out of the subway station and staring at the sidewalk, I was in a good mood imagining my future life in New York.
2. Frankie was a big fish in Southie, a star liked by everyone. Every time he saw me even though he no longer complained about my looking " f****d up, " he still stared at me like I was an alien.
3. I never saw Frankie again after that afternoon. It was my secret when people recounted their stories about the last time they saw Frankie.
4. I'd taken my final GED test just before Frankie died. I'd been feeling on track with my goals, but now all I could do to get away from the constant questions in my family about the robbery was wander.
5. I didn't mention the robbery to any of my friends; it was a Southie thing they would never understand. Those who'd read about it in the papers, I imagined, either didn't connect it to me or didv't know what to say. What do you say to someone whose brother was just killed while robbing a bank?
questions -
1. Why didn't the MacDonald brothers trty to do things together? I seemed the only closeness they had was through tragedy.
2. Why would Frankie get involved in a robbery when he had such a promising boxing career?
3. Why did Michael feel that he couldn't talk about his family or his problems with his friends?
4. Why did Michael feel the need to keep his last meeting with Frankie a secret?
vocabulary -
1. danceteria - page123 Is a term used to reference a night club.
2. scenester - page122 a person who is part of an artistic or social "scene"; also, a person who tries to fit into a "scene"
3. assertion - page127 a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason.
literary terms -
setting- The subway in Boston, and Andrew Square area of Southie. exposition - Michael learn of Frankie's death rigfht after seeing him on the street when he came from the subway.
outline -
Michael tries to get his life on track by taking his GED. Then tragedy hits his family again with the death of his brother Frankie during a bank robbery. This adds on to Michael's already growing scence of frustration and anxiety. It also puit his dreams on hold of having a better life.
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. I hadn't slept in two days because I had to help Kevin hide out from Ma and from the cops who'd come to the door to ask about him.
2. "God, what was up with that white - trash yahoo you were talking to?" Rona asked. "Just a neighbor," I said not thinking. "You're from Southie?" she asked."Well, um... I used to be" I hesitated. "More like the border between Southie and Dorchester.
3. "In what way does everything look different?' The admissions lady asked me. I didn't want to tell her how it felt to come from Southie and what it would be like to go back home. I just told her that things made me worried in Boston seemed okay here and I didn't have to worry about any of it.
4. "Forget about it now," Grandpa kept repeating, even though I wasn't the one bringing it up. "Forget it ever happened at all." That's what he'd been saying every time I visited him in the City Point condo be'd been living in alone since Nana died. He said I should get on with my life, tell no one about Frankie getting killed in a bank heist. He said to forget I was from the projects, even though I still lived there.
5.I had spent years trying to find a life beyond Old Colony, and now after Frankie died, I felt guilty for not having been close to my family.
Questions -
1. Why didn't Mike tell any other family members that Kevin was hiding in his room when he left him alone to go to New York?
2. Why didn't Michael stop his friends from stealing from Whitey's store, when he knew how dangerous it was?
3. Why would Michael's grandfather tell him to forget about his own brothers death and where he came from?
4. Why did the family lie about the way Frankie died when it was in the paperws and on the news?
vocabulary -
1.contradictions -page116 A denial.
2. depictions - page116 to represent or characterize in words; describe.
3. catacomb -page125 an underground passageway, esp. one full of twists and turns.
literay terms -
setting - New York City, the Ratclub and Grandpa's condo in City Point.
exposition - kevin tries to steal a car and ends up hurt and on the run from the police. Michael hides him in his room.
outline -
Michael is spending a lot more time in New York until his brother Frankie dies during a bank robbery. Now Michael feels he needs to spend more time at home with his family and his Grandfather, who tells him he has to move on past the tragedy.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. I hadn't slept in two days because I had to help Kevin hide out from Ma and from the cops who'd come to the door to ask about him.
2. "God, what was up with that white - trash yahoo you were talking to?" Rona asked. "Just a neighbor," I said not thinking. "You're from Southie?" she asked."Well, um... I used to be" I hesitated. "More like the border between Southie and Dorchester.
