English essay on No Angel
Essay on ”No Angel”
No Angel is a short story, written by Bernie McGill in 2010.
The narrator of the story is a first person narrator. The narrator is also the main character, Annie, who is a single woman living in contemporary Northern Ireland. The story jumps in time, as Annie tells the reader about her family and their life. Annie has lived by herself since her father died to cancer. She lost her little brother Robbie, who was killed when they both were teenagers, during the 80’s with the war between the Protestants and the Catholics. The mother died a few months after Robbie’s death, and then Annie’s father died 23 years later, leaving Annie by herself. We are told, that Annie’s family was not welcome in the town they lived in, when Annie tells about a time, when she found her father’s shotgun in her mothers sewing basket: “>>A car has driven into the yard at night. No lights: we hear the wheels on the gravelYour father says if any of them tries to get in, he’ll shoot first, ask questions later>Why would anybody…? There’s people, Annie, that need no excuse. We’re the wrong sort for them, that’s all; in the wrong place. They’d like to see the back of usAre you going to marry thrawn boy?>You know his name, daddy>He’ll never set foot on my farm>He’s a maths teacher, Daddy. He doesn’t want your farm” (s. 2, l. 14). Right at the moment, Annie stepped out of the restaurant, she sees her father. This is a sign of her being insecure of committing in a new relationship with Thomas. She is all by herself in her life and outside that restaurant and still, she prefers to talk to her father’s image instead of getting to know Thomas’ parents. In the end of the short story, Annie is in the Opera House with her work, when she again encounters with her father: “>>What are you doing here? >Keeping an eye on himYou found them>I did>They look wellWill you leave me alone now? >I was right about that thawn Thomas boy>He wasn’t your match>I won’t be told who to
No Angel is a short story, written by Bernie McGill in 2010.
The narrator of the story is a first person narrator. The narrator is also the main character, Annie, who is a single woman living in contemporary Northern Ireland. The story jumps in time, as Annie tells the reader about her family and their life. Annie has lived by herself since her father died to cancer. She lost her little brother Robbie, who was killed when they both were teenagers, during the 80’s with the war between the Protestants and the Catholics. The mother died a few months after Robbie’s death, and then Annie’s father died 23 years later, leaving Annie by herself. We are told, that Annie’s family was not welcome in the town they lived in, when Annie tells about a time, when she found her father’s shotgun in her mothers sewing basket: “>>A car has driven into the yard at night. No lights: we hear the wheels on the gravelYour father says if any of them tries to get in, he’ll shoot first, ask questions later>Why would anybody…? There’s people, Annie, that need no excuse. We’re the wrong sort for them, that’s all; in the wrong place. They’d like to see the back of usAre you going to marry thrawn boy?>You know his name, daddy>He’ll never set foot on my farm>He’s a maths teacher, Daddy. He doesn’t want your farm” (s. 2, l. 14). Right at the moment, Annie stepped out of the restaurant, she sees her father. This is a sign of her being insecure of committing in a new relationship with Thomas. She is all by herself in her life and outside that restaurant and still, she prefers to talk to her father’s image instead of getting to know Thomas’ parents. In the end of the short story, Annie is in the Opera House with her work, when she again encounters with her father: “>>What are you doing here? >Keeping an eye on himYou found them>I did>They look wellWill you leave me alone now? >I was right about that thawn Thomas boy>He wasn’t your match>I won’t be told who to