Potato People: More Notes

1. Lesson that can be learnt
There are many lesson that can be learned from the novel, Potato People. Perhaps the most important is that we should never give up hope.
Patrick Flynne was a young orphan in Ireland during the time of great famine. He had to fend for himself. All around him were people suffering from the effects of the famine. Some of this people were nasty and took advantage of weaker people, but others were good. Patrick, like many other people, ate whatever he could find. Once he had to eat the rotten meat of a dead dog. Patrick saw his home in his village destroyed and burn down. He saw his best friend, Sean, being arrested. He dream of escaping to Amerika. We should never give up hope and must strive for a better life.

2. Enjoyed reading the novel?
Yes, I have enjoyed reading the novel, ‘Potato People’. The story is interesting, and it has an important message. The story tells about the food famines during the Irish potato blight in 1840s. Its message is that we must control our destiny and work hard towards achieving a better life, like Patrick and Marie. They persevered and never gave up hope for a better life. In the end they settle down in California and became cattle ranchers. I am inspired by the story of their success.


3. Enjoyed reading the novel ‘Potato People’
The story is interesting and tells about the food famines during the Irish potato blight in 1840s. Many Irish wanted to migrate to the new world. Its message for it readers is that we must work hard towards achieving a better life, like Patrick and Marie. In the end, they settled down in California and became cattle ranchers. I am inspired by the story of their determination and success.

4. Message of Love
Potato People highlights the message of love. Sean showed his love for Patrick by turning up with the money for the ship tickets after having gone to great lengths to obtain the money. Patrick and Marie struggle together in a new country. Love blossomed between them for they shared difficult as well as happy times. Patrick showed his love for the poor and hungry when he welcomed them at his home in California. These characters portray the value of selfless love.

5. Brave Character
The character in ‘Potato People’ who is brave is Patrick. He showed a great courage by leaving Ireland for a new life in Amerika. Life was full of hardship. He endured the struggle and even joined the Union Army to fight against slavery. His courage paid off when he was promoted to the rank of Captain and had the respect of the people. After the war, he travelled a lot, experiences many dangers and finally, settled down in California.

6. Theme of Perseverance and determination
Patrick and Marie show perseverance and determination to achieve a better life in America. Life in the new country was tough. Often, they had to go hungry. However, they persevered for they never gave up hope for a better future. After so much hardship, they settled down in California. Patrick married Marie and became a wealthy cattle rancher.

7. Lesson that I have learnt
I have learnt an important lesson from ‘Potato People’. It is the effort taken in working towards a better future. During their early years in America, Patrick and Marie had to endure many years of hardship. However, the hope or a better life in a new country made them persevere. Their perseverance paid off for life become much better many years later. I have learnt that if one is determined to struggle, one can achieve one’s dreams for a better future.

8. The character I like most
The character I like most in ‘Potato People’ is Marie. She is intelligent, cheerful and determined. She remained cheerful despite the widespread hunger an uncertainty. Her intelligence save her and Patrick when she stopped him from revealing their identity to the soldiers. In New York, she was determined to make a better life for herself. Her struggle finally paid off when she married Patrick and they both settled down in California.

9. The character that u like
I like the character Sean. I think that he was very loyal to his village and he love the people very much. Although he stole from Mr Greystone, he did it because he felt that Mr Greystone was greedy and unfair by burning the village down. The money that he stole, he gave to Patrick and Marie so that they could go to America to lead a better life, a live that he could not live. He was punished for stealing the money, but he did it because he could not bear injustice.

10. Message of loyalty for it readers
The novel ‘Potato People’ has the message of loyalty for its readers. Sean and Patrick were loyal in their friendship with one another. Sean did not reveal the identity of Patrick and Marie to the soldiers. This was to save their lives. When Patrick saw Sean being led away in chains, he wanted to approach Sean, showing his loyalty. Fortunately, Marie saved his life by stopping him from doing so. Like them, we too, must be loyal to our friends.

11. Brings attention to the value of love
The novel ‘Potato People’ brings attention to the value of love. Sean showed his love for Patrick by turning up with the money for the ship fare. Patrick and Marie struggled in the new country, sharing the hope for a better future. Love blossomed between them as they shared their hardships with one another. Patrick showed his love for the poor and hungry when he welcomed them at his ranch in California.

