Hallöchen!
Sooo nachdem jetzt paar mal kam das sie Probleme mit dem Öffnen haben, werde ich alles jetzt hier einfügen damit ihr es euch kopieren könnt.
Liebe Grüße Kathrin
A star called Henry
PART ONE (CHILDHOOD | LOSS | POVERTY)
Chapter1
Looking at the night sky, Herny’s Smart mother Melody shows her son his star, having (accoring her) the same name as the boy have. Thus she creates the reference to the title of the title.
The narrator, who is considered to be the protagonist, describes his mother as old and exhausted. Besides her, there is the always reading Grandmother. Not for the last time the narrator describes his antiphaty to Grandmother Nash.
After this short introduction the story of Herny’s parents’ first meeting is being told. Melody (Nash) colides with Henry Smart so that he rushed to the ground. Herny is wearing a lower lip prosthesis made of wood and the narrator insisted that Melody instantly fell in love with his ruined but strong look. And as Herny realized her name, is also fells in love (with her) immediatly.
The couple marries in the Jesuits’ church on Gardaner street. After the church some old ladies telling Melody their horror stories about getting babies and sexually transmitted diseases.
They move into in a exceedingly modest apartment, a room in 57, Silver Alley. The inventory consits of a stool, a chair, a mattress, two tea chests (one for coal, one severs as table) and a statues of Mary placed on the mantlepiece.
Mr. Costello, an unlikeable police officer, who also collects the rent weekly, is bothering Melody every friday and jibes at Hernys job as bouncher in a brothel. He, however, does not know that Herny works also as a killer (a hit man) — or as the narrators calls it: Henry Smart delivers special messages.
At the end of the chapter Mr. Costello is als receiving a message transmitted by Henry Smart.
Or:
First of all Henry Smart, the protagonist, tells us al little about the past of hist mother. How she met his father Henry the First, how they got married, how they moved into a little but nice room and how happy they were although they had not much. But still more than they could have ever imagined (both coming out of poor conditions).
Henry narrates that his mother had to hand the rent to a person called Mr. Costello.
We also get to know that Henry the First works as a bouncer and after closing-time he earns his money with murder for hire.
The first man that is killed ist Mr. Costello.
Chapter2
Henry Smart and his wife Meldoy are getting a baby.
Grandmother Nash is busy reading newspapers serving as padding of the hand-cart, which is used to transport the pregnant woman. Meanwhile Melody is giving birth with the assistance of the good-willing “Missis” Drake.
Henry reflects his job as a killer about all the victims, all the cruelty. A killer turns into a father.
Both, he and his wife, are very happy having a son.
Henry and Melody are described as very tender and overwhelmed parents.
Afterwards, however, they have an heated argument about the childs name. The boy has been bapitized without a real name.
At first the mother was against naming her son “Henry” like her husband’s name. Her reluctance is caused by the tragic fact, that there has been already a first Henry.
The protagonist of the story was not the first child of the Smarts, but no other baby has survived any longer than a few days or weeks.
According the narrator Melody constantly avoids telling her son by his name.
This lasts until the day she tells him the story of his compainion star already mention in the first chapter.
Chapter3
Henry Smart has a meeting with his boss Dolly Oblong the owner of the borthel he works as bouncher and “message delivery boy”.
He, who is sparing of words in the complete conversation, is totaly impressed about his boss. Dolly Oblong curtails his wages from fiveteen to twelve shilings a week.
She claims that her bouncer is not good for her bussines, because he does not let enough customers passing through. On the other hand her bussiness partners are very pleased with Henry’s message dilvery jobs. Henry remarks that she is Alfie Gadson.
At the end of the conversation Henry is full of motivation. He now works harder than ever before.
Meanwhile his familiy grows and shrinks in turn. Henry is the oldest child, he is five and a very keen and cheeky boy, who swears at adults.
As his father is absent and the mother is very busy with the familiy and is constantly being pregnant the boy starts being on it’s own very soon.
After all his brother Victor is born for whom Henry takes care since then.
Chapter4
Henry Smart has to kill Cecil and Desmond Brennans. He needs three days to get rid of the bodies in local rivers bit by bit.
King Edward VII visits Dublin because of the Irish International Exhibition (July 1907). The five year old Henry and his younger brother Victor making trouble in the crowd, who cheers for king and queen. Fortunalty her father, who returns from his latest murder, saves his boys and carries them pickaback.
The father and his sons have to flee for the police. On the run they are hunted by several police officers.
Henry Smart develops a plan to save his boys and have a narrow escape. The are trespassing the area of Herbert Park and find secret access to the Swan River, who pass them through the city sewage system they use to escape her haunters.
While they passing the underground in entrie darkness, Henry persuades his children by singing folk songs or telling them stories about the places they left behind. The five year old Henry likes it being so close to his fahter.