3. "In what way does everything look different?' The admissions lady asked me. I didn't want to tell her how it felt to come from Southie and what it would be like to go back home. I just told her that things made me worried in Boston seemed okay here and I didn't have to worry about any of it.
4. "Forget about it now," Grandpa kept repeating, even though I wasn't the one bringing it up. "Forget it ever happened at all." That's what he'd been saying every time I visited him in the City Point condo be'd been living in alone since Nana died. He said I should get on with my life, tell no one about Frankie getting killed in a bank heist. He said to forget I was from the projects, even though I still lived there.
5.I had spent years trying to find a life beyond Old Colony, and now after Frankie died, I felt guilty for not having been close to my family.
Questions -
1. Why didn't Mike tell any other family members that Kevin was hiding in his room when he left him alone to go to New York?
2. Why didn't Michael stop his friends from stealing from Whitey's store, when he knew how dangerous it was?
3. Why would Michael's grandfather tell him to forget about his own brothers death and where he came from?
4. Why did the family lie about the way Frankie died when it was in the paperws and on the news?
vocabulary -
1.contradictions -page116 A denial.
2. depictions - page116 to represent or characterize in words; describe.
3. catacomb -page125 an underground passageway, esp. one full of twists and turns.
literay terms -
setting - New York City, the Ratclub and Grandpa's condo in City Point.
exposition - kevin tries to steal a car and ends up hurt and on the run from the police. Michael hides him in his room.
outline -
Michael is spending a lot more time in New York until his brother Frankie dies during a bank robbery. Now Michael feels he needs to spend more time at home with his family and his Grandfather, who tells him he has to move on past the tragedy.
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. As bad as Southie was, I was glad I was never allowed to feel sorry for myself the way these kids seemed to do in the pissed-off shouts and chants in unison that made you feel like you were at a football rally.
2. When two cars crashed, the Boston crowd gathered in awe to watch the bloody drivers get out to fight each other. None of the New York kids seemed startled by the crash.
3. When Ma discovered that I hadn't been going to school that year, she told me I'd have to be up every day at the crack of dawn to find a job. But instead of looking for work I went to a stoop on Queensberry street that had become a gathering spot for young punks from all over Boston.
4. The streets of Southie, too were getting worse. The neighborhood I'd once agreed was heaven on earth now felt like hell.
5. More and more, the only talk at home was about who was serving time, or the previous nights gunshots, or who was seen at which kid's wake, and who didn't show up because they were related to the shooter.
Questions -
1. Why did Michael become so down on Southie but not on the people that were creating all the problems like his neighbors and even his own family?
2. How could a whole year go by without Michael's mother or other family members noticing that he quit school, didn't they asdk about report cards?
3. What made Southie seem so much worse to Michael than the rest of the city?
4. Instead of complaining about it, why didn't Michael try to do something about his neighborhood troubles?
vocabulary -
1. transcendent -page108 going beyond ordinary limits; surpassing; exceeding.
2. awe -page108 an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful.
3. denizens -page117 One that frequents a particular place.
literary terms -
Setting - The Old Colony Project and New York City, where Michael started to sneak, with his new friends.
Exposition - Michael spends more time away from his famil;y by driving with friends to New York City where he spend days at a time.
Outline -
After Michael is caught by his mother for quitting school, she telld him he has to get a job. Michael instead starts sneaking to New York City with his friends but tells his mother he is staying in Jamaica Plain.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
comments -
1. As bad as Southie was, I was glad I was never allowed to feel sorry for myself the way these kids seemed to do in the pissed-off shouts and chants in unison that made you feel like you were at a football rally.
2. When two cars crashed, the Boston crowd gathered in awe to watch the bloody drivers get out to fight each other. None of the New York kids seemed startled by the crash.
3. When Ma discovered that I hadn't been going to school that year, she told me I'd have to be up every day at the crack of dawn to find a job. But instead of looking for work I went to a stoop on Queensberry street that had become a gathering spot for young punks from all over Boston.
4. The streets of Southie, too were getting worse. The neighborhood I'd once agreed was heaven on earth now felt like hell.
5. More and more, the only talk at home was about who was serving time, or the previous nights gunshots, or who was seen at which kid's wake, and who didn't show up because they were related to the shooter.