12. The title ‘Potato People’ is relevant to the novel

The title ‘Potato People’ is relevant to the novel. The story is about the ‘potato blight’ in Ireland in the 1840’s. the people who were victims of this famine were called the ‘Potato People’. They fed on whatever they could find, even decayed meat of dead animals. These people, like Patrick and Marie, saw emigration to the New World as an escape from the starvation and national chaos.

13. Interesting incident
In the novel ‘Potato People’ I especially find the incident in the chapter ‘The Feast’ somewhat intriguing. When Patrick following Marie into the house full of food on the table, it seemed like they had wandered into a dream. This experience was somewhat exciting, yet was dangerous. Had they been caught, the story would have surely ended differently. Strangely, they found humour in narrowly escaping danger. This was both exciting and thrilling to me. It has taught me to strive hard to achieve my dreams

Potato People: More Notes and Exercises

Chapter 7 – Bread

Chapter Overview
This chapter is about:
- Peter’s kindness
- The many hungry and desperate people everywhere.
- Mary falls sick.

Patrick and Peter stopped outside a Baker’s shop in a town call Killkaddy. Peter took out a new penny from his pocket and bought a big juicy meat pie for them to eat. The baker told Peter that he was also getting ready to leave. The people in the town had three years of hunger and starvation. They could not take it any more and want to leave this town. Only the old and sick were left behind. The baker said he would leave as soon as he could sell his shop.

As they went out in the crowded streets, they found heavily-armed soldiers and hungry people everywhere. They found a place to sleep under some bushes at night. The next day it rained heavily. The little girl, Mary was coughing badly. Peter and Patrick went their separate ways, as Peter wanted to go back to town to find a doctor.

Chapter 8 – The Egyptian Girl

Chapter Overview
This chapter is about:
- Peter meeting Marie, a gipsy.

At the junction to Cork, Patrick met Marie, a gipsy girl. He offered to share his bread with her. She was about his age. She had a dark face and dark hair. She looked so happy and Patrick gave her more bread. She told Patrick that she was a gipsy princess from Egypt and they used to live in a pyramid.

Marie took Patrick’s palm to read his future. She told him that he was going on a long journey. He will find what he was looking for. He would never return home. He will find a new home far across the sea. He would become a soldier in a blue uniform with a big white horse and marry a beautiful princess. Then she told Patrick that she knew a place where they could get something to eat. There is a big feats and Patrick followed Marie as she danced on the road to Cork.

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES

Rearrange the following sentences according to the sequence of events in the story.

1 Peter and Patrick stopped outside a baker’s shop in the market place.
2 The baker would leave after he sold his shop.
3 The baker like all the other people was getting ready to leave the town.
4 The people had suffered three years of hunger and starvation and could not take it any more.
5 Peter bought a juicy meat pie for them to eat.
6 When they left the shop, they met soldiers and desperate people wandering the streets.
7 Peter went back into town with Mary who was sick while Patrick walked on towards Cork.
8 It rained heavily the next day and Mary fell ill. She coughed badly.
9 Marie was very happy and decided to read his palm to see his future.
10 He met Marie, a gipsy princess and shared his bread with her.
11 Marie invited Patrick to follow her to a place she knows for a big feast.
12 She said he will never return home and will make his new home far away across the sea.
13 Patrick followed Marie as she ran and danced on the road to Cork.

Read the following statements. Write T next to the statement that is True and F to the statement that is False.

1 Patrick bought the meat pie from the baker’s shop.
2 The baker does not want the leave Ireland.
3 The villagers were walking towards the sea, getting ready to leave the town.
4 The baker wants to sell his shop at a cheap price.
5 Patrick and Peter went their separate ways as Peter took Mary who was sick back into town.
6 As Patrick sat down to eat his bread he heard an old lady’s voice.
7 Marie, the gipsy shared his bread and was very happy.
8 Marie said she came from Egypt and her family lives in a pyramid.
9 She read Patrick’s future and said he will be a powerful and rich man.
10 Patrick went with Marie to buy more bread from the baker.

