Cal by Bernard Mac Laverty - Critical Evaluation

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“Cal” is a romantic-tragedy novel written by the Irish author, Bernard Mac Laverty. It is a fiction story about a young man living in Northern Ireland during the troubles of the 1970s. The writer conveys a number of significant themes through skilful writing and the novel’s plot, such as guilt, hypocrisy and bigotry. In this essay, I will be focusing on the themes of the story, the purpose of why the novel was written and the author’s use of imagery to enhance his writing.

     The events of this story take place in Northern Ireland in the 1970’s. During the period of time in which this story is set in, Northern Ireland was going through what we would now refer to as being “The Troubles”. This was a period of conflict involving  and   organisations and included conflicts and violence. “Cal” is about a young adult named Cal who is living in Northeren Ireland at this time. He is a Catholic living in a Protestant area with his father, Shamie. This leads to him being the victom of many bigotry driven attacks, such as his house being burnt down and to him being insulted on his own street. He starts to fall in love with a woman named Marcella, which, from the very beginning, is a doomed relationship. This is because a year earlier Cal was reluctantly involved in the murder of a Protestant policeman, who was, in fact, Marcella’s husband. Cal becomes closer and closer to Marcella as the novel goes on, and you find out more about the murder as the plot develops. He then lands himself a job at Mrs. Mortons farm, the mother of Marcella’s husband, Robert. This brings him even closer to Marcella and they start to have a relationship with each other. This relationship becomes even more intense when Cal is offered to stay in Mrs. Morton’s outhouse (as his house had been burnt down). He is then arrested at the end of the novel, for the murder of Robert. The ending of the story was very skilfully done. Near the end of the story, Mac Laverty builds up  massive tension through certain events in the plot. It is then all concluded in a small, yet effective, paragraph. It tells us enough information to feel satifsfied, yet wanting to know more. It leaves key questions in the reader’s mind such as whether he deserved it or not and what will be his fate. I believe that the plot is a very important aspect of the story as it develops the mood and atmosphere and it is the events which take place which allow the themes to be conveyed.

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    All the characters in “Cal” have complicated lifes. Most of them have good and bad sides and are all affected in different ways by the troubles. Cal is nineteen years old. He lives with his father and  he is a Catholic. He is caught up with the IRA (Irish Republican Party) and takes part in a number of crimes which he does not want to be part of.  After he joined, he had to do what they asked, such as when Cal thinks of the things the IRA do:

“They shoot deserters – even deserters who protested ...

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