The Most Interesting Character

Novel, Catch Us If You Can The Most Interesting Character

Who is the most interesting character in the novel that you have studied? Give reasons to support your
answer.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us if You Can by Catherine MacPhail, I think Granda is the most interesting character in
the book.
Reading through the novel, I found out that he was a caring and kind grandfather to Rory. The fact that Rory
was to return the favours implies that Granda must have been a good man and good grandfather. His love for
Rory is absolute. Also, Granda finds it hard to bear that Rory has to be in a home and wants to get out of
hospital to take Rory home. This shows how much he cares for Rory.
Granda is also a charmer. It is because he easily compliments others especially women not only for the looks but
also for their talents as he praises Ruby for her cooking. All the times he remains the perfect gentleman, like
opening the door for the young mother at the clinic.
Other than that, he is quite a fascinating character. He knows a lot about films and film stars. His love for movie
stars makes him even name his son and grandson after some film heroes of his time. Also, he loves singing and
has no inhibitions about singing some old songs, however badly, in front of others.
With all the above, I believe that Granda must be an interesting and remarkable man.
Some Characters Solve Their Problems but Some Do Not
Novel, Catch Us If You Can Some Characters Solve Their Problems but Some Do Not
The characters in novels often face problems. Some solve their problems but some do not. Using
information from the novel you have studied, show how
one character solves his/ her problems
one who does not solve his/ her problems
Support your answer with close reference to the text.
SAMPLE ANSWER
It is true that characters in novels often face problems. Some manage to solve their problems but some do not.
In Catherine MacPhails Catch Us If You Can, a character who manages to solve his problem is Rory. His
apartment is burnt down due to Grandas carelessness. He is then forced to part with his Granda. He is sent to
stay at the childrens home in Castle Street, and Granda is sent to the old folks home in Rachnadar. Being very
close to Granda, Rory can see that Granda is miserable at the home. Rory can sense that Granda has lost interest
in everything and it breaks Rorys heart to see Granda like that.
So, Rory comes up with a plan to run away with Granda. He knows, by doing so, he can always be together with
Granda. As long as they are on the run, they will be together. It can only be for a few days or a couple of weeks,
but to Rory and Granda, their time together is precious.
On the other hand, Tess, a girl whom Rory meets at the childrens home, fails to solve her problems. She has a
sad life. Her mother is in prison and all her relatives reject her. Being homeless and unwanted, she is sent to
Castle Street. Instead of making the best of her life there, she worsens it by becoming a bitter, angry and violent
person.
Her violent outbursts become so bad that she loses control of herself and her actions. She injures others, making
them keep away from her. She fails to make friends and so, remains lonely and friendless. She cannot overcome

her loneliness and sense of rejection. If she had chosen to be more positive, she would probably have made
some friends who can help her instead of feeling rejected and unloved.

A Close Relationship
Novel, Catch Us If You Can - A Close Relationship
Using details from the novel you have studied,
describe a close relationship between two characters
explain why you would consider them to be very close.
Support your answer with close reference to the text.
SAMPLE ANSWER
In the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail, Rory McIntosh and his grandfather share an
inseparable bond.
According to Rory, they are like a double act. His father abandoned his mother and him, so when his mother
died, he was taken care of by his grandparents. The death of his grandmother had left him with his grandfather.
He called him Granda and Granda had looked after him all his life and now it was his turn to look after
Granda. However both of them were incapable of looking after themselves because Granda was too old and sick
while his grandson was too young to shoulder the responsibility of looking after himself and his forgetful and
sometimes disorientated grandfather. Whatever the difficulties, Rory and Granda refused to be separated. Rory
argued that sending Granda to a home would kill his grandfather and forcing him to stay in a children s home
would be unbearable. That showed how close they were and how emotionally dependent they were on each
other.
Rory loved Granda so much that he was prepared to make a lot of sacrifices for the old man. He let go the
chance to be in the school football team because he needed to look after Granda. He had to run home from
school during lunch break to bring Granda lunch. On several occasions, Granda had unwittingly lost or
misplaced Rorys homework and that had earned him the wrath of his teacher, Mrs Foley. Besides all these,
he had to think of the little precautions to take to keep Granda out of harm. Still, he did not want to part with his
Granda who would have been better off in an old folks home. Granda felt the same also. The bond between the
two was a special one. However, events took a decisive turn when Granda accidentally caused a fire in the
kitchen of their flat. Granda was taken to hospital and then to Rachnadar, a home for the elderly. Rory ended up
in Castle Street where he met the troubled Tess and fought with her.
He was miserable there. Granda fared no better at the home. Rory felt that they had been cheated by his social
worker, Val Jessup. He plotted on the run while the police launched a hunt for them. The news of the runway
pair was everywhere on television but they managed to evade the police with the help from sympathizers along
the way. They suffered a lot of discomfort while on the run and the old mans condition worsened but they
seemed happy. Being together has become a source of strength to them. They were finally persuaded to go and
see Rorys long-lost father, Jeff McIntosh, who had been traced to Liverpool as a result of the publicity. But
before they could do this, Jeff came for them. They ended up together again, and this time in a flat near where
Jeff and his new family lived. Jeff was finally ready to assume responsibility for his father and his son.
Rory and Granda were inseparable. It looked as if only death could separate them. Nothing mattered as long as
they were together.