Questions -
1. Why did Michael become so down on Southie but not on the people that were creating all the problems like his neighbors and even his own family?
2. How could a whole year go by without Michael's mother or other family members noticing that he quit school, didn't they asdk about report cards?
3. What made Southie seem so much worse to Michael than the rest of the city?
4. Instead of complaining about it, why didn't Michael try to do something about his neighborhood troubles?
vocabulary -
1. transcendent -page108 going beyond ordinary limits; surpassing; exceeding.
2. awe -page108 an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful.
3. denizens -page117 One that frequents a particular place.
literary terms -
Setting - The Old Colony Project and New York City, where Michael started to sneak, with his new friends.
Exposition - Michael spends more time away from his famil;y by driving with friends to New York City where he spend days at a time.
Outline -
After Michael is caught by his mother for quitting school, she telld him he has to get a job. Michael instead starts sneaking to New York City with his friends but tells his mother he is staying in Jamaica Plain.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. "Well, geez, where the heck have you been,
mister... um ..." Flaherty said.
2. He began by saying how incredible it was that in this great country someone like me could be afforded the type of education Boston latin offered for free.
3. As I walked across town, it started to sink in that I wasn't going back to school again. It was official: I was a dropout.
4. When Kathy woke up on Easter Sunday, I felt we experienced a real miracle, just like in Grandpa's stories about Lourdes.
5. But Kathy was alive again, against all medical predictions, and against my conviction that my family was cursed.
Questions -
1. Why didn't the assistant headmaster or the guidence counsellor trty to stop Michael from leaving the building the day he walked out of school for good?
2. Why did Michael feel that walking around Boston was better for him than going to school?
3. Why did Michael steal the black patent leather shoes from the thrift store?
4. Did Kathy have a complete recovery?
Vocabulary -
1.stance - page 95 the position or bearing of the body while standing: legs spread in a wide stance; the threatening stance of the bull.
2 afforded - page 95 To make available; provide.
3.billowing - page 102 To swell out or bulge.
Literary Terms -
1.Setting - Boston latin, City Hospital and the Paradise club.
2.Exposition - Michael goes to the hospital everyday with his grandfather to visit Kathy after he quits school, although he has no hope because he feels his family is cursed.
Outline - Michael attemps to go back to school but quits after being questionded by the Guidence counsellor. Kathy finally comes out of the coma on Easter Sunday which everyone thinks is a miracle. This also makes Michael think his family's curse is broken. Michael also starts sneaking into concerts at other places besides the rat and steals shoes at the Goodwill store.
Michael attemts to go back
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. "Well, geez, where the heck have you been,
mister... um ..." Flaherty said.
2. He began by saying how incredible it was that in this great country someone like me could be afforded the type of education Boston latin offered for free.
3. As I walked across town, it started to sink in that I wasn't going back to school again. It was official: I was a dropout.
4. When Kathy woke up on Easter Sunday, I felt we experienced a real miracle, just like in Grandpa's stories about Lourdes.
5. But Kathy was alive again, against all medical predictions, and against my conviction that my family was cursed.
Questions -
1. Why didn't the assistant headmaster or the guidence counsellor trty to stop Michael from leaving the building the day he walked out of school for good?
2. Why did Michael feel that walking around Boston was better for him than going to school?
3. Why did Michael steal the black patent leather shoes from the thrift store?
4. Did Kathy have a complete recovery?
Vocabulary -
1.stance - page 95 the position or bearing of the body while standing: legs spread in a wide stance; the threatening stance of the bull.
2 afforded - page 95 To make available; provide.
3.billowing - page 102 To swell out or bulge.
Literary Terms -
1.Setting - Boston latin, City Hospital and the Paradise club.
2.Exposition - Michael goes to the hospital everyday with his grandfather to visit Kathy after he quits school, although he has no hope because he feels his family is cursed.
Outline - Michael attemps to go back to school but quits after being questionded by the Guidence counsellor. Kathy finally comes out of the coma on Easter Sunday which everyone thinks is a miracle. This also makes Michael think his family's curse is broken. Michael also starts sneaking into concerts at other places besides the rat and steals shoes at the Goodwill store.
