isolation

Isolation
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Comparative Essay On Books; CAL by Bernard Mac Laverty & Educating Rita by Willy Russell
Theme: “Isolation”
The book CAL is titled after the protagonist in the book, Cal. Cal is an Irish young man, born and bought up in Ulster. Cal loses his mother at the tender age of 8 and lives with his father throughout the storyline of the book. Cal is born into a Catholic family. However, at the time of his birth and his upbringing, Ulster is predominantly a protestant town. A lot of animosity exists between the protestants and the catholics at the time.
The book covers a number of themes such as murder, religion, violence, love, guilt, hatred, among others. Isolation is a major theme in this book. Cal lives an isolated life from his childhood and his surroundings adds to his misery. Cal is isolated from all aspects that define his life. First, he loses his mother at the tender age of eight. Losing his mother has a devastating effect on him considering that his mother always treated him with the utmost regard. He subsequently lives a lonely life with his father. After his mother’s death, Cal is only able to think of himself in a bad light. He loses his self esteem and hates his life. He feels alone and unwanted in the world.
Secondly, he is born in Ulster, a northern Irish town that is predominantly protestant while his family are Catholics. Being catholic sets an air of rejection throughout the life of Cal. It …