“Cal” by Bernard MacLaverty
For Cal, some of the choices are devastatingly simple - he can work
in the abattoir that nauseates him or he can join the dole queue; he
can brood on his past or plan a future with Marcella.
Springing out of the fear and violence of Ulster, Cal is a haunting
love story in a land where tenderness and innocence can only flicker
briefly in the dark.
Plot Summary
Cal is a teenager growing up during the troubles of Northern
Ireland. He lives with his father Shamie (both are Catholics) in a
town near Belfast in which mainly Protestants live. Cal's mother
died when he was 8 years old.
Life there isn't easy for Cal. He is an outsider in the Protestant
community and feels constantly threatened. He is unemployed after
giving up a job in the abattoir as he “hadn’t a strong enough
stomach” for it.
When visiting the local library one day he sees a woman, Marcella.
He becomes fascinated with her and his fascination grows when he
finds out that this Marcella was connected with an event in Cal’s
past.
Cal manages to get a job on Marcella’s mother-in-law’s farm. While
working there Cal has the opportunity to spend more time with
Marcella and he falls in love with her. However we find out that Cal
was involved in the IRA murder of her husband. So Cal is in love
with the one person who he can never be with.
Cal and his father are burned out of their house by militant
Protestants and Cal starts living on a derelict house on the Morton’s
farm. Cal and Marcella spend more time together and they begin a
love affair. Marcella does not know about Cal’s past.
Cal tries to separate himself from Crilly, Skeffington, the IRA and
the past that haunts him. However they soon catch up with him and
Cal is arrested for his involvement in the murder of Marcella’s
husband.
Themes
The main themes of the novel are:
 Politics of Northern Ireland and “The Troubles”
 Violence
 Religion
 Suffering
 Guilt
The book shows the tragic consequences on individual lives of the
hatred between the Catholic and Protestant communities. The
following characters could all be regarded as victims of the political
situation in Northern Ireland:
 Cal
 Shamie
 Robert Morton
 Marcella
Setting
The location of the events and characters in Northern Ireland during
“The Troubles” is crucial to all aspects of the novel and is
inseparable from the themes of the book.
The setting can be seen as an all-powerful force which shapes and
controls the characters. It creates a violent, threatening and
oppressive atmosphere which forces people into choosing sides and
committing acts of violence.
We can see the conflict between Catholic and Protestant; IRA and
Loyalist/British, and the effect that this has on characters,
especially Cal and his father, Shamie. Cal and Shamie live under
constant threat because of their religion. They are the only Catholic
family in a Protestant neighbourhood. Shamie is determined not to
be forced out of his home but this leads to acts of violence. First Cal
is attacked by some loyalist youths and then their house is set on
fire. Shamie never recovers from this and it leads to him having a
breakdown. Shamie can be seen as one of the many victims of the
Troubles of Northern Ireland.
We also learn that Cal is involved with the IRA. Cal is instinctively
against the violence that blights his community but he is unable to
escape it. Crilly and Skeffington force him to continue to help the
IRA.
It is clear that because Cal is a Catholic in Modern Northern Ireland,
he has no choice but to follow a certain path and undergo suffering.
Characters - Cal
The novel gives readers an insight into how “The Troubles” affected ordinary
people and their lives. This is done by presenting the events of the novel from
Cal’s viewpoint.
The author thus faces the difficult task of asking the reader to sympathise with,
and respond favourably towards, a member of the IRA. To do this he shows us an
individual with problems, and some endearing or redeeming qualities.
Find four problems that Cal has, and four qualities.
Problems
Qualities
1. Why does MacLaverty leave making the reader aware of Cal’s involvement in
the murder until about half-way through the novel?
2. Who or what has shaped Cal’s personality and outlook? What motivates this
character?
3. It could be argued that Cal’s relationship with Marcella was doomed from the
start, so why does he pursue her so relentlessly?
4. What is your overall attitude towards Cal? How do you feel about him at the
end of the novel?
It is central to the writer’s purpose that we sympathise with Cal. The writer
achieves this by showing us all his endearing qualities; his shyness, his quirky
sense of humour, his “innocence”, his kindness, his lack of confidence and his
care and concern for his father.
The bleakness of Cal’s life, especially at the beginning of the novel, and the fears
and threats he has to live with every day from both sides, adds to our sympathy
for him. Also his isolation: he has no real friends or family to turn to, especially
when his father breaks down at the end. The only real relationship in Cal’s life is
with Marcella. That relationship is doomed to failure as he struggles with the
burden of guilt and remorse for the death of her husband.
The less attractive side of Cal’s nature; his involvement with violence and the IRA
is overcome because:
 He is sorry for what he has done. He is tortured by guilt and remorse. At
one point he talks of going to his room “to eat again the ashes of what he
had done”.
