The Comparative Study Texts Foster by Claire Keegan

The Comparative Study

Texts: • Foster by Claire Keegan • Juno – Director: Jason Reitman • Modes for comparison: • (i) Relationships (ii) Social Setting (iii) Hero, Heroine, Villain

Foster by Claire Keegan • Set in rural Wexford • 1981 • Predictions: • How would you visualise society? • What would relationships be like in this case?

Main theme: Relationships! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The girl and Dan (her father) The girl and Edna (Mrs Kinsella) The girl and John (Mr Kinsella) The girl and her traditional family Edna and John The girl’s parents

Character Study notes: The Girl's father – Dan • A gambler - the loss of the Shorthorn heifer on p. 3 • Lazy - he is disorganised in his work - the hay has not yet been saved despite the good spell of weather - p. 9 • Careless/poor father - forgets the girl's clothes - p. 14/15 • Liar - he lies to Kinsella that he has saved the hay - p. 10 • Sexist/old-fashioned - he waits for Mrs. Kinsella to pick up the dropped rhubarb. - p. 14

The girl and her father (Dan) • The girl has a distant relationship with her father. Dan is very blunt towards her. Dan also slags the girl, treats her like an animal and that’s why she feels like a burden. • “She’ll ate, but you can work her” • Dan leaves without and goodbye and without mentioning when he’ll come back. • “Why did he leave without so much as a goodbye”

The girl and Edna (Mrs Kinsella) • At the beginning of the book the relationship between the girl and Edna is seemingly awkward….

The girl and John (Mr Kinsella) • Throughout the book John stands up for the girl e. g. at the beginning of the book he protects her from her father: • “She’ll ate, but you can work her” pg 12 • Throughout the book we will see that he is more of a fatherly figure to her than her actual father.

Foster, chapter 1 analysis questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Describe the setting in the opening chapter. Describe Mr Kinsella (John) P. Q. E. Describe Dan (The girl’s father) P. Q. E. What does the conversation between the men tell you about their background and lifestyle? Describe the woman, Mrs. Kinsella (Edna) P. Q. E. “Can’t they keep her as long as they like? ” what is happening here? What is your reaction to these words of the speaker’s father? What is life like for the speaker’s mother, from what you have read in this chapter? How does the girl feel when her father leaves? What is the Kinsella’s house like? Does this tell you anything about the Kinsellas themselves? What interests you in the story so far?