Rasmus Würtz Engelsk A Essay

The story about Kevin and his family takes place in Ireland.

We hear that Kevin is studying at a grammar school, and he has problems in latin classes.

His father is a barman, and as Kevins mother says, they never got the chance of going to school, but his father would certainly have passed it, but his mother probably wouldn’t.
Kevins mother doesn’t seem to have a education, but she might have a job, but we doesn’t hear about that.

The Sweenys is a not a wealthy family, but they’re not concerned about money, which mean that they aren’t poor, but it’s not possible to make more money than they currently are, so there is no need for concern. Money isn’t a subject of conversation at the Sweenys, it is a well functioning family.

The boy and his father have a relationship which isn’t characterised by a paternal dominance, the way they talk to each other is reflecting that. Kevins father, whos name we doesen’t know, is a calm type and is pleasant for the boy and his brothers to be around, and they to admire him, as in when he gets home from work, sits in his chair and simply commands “Slippers”, and the boys come as faithful dogs, to take of his shoes and put on his slippers.

His father helps him with some latin grammar, as he is in a hurry to get to work, and Kevin trusts his father with deep faith, so he is sure that it must be correct, but at school he is picked out by the strict and respect demanding teacher, Waldo.
He slowly and reads up the latin grammar his father gave him, but they were all wrong.

But Kevin shows that he really admires and trusts his father, by hesitantly saying: “But sir, they couldn’t be wr...” (wrong. Red), because his father had told him that, that was the answers.

Waldo is teaching in a period where children weren’t supposed to form their own opinion, and rote learning was the only form of learning. In the same period, it was commom to physically punish children, when they had the wrong answers, so he isn’t an aberrant teacher.

But Waldo is not a slanderous person behind his expressionless face, because he says that he’s sorry that he has insulted Kevins father, by making fun of his job as a barman, in the class.

Later in the story, Kevin is waiting for the bus and his father.
When the bus finally arrives and Kevin meets his father, he doens’t tell him about the incident in school, because he is afraid to disapoint his father, who thinks that he, himself could have passed the examinations, if he just had the chance.

One of the recurring themes in the text, is Kevin loyalty and respect towards father.
A thing that a lot of people recognises, when they feel that their family are ridiculed, and the human instinct of defending your nearest steps in.