 He is a reluctant participant in violent and criminal activities and he tries
desperately to get out.
 He contrasts markedly with characters like Crilly - the mindless thug, who
seems to enjoy violence and who doesn’t stop to question what he does in
human or moral terms. To the likes of him, the issue is simple - the
“enemy” (the Brit or Ulsterman) must be eliminated in the struggle to
free Ireland. Likewise Skeffington, the IRA “intellectual” who gets other
people to do his dirty work for him.
Characters - Marcella
Marcella's family comes from Italy. She is small, dark-haired and
she has brown eyes. About five years before the beginning of the
story, she married Robert Morton, a Protestant from Ulster. Marcella
herself is a Catholic.
Since her husband was murdered by militant Catholics, Marcella
lives with her little daughter Lucy in the farmhouse of her parentsin-law.
She works in a library to get out of her boring life at home. She is
discontent with her life because she feels alone with her thoughts
and problems.
Task: List as many reasons as you can to explain why a woman like
Marcella would become involved with someone like Cal. The
following quotes might help you:
“I think that’s a terrible thing about marriage. You have to move
away from your own home to be with your husband and leave your
friends. Then bang - you’re left without anything.”
“It frightens me that people should want physically to hurt one
another.”
“It seems terrible at my age to be nostalgic for school.”
“Love is a very strange idea... when you were young it seemed to
be all intensity and no opportunity. Later when you did get the
opportunity the fire had gone out if it.”
Characters
Shamie
Though we see little of him, Shamie comes across as an ordinary
working man whose life
is ruined by the violence and hatred of Ulster. He is reduced to a
state of helplessness and despair. This is a strong contrast to the
tough manly image he presents at the start of the novel.
Crilly and Skeffington
These men are very much involved in the struggle for “the cause”,
but represent different faces of nationalism and terrorism. Think
about their personality, behaviour and motivation. What is your
attitude towards each of them?
Task: Find







quotes for the following:
Cal’s bleak life
His isolation
His fear of violence
The constant threat that he lives under
His guilt
His reluctance to take part in violence
His love for Marcella
“As he turned into the street he felt the eyes on him.” pg 2
“the kerbstones had been painted alternating red, white and blue.
Cal felt it was aimed at them, the McCluskeys, because his father
and he were the only Catholic family left in the whole estate.” pg 3
“Sometimes he wished he knew more languages to curse himself
more thoroughly.” pg4
“It was her. ...In some way, he didn’t know how, he would have to
make it up to her.” pg 10
“he went to the bedroom to eat again the ashes of what he had
done.” pg 10
“‘What’s the problem, Cahal?’ Skeffington asked.
‘I just don’t like what’s happening. That woman Marcella Morton
has started in the library. I see her every day.’” pg18
“I have no stomach for it” pg 18
“The rest of his prayers consisted of telling himself how vile he
was.” pg 33
“‘We’ll get you next time’... The trouble was he knew they would. It
had been a chance encounter, fists and feet. Next time it would be
clubs, pick-handles, knives or worse.” pg 43
“‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.’
‘But it all seems so pointless,’ said Cal. pg 64
“Cal shouted to one of the firemen, ‘Is my father in there?’ His voice
was almost a scream.” pg 73
“He felt like he had a brand stamped in blood in the middle of his
forehead which would take him the rest of his life to purge.” pg 89
“Sometimes in her presence he felt like Quasimodo - as if the
ugliness of what he had done showed in his face.” pg125
“She would probably laugh...if he gave her the slightest hint that he
loved her.” pg125
“He wanted to share his guilt with the person he had wronged. To
commune with her and be forgiven.” pg 143
“The next morning the police arrived to arrest him and he stood...
listening to the charge, grateful that at last someone was going to
beat him to within an inch of his life.” pg156
Example:
Point: Cal feels remorse for what he has done in the past.
Context: When he finds out that the woman in the library is
connected to his past he feels a need to make it up to her:
Quote: “It was her. ...In some way, he didn’t know how, he would
have to make it up to her.”
Explanation: At this point in the novel we do not know what Cal
has done but this clearly shows that he regrets it and wants to
make amends.
Themes
The novel explores many themes but the main ones are politics,
violence, religion, suffering and, above all, guilt.
The main theme of the book is the tragic consequences on
individual lives of the bitter inbred hatred between
Catholic/Protestant and Republican/Loyalist. This hatred and conflict
controls all aspects of a person’s life; where he works, where he
lives, who his friends are, who he falls in love with, how he spends
his time. The novel clearly shows the impossibility of trying to break
free from this hatred.
