His kindness somehow makes the man at the gate feel shocked. Since the family needs money to live, Frank then works for Mr. Hannon as a
coal deliveryman. Unfortunately, the problem of his infectioned eyes grows worse every day and if he continues to work it will ruin his eyes. Because of that reason,
Angela tells him to stop working for Mr. Hannon. It makes him feel so sad because no one will help Mr. Hannon and no one will bring home the money that the family
needs to buy some food, coal and clothes. And I can’t stop crying now because this was my one chance to be a man
and bring home the money the telegram boy never brought from my father. I can’t stop crying because I don’t know what Mr. Hannon is going to do on
Monday morning when he has no one to help him pull the bags to the edge of the float, to push the bags into the houses 307.
Reactions can be used to describe a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situation and events Murphy 168. In the novel it
can be seen through Frank’s reaction that he still wants to work and help Mr. Hannon because that is the only way he can do to support his family financially.
Frank is a very kind person because he also considers what Mr. Hannon will do on the next day without somebody’s help.
Based on Frank’s mannerisms and reaction from the discussion above, we can conclude that he is a kind- hearted person because he is always willing to help other
people who need his help. He has a gentle heart that he is never able to see other people in troubles such as Paddy Clohessy, Mr. Timoney and Mr. Hannon.
3. Honest
Frank is also known as an honest person. Though he tries to hide all his faults, he always ends up by confessing all his faults. He always keeps in his mind
that God is always watching him and he will be doomed because of all his faults. Frank tries to help his grandma to deliver a dinner for Bill Galvin who rents a
room in his grandma’s house, so that he can earn sixpence for his mother. Unfortunately, one night he feels hungry and starts to eat the dinner by telling
himself that Bill Galvin will not notice the amount of food that is not as much as usual. Then he cannot stop eating the dinner. He finishes it and when Bill Galvin
knows it, he is very angry and asks Frank to return to his grandma and ask her to make him another dinner. He cannot lie to his grandma about the dinner of Bill
Galvin. Grandma says, “What are you doin’ back with that can?”
He could bring that back himself. He wants more dinner.
“What do you mean more dinner? Jesus above, is it a hole he has in his leg?” He’s falling down with hunger below the limekiln.
“Is it coddin’ me you are?” He says send him any class of a dinner.
“I will not. I sent him his dinner”. He didn’t get it.
“He didn’t?” “Why not?” I ate it.
“What?” I was hungry and I tasted it and I couldn’t stop 152.
Frank feels afraid and guilty of Bill Galvin and his grandma that he chooses to tell his grandma that he eats the dinner for Bill Galvin.
In one occasion, Angela puts Frank into an Irish traditional dance class, because she wants him to be able to dance the traditional dances but Frank does not
want to join the class because his friends tell that he will be like a “sissy” and will not fit to any Gaelic sports or football. Then, he decides that he will not continue
the dancing class. Instead, he uses the money that his mother gives to him to watch a movie in the Lyric Cinema with his friend. Every time he returns from the cinema
he lies to his parents and creates a lie dance in front of his parents so that they believe in him. However, one day he returns from the cinema wit h toothache.
She’s there by the fire and Dad is there and they’re asking me the same old questions, the dance and the name of the dance. I tell them I learned “The
Walls of Cork” and I dance around the kitchen trying to hum a made up tune
and dying with the pain of my tooth. Mam says, “Walls o’ Cork” my eyes, there’s no such a dance, and Dad says, “Come over here”. “Stand there before
me”. Tell us the truth; “Did you go to your dancing classes today?” I can’t tell a lie anymore because my gum is killing me and there’s blood in
my mouth. Besides, I know they know everything and that’s what they’re trying telling me know. Some snake of a boy from the dancing school saw me
going to the Lyric Cinema and told and Mrs. Connor sent a note to say she hadn’t seen me ages and I was all right because I had great promise and could
follow in the footsteps of the great Cyril Benson 160-61.
Through the reactions of his parents, it can be seen that Frank knows there is no use to lie. He cannot lie to his mother because she is a great dancer in her
young age after all. He feels afraid too because there is blood in his mouth. He has to be honest because that is the only way for him to tell his parents that he does not
want to continue joining the dancing class. Once his father is away spending the money from his Grandfather from the
North on drink. Angela is very angry and sends Frank to find him in every pub in Limerick. However, Frank is hungry and since he eats nothing, then he steals fish
and chips from a drunken man. He feels guilty and choose to go to church for confession.
Bless me Father, for I have sinned, it’s a fortnight since my last confession. I tell him the usual sins and then, I stole fish and chip[s from a drunken man.
“Why my child?” I was hungry; there was nothing in my belly. My mother sent me out looking
for my father in the pubs and I couldn’t find him. He’s drinking the five pounds Grandpa sent from the North for the new baby and my mother is
ragging by the fire because I can’t find my father 208
It can be seen that Frank feels afraid because he has stolen the fish and chips from
the drunken man since he had nothing to eat. He knows that God is always watching him from the heaven and whenever he makes any mistake it is better for
him to go to confession so that God will forgive him. On his sixteen birthdays, uncle Pa buys him his first pint because his father is
in England. After drinking his pint, he chooses to return home and then he quarrels with his mother. Angrily and in drunken condition, he unconsciously slaps his
mother. He feels very sad and sorry for his mother. The next day, he goes to the church and cries in front of the statue of St. Francis where Father Gregory comforts
him. “My child sit here with me”. “Tell me what troubles you”. “Only if you want
to”. I am Father Gregory.
I’m sixteen today, Father. “Oh, lovely, lovely, and why should that be a trouble to you?”
I drank my first pint last night. Yes?
I hit my mother. “God help us my child. But he will forgive you”. “Is there anything else?”
I can’t tell you, Father. “Would you like to go to confession?”
I can’t Father, I did terrible things. “God forgive all who repent”. “He sent His only Beloved Son to die for us”.
I can’t tell, Father. I can’t. “But you could tell St. Francis couldn’t you?”
He doesn’t help me anymore. “But you love Him don’t you?”
I do. My name is Francis. “Then tell Him”. “We’ll sit here and you tell Him the things that trouble
you”. “If I sit here and listen, it will be only be a pair of ears for St. Francis and Our Lord”. “Won’t that help?” 402
Not only once Frank makes such confession and asks the Priest to forgive him after his conducts. Again he goes to the church to confess his mistakes. His confession
shows that he is in a desperate condition and he feels that he has hurt his beloved mother and he made her cry. He feels disappointed, sad and ashamed of himself
and thinks that God will not listen nor forgive his mistakes. Based on Frank’s speech with his grandma and the conversation between
Frank and his parents and the Father in the church, we can conclude that Frank is an honest person. For him, it will be much better to tell the truth about his mistakes
rather than lying to other people and especially to God. He knows that God is always watching him from above and He knows every time Frank makes mistake.
He is afraid of God and that is his main reason to confess all his mistakes so that God will forgive him.
4. Caring