Potato People: More Notes and Exercises

Chapter 5 - Ashes and Smoke

Chapter Overview
In this chapter:
- Patrick returns to the village to find only Sean there.
- Sean wants Patrick to go to America

When Patrick returned to the village, he could still see the smoke rising from the ruins. All his friends and people he knew were gone and only Sean was still there. He looked wild and desperate. Sean told Patrick to leave Ireland and never to come back to Skullgoragh. He wanted Patrick to go to America. He would get the money for both of them from a man who owed him money. They would meet at an inn “Three Cats” which was near the harbour. Patrick felt excited. He knew his life would never be the same again.

Chapter 6 – On the Road

Chapter Overview
This chapter is about:
- Patrick’s journey to Port Cork.
- He meets Peter O’connor and little Mary.

Patrick walked along the main road which leads to Cork. There were so many people travelling towards the sea. These people looked tired and hungry like the people from his village.

Patrick met a man called Peter O’Connor who was carrying a child named Mary. All these people, including Peter and Mary were leaving for America in search of a new life. Peter told Patrick that Mary was not his child but he had found her in a farmhouse three days ago. Patrick thought it strange that Mary did not speak at all. Peter told Patrick that Mary and many others had seen terrible things which words could not describe. Some of these people had lost the will to speak. They walked on until they came to Killkaddy, a rich-looking town. They passed a large building filled With sacks of wheat. Peter took Patrick to look for a baker as he looked hungry.

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES

Rearrange the following sentences according to the sequence of events in the story.

1 All his friends and people he knew had already left the village.
2 He met Sean sitting by the well holding his axe.
3 Sean will meet Patrick at the inn, “Three Cats” near the harbour in Cork.
4 When Patrick went back to the village, he could see the smoke rising.
5 Sean wants Patrick to leave Skullgoragh and never to return.
6 Patrick felt very excited and knew that his life would change for the better.
7 Patrick thought it was strange for the young girl to be so quiet.
8 When Patrick went to Cork he saw so many people. Most of them looked so tired and hungry.
9 He met Peter O’Connor who was carrying a young child he found.
10 They walked on until they came to Killkaddy, a rich looking town.
11 It seemed the girl saw some terrible things and lost the will to speak.
12 The girl looked very quiet and never said a word.

Read the following statements. Write T next to the statement that is True and F to the statement that is False.

1 Sean wants Patrick to stay with him in Skullgoragh to start a business.
2 When he arrived at his village all his friends waited for him.
3 Sean looked desperate and asked Patrick to leave Ireland for America.
4 Sean will meet Patrick at the inn “Three Cats” in Cork.
5 Sean does not want Patrick to forget what happened in Skullgoragh.
6 Patrick was very sad when he thought about leaving his village for America.
7 The people in Cork were all travelling towards the sea.
8 He met Peter O’Connor, his wife Mary and a young child walking together.
9 The young child was very cheerful and spoke all the time to Patrick.
10 Some of the young and old people saw so many terrible things that happened that they lost the ability to speak at all.
11 They went looking for bread because Patrick was hungry.

Potato People: More Notes and Exercises

Chapter 3 - Army of Ghosts

Chapter Overview
This chapter is about:
-The arrival of Mr Graystone and the British soldiers to the village.

Patrick quickly ran to inform the villagers that the soldiers were on their way. He forgot all about being hungry and became very frightened at the sight of these men. The men came out from their cottages when they heard Patrick’s screams. These men were once healthy but are now very, very thin and dressed in rags.

Sean, one of the villagers told the others he would not let them chase him out of his home and village as they did to the people in Dunlow. Sean’s family was once rich and powerful. They used to own all the land that now belongs to Lord Egham. Now he owned nothing except for the clothes on hic hark

When Sean heard about the British soldiers, he was worried as he and the others were not trained soldiers. Sean walked up to his cottage and picked up an old, rusty axe. The other men in the village followed Sean to the end of the village. The villagers of Skullgoragh blocked the road to the village and waited for the soldiers. The British soldiers arrived with Mr Graystofle and Big Finn McDonald, his worker.