Cal is thus an isolated, lonely figure, alienated because of his
religion. His is unable to accept the role expected of him by the IRA
because he cannot accept the violence and suffering it inevitably
leads to. He also cannot escape the guilt that he feels from his
previous involvement with the IRA. His feelings of guilt and selfhatred lead him to seek forgiveness or salvation through his
relationship with Marcella.
Match the themes below with the quotes:
Guilt
“‘If you’re not part of the
solution, you’re part of the
problem.’ Pg 64
Need for forgiveness
“he went to the bedroom to eat
again the ashes of what he had
done.” pg 10
The difficulty of breaking free
from the hatred and conflict of
Northern Ireland
“He wondered how many people
had cracked up like Shamie as a
result of the troubles. Shaking
remnants of themselves.” Pg 114
“He wanted to share his guilt
with the person he had wronged.
To commune with her and be
forgiven.” pg 143
Violence
The tragic effect of the troubles
on individual lives.
“‘We’ll get you next time’... The
trouble was he knew they would.
It had been a chance encounter,
fists and feet. Next time it would
be clubs, pick-handles, knives or
worse.” pg 43
Themes – Questions
1. The tragic effect of the troubles on individual lives.
Show how the lives of the following characters are affected by
the troubles:
 Marcella
 Shamie
 Cal
2. Violence. Choose a scene from the novel which shows us the
violent world in which the novel takes place. Describe what
happens in the scene.
3. Guilt. Do you think Cal is right to feel guilt for his role in the
murder of Marcella’s husband or is he a victim of
circumstances? Give reasons for your answer.
4. Forgiveness. Cal has a need for forgiveness. Do you think
Marcella would forgive Cal when she finds out about his
involvement in the murder? Is forgiveness the only way that
Northern Ireland can move beyond the violence and hatred?
Structure
The novel consists of five chapters, starting with Cal’s fear and
isolation, then his meeting with Marcella, the burning of the house,
the flashback to the murder and Cal’s guilt in helping to carry it out,
the consummation of the relationship between Cal and Marcella and
his arrest.
Each chapter is in sections which move back and forth in time and
place and include flashbacks. Dramatic effects are achieved by the
intrusion of violent action, or nightmares.
Through chapters 1-3 there are many strong hints of guilt, so the
reader is not really surprised when we are told exactly what he had
done. However the timing of the revelation is important because:
1. Cal has just been forced into doing another “job” for the IRA
2. His home has just been burned to the ground.
So we are feeling sorry for Cal at this point. We are willing to show
him sympathy even though he has been involved in a murder.
Symbolism
1. The abattoir. Events here represent what happens in Belfast
– the blood, the violence, the killings. Introduces us to Crilly
with a knife.
2. The martyrs. Cal is constantly reminded of these religious
men and women who represent the idea that you can only
find forgiveness or salvation after you have endured you have
endured severe physical punishment.
3. Nightmares. In all three of Cal’s nightmares he is
represented as a helpless individual unable to prevent
disaster. They are also violent and bloody – reflecting the
violent world of Northern Ireland.
5. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/how-do-you-bringa-divided-community-together/7350.html
Choose a novel in which the central character is involved in
conflict. Briefly outline the nature of the conflict and then in
more detail explain how it helped illustrate the theme(s) of
the novel.
In your answer you should deal with at least two of the
following: setting, characterisation, dialogue, key incident,
theme, or any other appropriate feature.
Choose a prose work (fiction or non-fiction) in which setting is an important feature.
Explain how the writer creates the setting, and then go on to show how this feature
contributes to your understanding of the text as a whole.
Choose a novel or a short story which gives you an insight into an aspect of human
nature or behaviour.
State what the aspect is, and show how the characters’ actions and relationships lead
you to a deeper understanding of human nature or behaviour.
Choose a novel or a short story in which a character is in conflict with his or her
friends
or relatives or society.
Show how the conflict arises and what effect it has on the character’s fate in the novel
or short story as a whole.
Choose a novel or a short story which deals with the effects of evil or war or deceit or
a
breakdown in society or a breakdown in relationship(s).
Show how any of these negative pressures affects the main character in the novel or
short story and go on to show whether or not she or he tackles it successfully.
Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy with one of the main
characters because of the difficulties or injustice or hardships she or he has to face.
Describe the problems the character faces and show by what means you are made to
feel
sympathy for her or him.
Choose a prose text (fiction or non-fiction) in which a society or a person or a culture
or a setting is effectively portrayed.
Show how the writer’s presentation of the subject makes an impact on you, and helps
you to understand the subject in greater depth.
6. Choose a novel or short story which has a striking opening.
Show how the opening is effective in introducing the character(s) and/or the
atmosphere and/or the setting.