Cal summery

Before my passage, Cal had been arrested by the army as he had been occupying a cottage illegally because his families home had  been burnt down .The owners are Marcella’s parents in law .They then accept to lend the cottage to Cal but  on the condition he doesn’t  complain about the bad state of the cottage.

During my extract, Marcella and Cal are talking together It‘s the first time, that we really learn something about Marcella’s life after the murder of her husband, Robert. She is very kind to Cal and even  offers him a chest of drawers for his clothes, she then  remembers that all his clothes have been lost in the fire so she gives him her husbands old clothes. She also offers to wash the stinking clothes that he is wearing.

Through out my extract, we also learn more about Marcella’s behaviour  which is quite interesting.

Setting : It’s the middle of the night just after Cal’s arrest . Marcella and Cal are talking in the cottage and Lucy, Marcella’s daughter is present. They are more precisely in the cottage’s bedroom (p.100 l.6). They often switch rooms mainly they are either in the bedroom or the kitchen , but it always takes place in the cottage

This passage extract unravels information about Marcella’s behaviour and childhood  in Portstewart with her Italian family and how she lived after the murder of her husband and the way  she dealt with it.

We also discover Cal’s discomfort  when Marcella talks about her husband and when she offers to give him Robert’s old clothes .

Marcella :

1. Marcella shows us, how she was devastated after her husband’s death.

-(p.99 l.15-16) It shows her devastation and her feelings of distraught   due to  what happened to her husband and how she needed to take a holiday to clear her mind.

-(p.99 l.25) she feels guilty, This shows that the holiday didn’t work that well as she hasn’t changed her mind. I think in this moment she actually feels worst.

2. However she has now accepted her situation and makes jokes about her widow weeds which is a term used for the black clothes you wear when someone dies. (p.99 l.26) I think that she’s now more confortable talking about her husband.

We also feel that when she offers Cal Roberts clothes it does not seem to affect her as generally, when someone is in mourning the last thing they want is to be separated from their loved ones possesions

Unfortunately, Lucy her daughter is still very affected and doesn’t want to speak or hear about her father, as this brings back some bad memories. (p.99 l.32-33) That’s why they change the topic.

3. Marcella is very polite and takes care of Cal (p.100 l.1-5) she immediately  sees that a chest of drawers is missing in Cal’s bedroom and remembers that  Cal doesn’t have any more clothes.

(p.100 l.22)  She want’s to help him therefore she gives Robert’s old things to him but is wary of being rude and offending Call

When Cal tries Robert’s clothes on and makes a joke about how most second hand clothes fit him.(p.101 l.23-24)

She looks sorry for him because she has nothing else to give to him. It shows how much she cares about Cal.

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