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.