Novel: Potato People

Characters

a) Patrick Flynne (Main Character)

i. Background
~ originated from the little village of Skullgoragh in Ireland.
~ born to poor farming family, living on land owned by Lord Francis Egham.
~ became an orphan by the time he was 16 years old.
~ saw his family succumb to the epidermic outbreaks following the Great
Hunger of 1840’s.
~ choosen by his fellow villagers to be the lookout for the arrival of the
landlord’s men.
~ lived alone in his father’s cottage which was later razed to the ground by
Lord Egham’s men.
~ had never gone beyond the confines of his village and the land surrounding
it.
~ had apparently never received any schooling, even when his parents were
alive.
~ appeared to have strong survival instincts as shown by his actions during the
potato famine.
~ foraged for food, eating bitter leaves, strange roots, wayside weeds and even
rotten meat of a dead dog
~ appeared to have a good friend in Sean, a fellow orphan who kept a
brotherly eye over him.

ii. Role In The Story

~ selected as the village look-out on account of his good eyesight, Patrick took
his duty seriously.
~ perched among the branches of an old oak tree. He kept a constant look-out
for Lord Egham’s men.
~ ran to warn his fellow villagers when he saw the unexplained approach of
some British soldiers.
~ watched helplessly when the landlord’s overseer, Mr Graystone had his
whole village razed to the ground.
~ knew then that the overseer, Mr.Graystone, had brought the British soldiers
to control them.
~ witnessed the streams of desperate and hungry people who, like him, were
leaving Ireland.
~ met a kind and generous Peter O’Connor, carrying an orphan child , along
the way to Cork.
~ met a street-smart Gypsy girl, Marie, who assumed the role of mentor as
they made for Cork.
~ found the port of Cork full of soldiers and desperate crowds, pushing and
shoving to get on ships.
~ watched with great fear, clashes between the hungry masses and the soldiers
 Novel: Potato People

guarding the warehouses.

~ found Sean at the Three Cats Inn, given a hearty meal and enough money
for their sea passage.
~ instructed by Sean to book tickets for himself and Marie on the Zeus, which
was leaving soon for America.
~ refused to believe Sean had stolen the bag of shiny gold coins from some
rich person.
~ shocked and still disbelieving when Sean was subsequently taken away, in
chains, by some soldiers.
~ agreed not to interfere in Sean’s case only after great persuasion from
Marie.
~ arrived safely on American soil after a difficult crossing of the Atlantic
Ocean in the crowded ship.
~ determined to make a new life for himself and Marie, he worked hard and
they often went hungry.
~ decided to join the Union Army of the North in the Americian Civil War,
1861-1865.
~ fought hard against slavery and gained the rank of captain by the end of the
war in 1865.
~ faced hardships together with Marie and stayed loyal to each other
~ married Marie and together they went westwards to find employment with
the railway company.
~ worked with the Union Pacific to build the first railways, spinning the
eastern and western states.
~ settled permanently in California as a cattle rancher and wealthy landowner.

Sean

a. Brave - Sean leads the villagers to fight the soldiers in order to save their
homes.
b. Helpful - Sean helps Patrick to leave Ireland.
c. Determined - Sean faces the soldiers with full determination although there
are many of them. He is also determined to help Patrick to leave Ireland, that
he is willing to do anything.
d. Revengeful - Sean kill Mr Graystone and his two dogs cruelly because the
latter burnt his home. He stole Lord Egham's money because the latter took
his family's wealth and estates.
 Novel: Potato People

Example: Question and Answer (Characters)

a) Based on the novel, write about a character that you dislike.

Answer:

One of the characters in the novel ‘Potato People’ that I dislike is, Mr. Oswald
Graystone. He was Lord Egham care taker in Ireland. He managed Lord Egham’s
estate and was cruel and unsympathetic. He was not bothered by the hardship and
suffering of the villagers. He would not hesitate to take actions to those who went
against him. He gave orders for the cottages to be burnt and made the villagers
homeless. He smiled broadly and was pleased with his work.

b) Based on the novel, write about the character you find most interesting. Give
evidence from the text to support you answer.

Answer:

I find Marie in ‘Potato People’ most interesting. She is knowledgeable,

cheerful and intelligent. She had been to many cities. So she knew how to protect
herself. Patrick learnt the survival games from her and later to steal food from
rich people’s homes. However difficult times were, she was cheerful and lively. In
America, she struggled with Patrick during the early years. Life became better
when she married Patrick and they settled down in California.

c) Based on the novel of your choice, write on the character that you admire

Answer:

The novel that I have read is Potato People by Angela Wright. The character that I
admire is Sean.