Michael attemts to go back
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. We didn't know exactly what happened to Kathy. She had been staying with her friend Joanie after a fight with Ma.
2. "My sister went off the roof last night. She's in critical condition," I said."Oh, my God, your family's sooooo craaaaaazy!" Sculley said, Holy S**T, Im tripping my brains out and you look like a pineapple!"
3. " Remember she stopped that girl from being raped?" I said . Frankie hadn't heard about that one. When Kathy first went into the coma, and I was sure she'd die, I went through the stuff in her room and tried to remember who she was and all the good things.
4. Frank had some skinny rock'n' roll Ramones type by the collar and tossed him to the curb, "Mike!" he said recognizing me in spite of the pulled down har. His backups stood behind him, ready to pounce if the rock'n' roll guy tried to get back inside. I was shocked when Frankie called me to the doorway and explained to his friends that I was his brother.
5. I hadn't been to school in weeks---I couldn't rememberhow long. I walked toward the gigantic Corinthian columns of Boston Latin and joined the mass of kids getting off the buses. I thought the assistant headmaster, Mr. Vara, was probably standing in my path to congratulate me sarcastically on coming back-- until he took the folded arm stance of one of Frankie's bouncers at the Rat.
Questions -
1.Why was Kathy allowed to quit school so easily?
2. Why didn't anyone try to get more information on Kathy's fall to see if her boyfriend really had pushed her?
3. What made Frankie change his mind about hiding the fact that Michael was his brother?
4. Why did it take a tragedy like kathy falling off the roof, for the father to come back into their lives?
Vocabulary -
1. gauntlet - page 87- a glove with an extended cuff for the wrist.
2. fluctuation -page93- continual change from one point or condition to another.
3. vulgarians - page 93 - vulgar person, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of wealth.
Literary Terms -
1. Setting - The Gardner Museum, Boston City Hospital, Boston Latin and the Rat.
2. Exposition -
Michaels sister falls or is pushed off the roof and is in a coma, Michael stops going to school again and begins hanging out with his grandfather at the museum when he is not at the rat with his friends.
Outline -
The tragedy of kathy's fall is yet another setback in the lives of the MacDonald family. Michael stops going to school. The only positive things that happened was that Michael begins to reveal his true self to his friends and his brother Frank stops being ashamed of him.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. We didn't know exactly what happened to Kathy. She had been staying with her friend Joanie after a fight with Ma.
2. "My sister went off the roof last night. She's in critical condition," I said."Oh, my God, your family's sooooo craaaaaazy!" Sculley said, Holy S**T, Im tripping my brains out and you look like a pineapple!"
3. " Remember she stopped that girl from being raped?" I said . Frankie hadn't heard about that one. When Kathy first went into the coma, and I was sure she'd die, I went through the stuff in her room and tried to remember who she was and all the good things.
4. Frank had some skinny rock'n' roll Ramones type by the collar and tossed him to the curb, "Mike!" he said recognizing me in spite of the pulled down har. His backups stood behind him, ready to pounce if the rock'n' roll guy tried to get back inside. I was shocked when Frankie called me to the doorway and explained to his friends that I was his brother.
5. I hadn't been to school in weeks---I couldn't rememberhow long. I walked toward the gigantic Corinthian columns of Boston Latin and joined the mass of kids getting off the buses. I thought the assistant headmaster, Mr. Vara, was probably standing in my path to congratulate me sarcastically on coming back-- until he took the folded arm stance of one of Frankie's bouncers at the Rat.
Questions -
1.Why was Kathy allowed to quit school so easily?
2. Why didn't anyone try to get more information on Kathy's fall to see if her boyfriend really had pushed her?
3. What made Frankie change his mind about hiding the fact that Michael was his brother?
4. Why did it take a tragedy like kathy falling off the roof, for the father to come back into their lives?
Vocabulary -
1. gauntlet - page 87- a glove with an extended cuff for the wrist.
2. fluctuation -page93- continual change from one point or condition to another.
3. vulgarians - page 93 - vulgar person, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of wealth.
Literary Terms -
1. Setting - The Gardner Museum, Boston City Hospital, Boston Latin and the Rat.
2. Exposition -
Michaels sister falls or is pushed off the roof and is in a coma, Michael stops going to school again and begins hanging out with his grandfather at the museum when he is not at the rat with his friends.