The soldiers took their rifles off their shoulders and fixed bayonets. Then they marched towards the villagers. The sergeant rode up to Sean and spoke to him. Patrick and the others could not hear what he said but Sean moved away and put his axe down. The rest of the villagers followed. They watched helplessly as the soldiers marched into the village

Chapter 4 - Stone Hearts

Chapter Overview
This chapter is about:
- How Mr Graystone and the soldiers destroyed the village.

Mr Graystone’s men threw everything out of the cottages. They threw these things in the middle of the village. When they had finished, they destroyed the cottages so that no one could live in them again. The villagers — men, women and children were crying and wailing. The men continued with the work as though they did not hear the cries. Patrick thought these men must have hearts of stone. The destruction of the houses went on the whole day.

Old Mother O’Daugherty took handfuls of straw and tried to repair her straw-roof. Big Finn laughed and tried to drag the old woman away. The soldiers warned him to stay away from the old people and children. The sergeant helped her to a chair. Mr Graystone ordered the remaining cottages to be burnt. A soldier puts some money in his helmet and passed it around. The money collected was given to Old Mother O’Daugherty. One of the soldiers gave her a piece of bread and a lump of cheese which she gave to the hungry children. Patrick fell asleep and woke to find Mr Graystone and his men ready to leave the village. Mr Graystone told the villagers they had two days to leave Lord Egham’s land. Patrick walked back to the oak tree and stayed there until the next morning.

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES

Rearrange the following sentences according to the sequence of events in the story.

1 Patrick runs back to inform the villagers that the soldiers were on their way.
2 Sean told the villagers he would not let Mr Graystone’s men chase him out of the village.
3 The villagers came out from their cottages when they heard Patrick.
4 Sean took an axe and waited at the road into their village.
5 Sean’s family was once rich and powerful.
6 The soldiers arrived with Mr Graystone and Big Finn McDonald.
7 After the sergeant spoke to Sean, he moved away from the road and put his axe down.
8 Mr Graystone smiled broadly when he told the villagers that they have two days to leave the land.
9 One by one, they started burning the cottages until they were all burnt.
10 One of the soldiers took off his helmet and put some money in it for old mother O’Daugherty.
11 Old mother O’Daugherty divided the bread and cheese given by one of the soldiers among the hungry children.
12 The sergeant gently helped the old woman onto a chair.

Read the following statements. Write T next to the statement that is True and F to the statement that is False.

1 Patrick was very frightened when he saw the soldiers walking towards the village.
2 Sean was very angry when he heard about the news and was willing to fight them.
3 All the land that Lord Egham owns used to belong to Sean’s family.
4 The men of Skullgoragh were trained soldiers.
5 Lord Egham, Mr Graystone and Big Finn McDonald came to Skullgoragh with the soldiers to drive the villagers away.
6 The officer on a brown horse gave orders to the soldiers to attack the men.
7 The soldiers emptied all the home and pull down the doors and the straw roofs as well.
8 The soldiers looked like they enjoyed the work they were doing.
9 They allowed old mother O’Daugherty to keep her house.
10 The soldiers gave some of their money and food to the old lady.
11 Mr Graystone gave the villagers two days to leave Lord Egham’s land.
12 The heavy rain managed to put out the flames and save the village.

Potato People: More Notes and Exercises

Chapter 1 - Paradise

Chapter Overview.
In this chapter - Patrick’s dreams about food

Patrick Flynne, the sixteen year old orphan was very tired and hungry. He was up on an old oak tree where he could see Lord Egham’s grand house from afar. He spent the whole morning looking for food. And finally, he fell asleep. He dreamt that he was in Lord Egham’s house. In his dream, he was in the house with many rooms and one room had lots of delicious food. There was an enormous table overflowing with many kinds of luxurious food. Patrick was eating all this delicious food.

Suddenly, Mr Oswald Graystone appears with his two fierce Irish dogs. He was very angry when he saw Patrick. Patrick jumped onto the table and started to run. The dogs chased and barked after him. He ran towards the window, jumped into the air through the glass. He felt himself falling and falling when he suddenly woke up and realized where he was. He was actually falling out of the tree. He managed to hold on to some branches to stop himself from falling to the ground.