Sean was from a rich and powerful family. But his family was destroyed by Lord
Egham.He became poor. I admire him because he shows self-sacrifice. He killed Mr
Graystone and stole Lord Egham’s money. He gave the money to Patrick so that he
could sail to America. He never revealed Patrick’s name to his captors, so as not to
implicate him in the crime.Sean sacrificed his own happiness for Patrick and Marie.

d) What have you learnt from the main character of the novel? Give evidence
from the text to support you answer.
 Novel: Potato People

Answer:

I have learnt the most from Marie, the gipsy girl from the novel Potato People. At a
time when Ireland was going through the potato blight and the people were jobless
and starving, Marie was a symbol of hope. She has taught me optimism. in the most
difficult of times, she was always smiling and cheerful. For Patrick, "it had been a
long, long time since he had heard anybody laugh" until Marie came along. She also
informed Patrick that the world was "full of wonderful, wonderful things". I learnt
from Marie that we should be optimistic even when things are really bad and believe
that something good will come out of our situation.
Marie also proves that experience sometimes is the best teacher. Her survival skills
are not obtained from any book or classroom. What she knows, she has learnt from
real-life experience. With these survival skills, she was able to take care of herself as
well as Patrick. She has taught me that when we face obstacles in life, we should look
at them as lessons which can teach us more of life. The more difficulties we undergo,
the stronger we become, just like Marie.

e) Which character in the novel you have read, do you consider brave?

Answer:

In the novel, ’Potato People’, I would consider Sean a brave man. When
Mr.Graystone came to Skullgoragh with the British soldiers to drive out the villagers,
he was ready to fight them. He did not fight them only because he did not want the
villagers to be hurt or killed. Unlike the soldiers, the villagers were not trained to
fight and had no proper weapons.

Later, Sean went to Mr Graystone’s house to take revenge. He wanted to kill him. He
was not afraid of his two big wolfhounds. He even killed the dogs. He went to kill
Graystone even though he knew he had many thugs to guard him

Sean knew that soldiers were looking for him everywhere in connection with
Graystone’s murder and robbery. Yet, he showed up at Cork to hand Patrick some
money so that he and Marie could go to America

f) Based on one of the novels, write about either the hero or heroine. Give
evidence from the novel to support your answer.

Answer:

The novel that I have chosen is,’Potato People’ by Angela Wright. The person I
consider a heroine in the novel is Marie, a Gipsy princess.

She could survive in any tough situation. In times of hardship and suffering, she ould
still remain cheerful and optimistic. Marie was also a caring person who had
protected Patrick from harm and injury several times. She had strong survival skills.
 Novel: Potato People

She taught Patrick how to protect himself from the cannibals when they went through
the forest. She taught Patrick how to enter the house to steal food to eat in order to
stave off their hunger.

Marie was also highly intelligent. She sensed that Sean had stolen the money and
advised Patrick to be careful. Marie told Patrick not to help Sean when he was
arrested because they would only get themselves in danger.

Themes

a) Poverty and hardship of life.

The potato blight has left the villagers poor and helpless. They experienced
famine, diseases and suffering. To escape poverty and hardship, many of the
villagers leave Ireland.

b) Survival of the fittest.

Patrick and Mary together with many of the poverty-stricken villagers are bold
enough to take risks to improve their lives. They leave behind a world they have
known for the unknown. It takes sheer grit to survive such hardships and this
reflects the resilience of the human spirit.

c) Social class such as the rich and the poor.

Mr. Graystone’s men show no mercy towards the Irish farmers. Their village is
left in ruins. The British soldiers In Cock also attack mobs of hungry people
instead of addressing the issues of poverty, hunger and disease.

d) Endurance and patience during the difficult times

The poverty-stricken Irish are forced to leave Ireland for greener pastures in
pursuit of happiness.

e) Starvation and hunger in the country

The Irish villagers are starving and afflicted by terrible epidemics like typhoid and
cholera. For them, the potato is a symbol of food and hope. Their land has been
struck by the potato blight. They lose their sole source of food and income. They
had no food to eat and ended up eating grass and weeds to survive. Despair sets in
as they fall sick, starve and hungry.

f) Friendship and loyalty

 Novel: Potato People

Despite all the hardships and disillusionment, friendship prevails. The villagers
unite to try to fend off the British soldiers and Mr. Graystone. Friendship is also
pivotal in the bonding between Patrick and Mary, Patrick and Sean. Together
Patrick and Mary travel thought thick and thin, bonded by their friendship and
loyalty to each other, Sean’s generosity is instrumental in enabling his friends to
emigrate despite himself being caught by the soldiers.