When they arrive the father says Goodbye to his sons and both of them are bursting into tears.
Unfortualty Henry Smart does not escape at all: He went back to his job and is being recoginzed by a couple of policemen who decided to kill him.
Henry Smart escapes but his enemies got his coat who smells of blood and murder. Then they realized that he is the killer of a lot of people and Herny Smart is never seen again.
Chapter5
After Henry’s father disappearance he and his little brother Victory eking out a living. They sell stolen newspapers and try to make very small job they are able to get. Herny gets aware of his given charme early. And he use it to make some money of it.
Melody turns into an alcohol addict and her children loose the connection to her.
While Henry try to earn money by betting, that he will hold his hand into a sack full of wild, anxious rats, he always takes care of his younger brother. They are also in pickpocketing, for instance when people observing Halley’s Comet passing by.
The boys joined the drovers comming from the Midland in Lucan and help them, together with a large group of other children, to drove the cattle and sometimes to sell it to local butchers. At times the children annoy the drovers, because the hungry pack of little one’s slaughtered some cows and sheeps beastly. The drovers found out, that there is no chance to get their flocks droven without the support of the children. It’s said that the children control this kind of bussiness within the city.
Shortly after this time Herny heard people talking about Sinn Féin and the Home Rule.
Henry was nearly nine as he decided to attent a school togehter with his brother in order to get some education. He applies for the eduation and reported that he was busy the last years but that he has come to get his eduation now. Their new teacher, Miss O’Shea, likes the clever boy at first sight. While Henry shows his talent for mathematics his sickly brother felt asleep right beside him.
In the next morning Victor asks his older brother if he would marry Miss O’Shea someday, but Herny is not sure. So Victors asks her teacher if she is married and she negates it. Henry tells him rather to observe people than asking embarrassing questions.
Henry does not like prayers, theatre plays or sining Catholic hymns in school. He is interested in facts only.
The boys learn to write her own name on a board of slate. Unfortunalty a nun called Mother came into class and disturbs the learning process of the two boys. The fundamentalist woman instists in respect on her person and does not understand the boys ignorance of Christiany.
The noun grabs Victor but his brothers averts him from being caught. Both flee by shouting their names into the classroom and telling Miss O’Shea to remember, that she taught them how to write their names.
Sadly to say, Victor dies at the day of King George V’s coronation of Tuberculosis (TB is also called Consumption in the novel). This stroke of fate leaves a trauma in the soul of Herny. He realize that he is alone now, that his brothers died because of their poverty.
While Henry is in mourning the tensions between localists and revolutionaries begin to grow.
Or:
Henry and Victor are the little princes of the street. They rob and help, invent and beg, but they are often cold and always hungry. They bring customer to Mister Lipman and get money for it.
Mister Rafferty sits outside the Coffee Palace and hides his legs under his coat. Henry, Victor and Rafferty say to the people that they should help an old soldier and his childer, so they get money from them. Also Henry and Victor sell stolen newspapers and steal back flowers they sold before.
Sometimes Henry leaves food for his mother at the stairs. Thy steel pockets and cattle to get money. One day to men come to them and ask whether they would earn a few shillings. They should maim the cattle of the smallholders. And they do it.
Henry is living since three years on the street now, but he is missing anything. So he goes with Victor to school. Their teacher is Miss O’Shea. They both like her. She thinks that Henry is very intelligent. At the next day in school a nun says to Henry and Victor that it must be a mistake that they are in school. That it is not the right place for them. Henry lifts the leg from his father and whacks it at the nose of the nun. She lands in the middle of the other boys.Henry and Victor run to the door. Miss O’Shea lets them past. In the night they sleep under a tarpaulin. Victor coughs the whole night and on the next morning he is dead. Henry thinks he died because of Consumption.
The new king is being crowned.
PART TWO (EASTER RISING)
Chapter6
Easter Monday in the year 1916. Henry belogs to the Irish Citizen Army and revolts togehter with other rebels — about two hundred — under the command of James Connolly, Tom Clarke and Patrik Pearse. This insurrection is known as Easter Rising.
They seize the General Post Office (G.P.O) and begin to install barricades. Henry is along with Paddy Swanzy and Felix Harte.
The insurrectionists endued the The Liberty Hall with a banner who shows the writing: “We Server Neighter Kaiser Or King“. Henry used to live the last three years into this buliding. There are several onlookers out there and most of Dublins inhabitans does not know about the rebels plans who began to form the new Irish Repulican Army.
Connolly’s plan of guerrilla warface consists of tunneling building and destroying buildings partly in order to balance (or try to balance) the lack of appropriate arming.
Paerse begins to announce their Proclamation of Indepencence. Henry contributed the idea to contains a phrase about the Irish children to this declaration and remembers himself that Connolly has thought him finally reading and writing three years ago.