Chapter 2 - The Boy in the Tree

Chapter Overview.
This chapter is about:
- How Patrick would eat all sorts of things because of hunger.
- Patrick being the look-out for the village.

Patrick thought about food all the time. He had not had any food for three days. He was used to eating all sorts of things because he was hungry. He and Donnal, his friend had found a dead dog and ate it. They were sick for three days and nights. Donnal died but Patrick survived.

Patrick had an important job to do. He was the village-look out. He sits high on the oak tree to look out for Mr Graystone and his men. His job was to warn the villagers if he saw them coming. Patrick’s village was on a land owned by Lord Francis Egham. Lord Egham stays in London has been to Ireland only once. He employed Mr Graystone, a hard man, to look after his estate and collected the rents. For two years the people of Skullgoragh could not pay the rent as they had no money. Lord Egham ordered Mr Graystone to clear the land and replace the people with sheep. While he was watching some birds feeding on worms, Patrick saw a group of men from the hills walking towards the village. It was the British solders and not Mr Graystone’s men

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES

Rearrange the following sentences according to the sequence of events in the story.

1 Patrick falls asleep on a tree because he is so tired and hungry.
2 He is dreaming about eating all the delicious food in Lord Egham’s house.
3 Suddenly, Mr Graystone appears with his two fierce Irish dogs.
4 Patrick finds himself falling out of the tree.
5 Patrick is a sixteen year old orphan.
6 He and his friend Donnal ate a dead dog.
7 Donnal died but Patrick was sick for three days.
8 In his dream, he saw a long table filled with delicious food in the house.
9 Patrick would sit on the old oak tree and look out for Mr Graystone and his men.
10 Instead, Patrick saw British soldiers coming towards the village.
11 Lord Egham ordered Mr Graystone to clear the land and replace the people with sheep.
12 He ran towards a window and crashed through the glass.

Read the following statements. Write T next to the statement that is True and F to the statement that is False.

1 Patrick lives in a grand house.
2 He is used to eating all kinds of delicious food.
3 Mr Graystone caught him eating the food in his house.
4 Patrick managed to hang on to a branch to stop him from falling to the ground.
5 Patrick has not eaten for three days.
6 Patrick and Donnal were so hungry that they ate a dead dog.
7 Patrick died but Donnal survived.
8 Patrick was on the look out for Mr Graystone and his men.
9 Patrick’s village is owned by Mr Graystone.
10 The villagers could not afford to pay rent to Lord Egham for two years.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Character

Based on one of the novel "Potato People", write on a character who is brave.

Answer:

The brave character in ‘Potato People’ is Patrick Flynne. He showed great courage to achieve what he had set out to do. He had left Ireland for a new life in America. Life was full of hardship for him in achieving his vision. However, he courageously endured the struggle and even joined the Union Army to bravely fight against slavery. His courage paid off when he was promoted to the rank of Captain and earned the respect of the people. After the war, he travelled a lot, experienced many dangers and finally settled down in California as a cattle rancher.

From his struggles in life, Patrick Flynne is definitely a brave character.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Moral Values

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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Plot

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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Moral Values

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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Character

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. 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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Theme

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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Character

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

Potato People: Question & Answer - 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 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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Character

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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Plot

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 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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Moral Values

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.

The Potato People: Plot - Notes.

Based on the novel, discuss the plot.

PLOT

Exposition

Patrick was introduced to the readers.
He lived in Skullgoragh.
The villagers would soon be evicted.
British soldiers arrived.

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.

Climax

Sean was hanged for robbery and murder.
Patrick and Marie had to hide in the ship ‘Zeus’.

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.

The Potato People: Setting - Notes

Based on the novel, discuss the setting.

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)
Patnck 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.

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.

1. 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.

The Potato People: Themes - Notes

Based on the notes, write about the themes. Give details from the story.

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.

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.

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.

Endurance and patience during the difficult times
The poverty-stricken Irish are forced to leave Ireland for greener pastures in pursuit of happiness.

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.

Friendship and loyalty
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.

Potato People: Question & Answer - Character

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.