Example of Question:

a) Based on the novel of your choice, write on the theme, “Hope and Despair”

Answer:

Based on the novel, ’Potato People’ by Angela Wright which I have chosen, I am of the
opinion that the themes hope and despair are portrayed in this inspiring novel.

The Irish villagers have always placed their full hope on their potato crops. These crops
contributed to their meagre income and was also their staple food. The crops helped them
in earning a decent living and enabled them to pay rent to their landlords.

However, despair settled in them when their precious potato crops were destroyed by the
potato blight .This brought disaster upon them. Many were inflicted by diseases. Some
died in the process. Suffering and difficulty swept the whole land as this reality slowly
took its toll over the heartbroken people. The British government‘s indifference only
worsened the situation as they offered no significant help.

Therefore, their only hope was to seek greener pastures and start anew in the ‘New
World’, which was America. They dreamed of leaving their tragic past behind and
working for a better and brighter future in America, seeking a life – which would cater
better to their needs and wants. This pushed them to pursue their dreams and many
succeeded in the end.
 Novel: Potato People

Setting

1. LOCATIONS: (in Ireland)

a) The oak tree

A good observation post. It was where Patrick kept watch for Mr. Graystone’s men.
He spies on Lord Egham’s house. He is starving and he dreams about the magnificent
food to be found in Lord Egham’s house.

b) Village (Skullgoragh)

Patrick is on the lookout for Mr. Oswald Graystone and his men. He sees British soldiers
coming and runs to warn the villagers of Skullgoragh.

c) Lord Franks Egham’s house

A magnificent mansion on lands which once belonged to Sean’s family.

d) Main road to Cork

A road crowded with Irish people who are leaving Ireland for better prospects in
America. Patrick joins many other Irish people on the journey to Cock. He meets
Peter O’Connor and his adopted daughter, Mary.

e) Killkaddy

A rich-looking town. Peter buys Patrick a meat pie. They meet a baker who wants to
leave Ireland too. Peter and Patrick part company. Peter stays behind, as Mary is sick.

f) A mile from Killkaddy

Patrick meets Marie, a Gipsy ‘princess’. She tells him of her journey all over the world.
She reads his palm and predicts his future.

g) Forest

A small forest full of starving people.

 Novel: Potato People

h) English Lord’s house

Patrick and Marie look into the house. They see people dancing. Then, they make their
way to a room full of food. They eat as much as they can.

i) Port of Cork

Large crowded town with ships in the harbor waiting to transport food and people to
America.

j) Warehouse

Large building filled with food and guarded by British soldiers. They hear the sound of
shooting. Soldiers attack crowds of angry and hungry people who try to get at the food
stored in a warehouse. Patrick and Marie escape.

k) “Three Cats” Inn

An inn where Sean promises to meet Patrick. Sean gives Patrick some money to buy
tickets to board the ship ‘Zeus’ for America. Sean refuses to disclose where he really
obtained the money.

l) “Zeus”

The ship that takes Patrick and Marie to America.

2. LOCATIONS: (in America)

a) New York

Patrick and Marie work here when they arrive in America.

b) Union army

Patrick joins this army of the North to fight the South in the civil War.

c) Union Pacific

Patrick works in this company, helping to build one of the first railways across America.

d) California

Patrick marries Marie and they settle down on a small cattle ranch.
 Novel: Potato People

PLOT

a) Exposition

Patrick was introduced to the readers.

He lived in Skullgoragh.
The villagers would soon be evicted.
British soldiers arrived.

b) Conflicts

Patrick’s village was razed to the ground.

Sean told Patrick to go to an inn called ‘Three Cats’.
Patrick was horrified by what he saw on his journey.
Patrick met Peter but could not continue the journey with him, as the little girl was
sick.
Patrick met Marie and went through a few souls searching adventures with her.
Patrick met Sean who gave him stolen money for his passage to America.
Patrick witnessed Sean being captured by the soldiers.

c) Climax

Sean was hanged for robbery and murder.

Patrick and Marie had to hide in the ship ‘Zeus’.

d) Resolution

Patrick learned how Sean got the money.

Patrick and Marie made their way to America successfully.
They were married and eventually settled down in a small cattle ranch in California.

Example of Question:

Based on the novel that you have read, give reasons why you like the story.

Answer:

The novel that I have chosen is Potato People written by Angela Wright. I like the story
very much because of various reasons.

