Brief Summary Of Finian's Rainbow

Finian,s Rainbow is a story about two Irish immigrants. The two immigrants the story focuses on are named Finian and Sharon McLonergan. They travel to a place called Rainbow Valley in Missatucky. When they get there they see that Buzz Collins , Senator Rawkins assistant, is trying to buy the land of Rainbow Valley. They help Woody Mahoney pay the taxes so that the people of Rainbow Valley can keep their land. But, Finian has a secret. He had stolen a pot of gold from a leprechaun named Og. Who follows him all the way to Rainbow Valley to get his pot of gold back. Another important character in the story is a scientist named Howard. Howard is a good friend of Woody Mahoney. They were trying to make a new type of tobacco because the people of
Rainbow Valley were sharecroppers, who grow tobacco. Howard and Woody soon learned that the new type of tobacco didn't burn. Because the tobacco didn't burn Howard needed a job to make some money. So he set out and got a job as a servant for Senator Rawkins.
While Howard was working,two geologists are chased onto Senator's Front yard by a police dog and police car. The dog jumps on one of the men and the cop gets out of the car and pushes the other to the ground. Once the geologist tell them why they are here and that there is gold on the property of Rainbow Valley the Senator wants to buy the land again. When Senator Rockins try's to buy the land again. Sharon makes a wish that that turns him into a black man. Sharon is charged with witchcraft. But Sharon wasn't the one who turned the senator black it was the pot gold. When Sharon said "I wish" the pot granted her wish. Then Sharon and Woody are locked in the barn because some people accused Sharon of being a witch and they said if she doesn't make the senator a white man again it will be her doom. So Finian is desperately trying to find Og the leprechaun and the pot of gold so that he can wish the Senator white again. Og is in the woods and thinks he finds Sharon but it's really another character named Susan the silent. When Og stands over the pot of gold he makes a wish for Susan to talk. Then he makes up his mind and decides to use the last wish not turn himself back into a leprechaun,but to save Sharon and turn the Senator white
again. I think the message and Finian's Rainbow is effective because one you should not judge people because of their skin color and two you should think about others instead of yourself.

First, we need to respect and treat others the way we want to be treated. The perfect example of this is the people living in Rainbow Valley .They treat each other with equal kindness. Sharon could see the mistreatment that Senator Rawkins used toward Henry . She wish out loud that the Senator could feel what Henry felt and hoped he would realize the disrespect he showed Henry. Another example is how Senator Rawkins mistreats Howard the scientist and the other black people in the Rainbow Valley community.

Second, we need to think of other people's needs ahead of ourselves at times. A good example of this is Og wished to save Sharon and Woody from the people who worked with/ for Senator Rawkins. In addition ,Finian gave the money he had to the people of Rainbow Valley to save their land. However you the selfishness of Senator Rawkins when he discovered there is gold in Rainbow Valley and wants to keep it all for himself. All who worked for Senator Rawkins were just as greedy and selfish as he was.

I feel strongly the messages in Finian,s Rainbow can be applied to our everyday life. We need to look outside of ourself and be nonjudgmental and respectful to all people.