money that the family needs and become the family man that takes all the responsibility that his father rarely shows.
5. Hard Working
Another description of Frank is that he is a hard working person. He needs to work hard since he wants to struggle for life and help his family too. He tries
everything to earn money to buy food. Frank help his uncle Pat to deliver the newspaper since his grandma tells his
mother that uncle Pat will give him three pence as the price. “I’m to run in where there’s a delivery, climb the outside steps, in the door,
up the stairs, yell paper, get the money they owe him for the week, down the stairs, give him the money and on the next stop” 195.
Based on his speech, Frank tries to work hard to help his uncle because he
wants to get the money for his mother. He also works for Mr. Hannon his neighbour. He helps Mr. Hannon to
deliver the coal to the houses around Limerick. Though he earns sixpence from delivering the coal, he is not concerned his health and it hurts his mother to see him
work that hard to give the family food. Mam is sitting by the fire and when I hand her the money she looks at me,
drops it in her lap and cries. I’m puzzled because money is supposed to make you happy. Look at your eyes, she says. My face is black and the eyes
are worse than ever 306-07.
From Angela’s reaction, it can be seen that she feels sad because Frank has to work hard until his eyes become infected by the dust coal, just because he wants to bring
the wages for the family. After Frank quarrels with Angela and chooses to stay in his grandma’s
house he has no money and has no job. He works hard to find a job to earn food for himself since his uncle cannot support him.
There’s a market down the Irish town where the farmers come on Saturdays with their vegetables, hens, eggs, butter. If I’m there early they’ll give me a
few pennies for helping unload their carts or motorcars. At the end of the day they can’t sell, anything crushed, bruised or rotten parts 351.
It can be seen that he tries to earn money for himself since there is no one there to support him.
Frank accepts Mrs. Finucane’s offers to write for her threatening letters for her customers. He knows that from this new job, he will earn more money and he
can give it to his mother or put it into his saving account to go to America later. He takes the job because he really needs the money to buy food for the family, since
his job as telegram boy does not bring him enough money for his family. Can you write a letter?
I can. She wants me to write letters to her customer. She says, I’ll give you
threepence for every letter you write and another threepence if it brings a payment 387.
From Mrs. Finucane’s speech, it can be seen that she wants Frank to work for her and she will pay Frank. She does not know that Frank needs the money for
his family. As a hard working person, he shows his willingness to accept any kind of
job in order to earn money for the family. He helps his uncle Pat in delivering the newspaper just for threepence, helps the farmers unload their carts though he only
earns a few pennies. He even accepts Mrs. Finucane’s offers to write the threatening letters only to collect the money that he and his family need. Frank is
willing to work hard as long as it brings him the money though it also almost ruins
his eyes.
6. Smart
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