Outline -
The tragedy of kathy's fall is yet another setback in the lives of the MacDonald family. Michael stops going to school. The only positive things that happened was that Michael begins to reveal his true self to his friends and his brother Frank stops being ashamed of him.
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. "They say the guy was a snitch," Kevin said, "and Whitey got wind of it." "No one ever asked how Whitey got wind of it. " No one ever asked how Whitey got wind of anything, but one thing was for sure, nothing could happen in Southie that our gangster boss Whitey Bulger didn't know about.
2. But as we approached the Lenox I heard a voice from behind me. "Mike, what the Christ are you doing out of school?" Ma, of all people, was in Copley, of all places!
3. Even though I was underage, I was becoming an expert at getting in "by hook or by crook," as they said in Southie.
4. I tried to focus again when I heard, "What's up with your family and roofs? I was so distracted though, I didn't know who said it.
5. I told Reme quickly, my sistrer went off the roof." I wanted to keep walking, so I wouldn't have to answer any more questions about it.
Questions -
1.Why did Michael's mother allow her children to steal and bring the strolen items into the house?
2. What made the kids in Southie like Michael's brothers have so much respect for mobsters like Whitey Bulger?
3. Why didn't Michael's mother try to get him to achieve more in school?
4. Why did Mrs. MacDonald give Michael a different last name than his actual father's name?
Vocabulary -
1. Armageddon - page 69 any great and crucial conflict
2. entaranced - page 75 to fill with delight or wonder; enrapture.
3. hemorrhaging - page 81 a profuse discharge of blood, as from a ruptured blood vessel; bleeding.
Literary Terms -
1. Setting - The Rathskellar club in Kenmore Square, Southie/ Old Colony Projects.
2. Exposition - This chapter starts out in Kenmore Square with Michael trying to sneak into a club and discovering his brother Frankie is the bouncer. Although his brother allows him to sneak into the club whenever he wants, he forbids him from telling anyone they are related because he is embarrassed by him.
Outline -
Michael works very hard to keep his new friends from finding out about his neightborhood. He learns meny ways to sneak into clubs to see New Wave concerts. He also begins to skip school to meet up with his friends in Copley Square. Then one day he gets caught by his mother and her boyfriend and he becomes too afraid to skip, until his sister falls or is pushed from the same roof Davey fell from.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1. "They say the guy was a snitch," Kevin said, "and Whitey got wind of it." "No one ever asked how Whitey got wind of it. " No one ever asked how Whitey got wind of anything, but one thing was for sure, nothing could happen in Southie that our gangster boss Whitey Bulger didn't know about.
2. But as we approached the Lenox I heard a voice from behind me. "Mike, what the Christ are you doing out of school?" Ma, of all people, was in Copley, of all places!
3. Even though I was underage, I was becoming an expert at getting in "by hook or by crook," as they said in Southie.
4. I tried to focus again when I heard, "What's up with your family and roofs? I was so distracted though, I didn't know who said it.
5. I told Reme quickly, my sistrer went off the roof." I wanted to keep walking, so I wouldn't have to answer any more questions about it.
Questions -
1.Why did Michael's mother allow her children to steal and bring the strolen items into the house?
2. What made the kids in Southie like Michael's brothers have so much respect for mobsters like Whitey Bulger?
3. Why didn't Michael's mother try to get him to achieve more in school?
4. Why did Mrs. MacDonald give Michael a different last name than his actual father's name?
Vocabulary -
1. Armageddon - page 69 any great and crucial conflict
2. entaranced - page 75 to fill with delight or wonder; enrapture.
3. hemorrhaging - page 81 a profuse discharge of blood, as from a ruptured blood vessel; bleeding.
Literary Terms -
1. Setting - The Rathskellar club in Kenmore Square, Southie/ Old Colony Projects.
2. Exposition - This chapter starts out in Kenmore Square with Michael trying to sneak into a club and discovering his brother Frankie is the bouncer. Although his brother allows him to sneak into the club whenever he wants, he forbids him from telling anyone they are related because he is embarrassed by him.
