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.