The story is interesting. The story is about the potato blight, a disease which destroyed all
the potato plants in Ireland in the 1840s. As a result, the people had nothing to eat. There
 Novel: Potato People

were a lot of poverty and suffering and many people starved to death. Many people were
forced to leave Ireland to sail to America to start a new life.

It is interesting to read what people do when they are desperate. Patrick ate strange things
like the roots which he dug up with his bare hands and weeds from the side of the road.
He even ate a dead dog. Even though the meat smelled terrible and there were worms in
it, he still ate it. After that, he fell sick. He almost died. He even ate the leaves of trees.
He chewed and forced himself to swallow them.

All these make the story interesting and that is why I like the story.

Choose one of the novels and explain why you like or dislike the ending of the story. Give
reasons to support your answer.

Answer:

The novel that I have chosen is Potato People by Angela Wright. I definitely like the ending
because it is a happy ending.

The beginning is full of suffering, despair and unhappiness. The villagers were starving and
dying. Some even became cannibals. The people were so desperate that they ate anything in sight
like weeds, leaves and dead animals. It was a delight to read that everything ended on a positive
note. Patrick and Marie managed to migrate to America and they built a new life for themselves.
After struggling at first, Patrick became a rich rancher and married Marie. He was generous and
kind. He helped anyone who came to his house begging for food. He never forgot his roots or his
own country.

Moral Values

Based on a novel that you have read, write about a thing that you feel is morally wrong. Give
examples from the text to support your answer.

Answer:

The novel that I have chosen is Potato People by Angela Wright.

In the beginning, we know that because of the potato blight, the villagers had not paid their rent
for two years. Thus, the landlord Lord Egham wanted the villagers to leave. Lord Egham lived in
London and had only been to Ireland once in his whole life. He ordered Mr Graystone to clear
the land to rear sheep. Mr Graystone collected the rent, looked after Lord Egham’s fields and
organized everything. He was a hard man who ruled the estate like a king with an army of slaves
under him. Mr Graystone did this by destroying the village. All the villagers were unhappy and
 Novel: Potato People

many of them wept like children. Here, we see that the rich get richer but the poor people have
nothing. Here, I have learnt that I should not be cruel like Mr Graystone and Lord Egham.
Instead, I should try to help the poor whenever I can.

Based on the novel of your choice, write about the moral values that you have learnt

Answer:

Based on the novel, Potato People by Angela Wright, I have learnt many values. One of them is
not to give up hope even in the most difficult situation. Patrick Flynne, had experienced a lot of
hardship during the potato blight that broke out in Ireland. He was determined to live and to seek
a new life in America. In several situations, he was completely helpless and on the verge of
death, yet he did not give up. He was determined that his life would change once he reached
America. He ate anything e.g. the weeds by the road and the leaves from the trees just to survive.

Another moral value that I have learnt is to help people in need. Peter O’Connor is such an
example. Peter, a kind gentleman, took on the responsibility to care for an orphaned girl. Peter
had compassion for the young girl who had seen so much suffering at such a tender age. When
the little girl was coughing badly, Peter decided to go to town to find a doctor or take her to a
hospital.

These are the moral values that I have learnt.

Based on one of the novels above, write on one of the following moral values:

i. honesty
ii. responsibility

Answer:

The novel that I have chosen is, Potato People by Angela Wright. The moral value that I wish to
write on is responsibility.

The character whom I feel is very responsible is Peter O’Connor. He took care of a little girl
whom he found. He took care of her like his own daughter. He found her alone in a farmhouse.
All the other people in the house were dead. When Peter saw her, he had no heart to leave her on
her own. So he carried her on his back and took her with him. He gave her a name, Mary, which
was his wife’s name. The little girl coughed badly and Peter even decided to go back into town
to find a doctor who would see her or perhaps take her to a hospital.

All these show how responsible Peter was in taking care of a girl he hardly knew.
 Novel: Potato People

Based on the novel "Potato People", write about the message of loyalty.

Answer:

In the novel ‘Potato People’ by Angela Wright, the message of loyalty is brought to our
attention. Loyalty is obviously portrayed through the characters of Sean and Patrick Flynne who
were loyal in their friendship. Sean had killed Mr Oswald Graystone to get the money for the
ship fare. Out of loyalty to Patrick, he did not reveal Patrick’s and Marie’s identities to the
soldiers when he was captured for the crime. Similarly, when Patrick saw Sean being led away
by the soldiers, he wanted to approach and help his friend out of loyalty, despite the grave risk.
That was a dangerous thing to do, for it could have cost them their lives. In conclusion, Sean and
Patrick’s act has truly portrayed the message of loyalty.