Outline -
Michael works very hard to keep his new friends from finding out about his neightborhood. He learns meny ways to sneak into clubs to see New Wave concerts. He also begins to skip school to meet up with his friends in Copley Square. Then one day he gets caught by his mother and her boyfriend and he becomes too afraid to skip, until his sister falls or is pushed from the same roof Davey fell from.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Easter Rising
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1."You need to get on with your life," he said, leaning back and folding his hands on his crossed leg. I wasn't even thinking about Davey or feeling bad about him that day.
2. " I don't know," I snapped back. "I just felt like it." Which was the truth. "i guess I was bored. "Who knows? Who cares?" I said, standing now just wanting to get out of there.
3. When I came out of the bathroom, everyone in my family burst into laughter. "Who f***** up your head?" Kevin asked, like he was ready to give my barber a beating.
4. "You think you're King Shit," Kevin told our supervisor one year, "just because you live up the Point."
5."Mother of Christ!" Ma yelled when she walked in on me covering my windows with cloth. She asked me if I was having a nervous breakdown.
Questions -
1. Although the mother was educated in psychology, why didn't she seek treatment for her children, especially Michael who was showing obvious signs of depression?
2. Why were these children as well as other children growing up in the projects allowed to do whatever they wanted too, such as Michael cutting his hair and going out to clubs at 13 and 14 years of age, and his sister drinking and doing drugs?
3. Why didn't Boston Latin recognize that this family was in trouble and get them or at least Michael help?
4. Why was Michael's brother Frankie so ashamed of him and why did he continue to allow his friends to beat up people like Michael?
Vocabulary -
1. anarchist - page 33 a person who promotes disorder or excites revolt against any established rule, law, or custom.
2. blasphemy - page24 A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.
3. recitation - page 24 a reciting or repeating of something from memory, esp. formally or publicly.
Literary Terms -
1. Simile - Usually a huge jock or thug who didn't know any of the clubgoers stood in front of the entrance lokking like a brick wall.
2. Simile - She hit the back of her shoe like it was a ketchup bottle.
1. Outline -
After the tragic death of his mentally ill brother Davey, Michael and his family seemed to all seperate into their own worlds. Michael began to rebel against everything that up until now had been a comfort to him. His family, his friends and the projects all began to be a burden to him. His escape was to go to a new extreme, with a new goth-like appearance and a liking for dark music and odd friends. No-one from Southie, including his family could understand or accept what Michael now felt was his new life. For Michael, Southie was no longer his hometown.
By Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1."You need to get on with your life," he said, leaning back and folding his hands on his crossed leg. I wasn't even thinking about Davey or feeling bad about him that day.
2. " I don't know," I snapped back. "I just felt like it." Which was the truth. "i guess I was bored. "Who knows? Who cares?" I said, standing now just wanting to get out of there.
3. When I came out of the bathroom, everyone in my family burst into laughter. "Who f***** up your head?" Kevin asked, like he was ready to give my barber a beating.
4. "You think you're King Shit," Kevin told our supervisor one year, "just because you live up the Point."
5."Mother of Christ!" Ma yelled when she walked in on me covering my windows with cloth. She asked me if I was having a nervous breakdown.
Questions -
1. Although the mother was educated in psychology, why didn't she seek treatment for her children, especially Michael who was showing obvious signs of depression?
2. Why were these children as well as other children growing up in the projects allowed to do whatever they wanted too, such as Michael cutting his hair and going out to clubs at 13 and 14 years of age, and his sister drinking and doing drugs?
3. Why didn't Boston Latin recognize that this family was in trouble and get them or at least Michael help?
4. Why was Michael's brother Frankie so ashamed of him and why did he continue to allow his friends to beat up people like Michael?
Vocabulary -
1. anarchist - page 33 a person who promotes disorder or excites revolt against any established rule, law, or custom.
2. blasphemy - page24 A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.
3. recitation - page 24 a reciting or repeating of something from memory, esp. formally or publicly.
Literary Terms -
1. Simile - Usually a huge jock or thug who didn't know any of the clubgoers stood in front of the entrance lokking like a brick wall.
