Themes - CCEAIrish working class life

Social commentary and realism are presented throughout, making the novel a window into Irish working class life.

Paddy’s family cope on very little money, something many families experienced then and still experience today.

We see this at the beginning of the novel when Sinbad loses his shoe. He is punished by his mother as the family cannot afford replacements easily.

When Paddy is sent to the shops for ice cream, he has to use credit and “was to tell Mister Fitz to put it on ma’s list". This shows that Paddy’s family are frequently short of money when they have to buy things.

Paddy’s clothes are often hand-me-downs, and when he grows too big for his trousers he is worried that his dad will just tell him to make do. Even when the boys play football, it’s with a partly burst ball.

While Paddy’s family are obviously not affluent they do seem to have more than some other families. For example, Mr Clarke buys a car and takes them on a day trip.

In contrast to this Liam and Aidan’s house is falling apart because their father cannot afford to replace everyday items.

Paddy refers to the boys from Corporation houses as “Slum scum”. This is a term he had heard being used, and it indicates that they come from poorer, rougher backgrounds.

Doyle portrays many characters from different backgrounds. Through Paddy’s narration he gives a voice to a working class child, a section of the population that often goes unheard.

Doyle’s use of language adds to the realism of the novel, enhancing its reflection of Irish working class life.

Paddy’s narration and the dialogue with other characters mimic the colloquialisms and dialect used by real people in the Dublin area where the novel is set.

The conversations feel natural, like real people talking. The use of dashes instead of speech marks to show dialogue adds to this - the direct speech seems to be part of what Paddy is recounting to us and doesn’t break up his narrative.