2. Simile - She hit the back of her shoe like it was a ketchup bottle.
1. Outline -
After the tragic death of his mentally ill brother Davey, Michael and his family seemed to all seperate into their own worlds. Michael began to rebel against everything that up until now had been a comfort to him. His family, his friends and the projects all began to be a burden to him. His escape was to go to a new extreme, with a new goth-like appearance and a liking for dark music and odd friends. No-one from Southie, including his family could understand or accept what Michael now felt was his new life. For Michael, Southie was no longer his hometown.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Easter Rising
by Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1)Downtown Boston was only three stops but world's away from the Old Colony Project.
2) In the project wew were lucky to have cool concrete floors, and to me lying low was just about the smartest thing to do during an August heat wave.
3) A woman screamed, "He jumped!" And more hellish cries followed. My eyes caught Frankie's, and in that moment I knew everything had changed.
4.) That lazy afternoon beforew Davey jumped, when all anyonecould think about was how hot it was, was the last time I felt like a kid with nothing much to worry about.
5.) At his graveside I had promised myself, and Davey, that I would think of him every day for the rest of my life. I wanted never to forget him, and I was afraid that I could.
Questions -
1.) Why did Micheal and his brother feel the need to go on shoplifting sprees in Downtown Boston?
2.) Why didn't they make sure their Schizophrenic brother was taking his medications or have a backup doctor while his was on vacation?
3.) Why did the mother pay more attention to the accordian than to the death of her oldest son?
4.) Why does Michael refer to Davey's death as suicide, when he was mentally ill?
Vocabulary -
1.) nonchalantly - page 5, coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual.
2.)Schizophrenic - page 9, a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations.
3.) commotion - page 9, violent or tumultuous motion; agitation; noisy disturbance.
Literary Terms
1.) Simile - "For Chrissake, you look like Mother Hubbard," Ma would snap when Nana complained about Ma's miniskirts and spiked heels.
2.) Personification - After we pressed the button, the escalator would stutter in its climbing motion and then come to a rolling stop.
Outline -
Michael Patrick MacDonald's sequel to All Souls begins with him reflecting on the aftermath of busing on South Boston children and the lives they had to endure living in the project without a father, money or proper guidence. The hardships also included the tragic death of his older brother Davey. These are just the beginning experiences that Michael, his family and many of the other children in his neighborhood were exposed to, leading to somewhat tragic futures.
by Michael Patrick MacDonald
Comments -
1)Downtown Boston was only three stops but world's away from the Old Colony Project.
2) In the project wew were lucky to have cool concrete floors, and to me lying low was just about the smartest thing to do during an August heat wave.
3) A woman screamed, "He jumped!" And more hellish cries followed. My eyes caught Frankie's, and in that moment I knew everything had changed.
4.) That lazy afternoon beforew Davey jumped, when all anyonecould think about was how hot it was, was the last time I felt like a kid with nothing much to worry about.
5.) At his graveside I had promised myself, and Davey, that I would think of him every day for the rest of my life. I wanted never to forget him, and I was afraid that I could.
Questions -
1.) Why did Micheal and his brother feel the need to go on shoplifting sprees in Downtown Boston?
2.) Why didn't they make sure their Schizophrenic brother was taking his medications or have a backup doctor while his was on vacation?
3.) Why did the mother pay more attention to the accordian than to the death of her oldest son?
4.) Why does Michael refer to Davey's death as suicide, when he was mentally ill?
Vocabulary -
1.) nonchalantly - page 5, coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual.
2.)Schizophrenic - page 9, a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations.
3.) commotion - page 9, violent or tumultuous motion; agitation; noisy disturbance.
Literary Terms
1.) Simile - "For Chrissake, you look like Mother Hubbard," Ma would snap when Nana complained about Ma's miniskirts and spiked heels.
2.) Personification - After we pressed the button, the escalator would stutter in its climbing motion and then come to a rolling stop.
Outline -
Michael Patrick MacDonald's sequel to All Souls begins with him reflecting on the aftermath of busing on South Boston children and the lives they had to endure living in the project without a father, money or proper guidence. The hardships also included the tragic death of his older brother Davey. These are just the beginning experiences that Michael, his family and many of the other children in his neighborhood were exposed to, leading to somewhat tragic futures.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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