The rebels are surrouned by a huge amount of British soliders. They sent an agent provocateur who manages it that one of Connolly’s men throws a blind grenate, while the commander does not want any of his people to overreact.
Shortly after that a bunch of shawlies (woman who wear a shawl), who came to protest in order to recieve a compensation because her husbands still does not return from Word War’s I battle fields in France. Henry talks to Michael Collins who managed it that they could receive a bit of the money the rebels seized in the G.P.O. It was the first time Henry meet Piano Annie and he kissed her while hands over the money to the shawlies.
As the Cavelry Regiment appears it is Henry’s first enemy contact. The Regiment has no chance to stand the hail of bullets.
At the next morning Paddy tells Henry about the carnages at certain places in the city. And then Herny meets Miss O’Shea again. His former teacher joined the Cumman na Ban, a paramilitary Woman’s League who supports the Volunteers. The woman are not only responsible for food. They also cylce all over the city in order to form a message delivery system to keep the insurrectionists informed about the turns of their enemy.
The rebels still hope for support of German troops and arms send by ship. Kids and other citizen starts loting Dublins shops and factories but the rebels do not stop them forcefully. While Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, a pacifist writer, tries to prevent some people from robbing, he have been shoot.
The headquarters of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union and the City Hall are under heavy bombardment. When Herny is downstairs he meets Miss O’Shea and he has his first time sex with his former teacher. Miss O’Shea does not like the traditional role models of woman and joind the revolution in order to be free and to be treated as equal as man.
As the bombardment stop most of the buldings and barricades has been destroyed. The survials form new guerrilla groups quickly. While they are waiting for their supposed allies from Germany and the USA, they are constantily under fire.
A few days later Connolly has been shot and wants to see Henry. Connolly lost his leg and reminds Henry not to forget about his intelligence. Henry and his friends feel behaving like machines. They carry Connolly out of a burning building which is under heavy fire.
The destruction was enormous: Sackville Street, the Waverly Hotel the Dublin Bakery Company building do not longer exist. After fixing their bayonetts Connolly commands Henry also to use his fathers’s leg as weapon and then he sends Henry with Felix, Paddy and others out of the G.O.P to attack the enemy.
Both friends of Henry, Felix and Paddy, die when they enter Henry Street in gunfire. Connolly still tries to stop his companions from hinding. Henry also lose Miss O’Shea in this chaos.
Pepole jibe at Henry when the revolt has been quenched and Pearse signed a capitulation document. Herny is very despressed because of the loss of friends he sustain. His cleverness saves him to pass police checks. He gives himself the name Brian O’Linn and tells the police that he is wearing britches because of a holiday.
Herny is there, when the police takes a photo of the so-called last rebel de Valera. When the police is trying to catch Henry Smart at last, he manages it to escape using the Camac River. He leaves the river at the Metal Bridge and begin to search for Piano Annie at Liffey Street.
Annie and Henry start a relationship, because she thinks that her husband died in war. When Annie is out to get something to eat she also brings messages about executions of rebels, the complete progress of the revolt and the murder. The musical woman does not believe in change for the status of poor one’s. In her eyes there is no hope for the future. The excecutions does not let the parades end. Sometimes this parades turn into a small riot.
James Connolly was shot on 12th of May. Annie comforts Herny and he promise her to write her a letter on the last evening before his own execution.
Part Three
Chapter7
Annie places Henry in a job as docker and he introduces himself as Fergus Nash.
The job is characterised by irregular working hours and hard working conditions. Depending of the ships loadings the coaldust for example is almost everywhere. Most of all Henry has to struggle with the unloading of phosphorite.
It’s said that his boss stevedore O’Malley has affairs with with wifes of his empolyees. Henry never find out, how Annie accomplished it getting this job for him, but probably she had an affair with him, too. As Henry gets into a fight he as to unload phosphorite for several days. This unhealthy job is definetly a punishment.
Henry steals a lot of cargo. He even bootlegs a grammophone bit by bit to the house of Annie. His knocking-off time is also full of alcohol he drinks with his colleagues. Suddenly Annies missed husbands returns from French. Henry let Annies husband believe that his wife and he never had an affair.
Homless again he visitis his grandmother who does not know where his mother lives. Henry begins to interview his grandmother about his father and his work for Dolly Obolong and Alfie Gadson. She illuminates the mystery about Alfie Gadsons identity a bit. Henry’s father was wrong believing, that Dolly Obolong and Alfie Gadson are one and the same person.
Finnally Henry meets Jack Dalton, who knows his real identity from the Easter Rising and starts to work as a docker. Both get friends soon. Jack lives in a flat in Carnby Row, because the landord supports their policial direction. Jack informs Henry about folks songs composed about him. Later on Jack arranges a meeting with the Gaelic League and soon Henry is up with the idea of revolution again. Even Annie, their secret afffair still continues, regonize that.
Henry and Jack start to provoke the police (G-Men) and organize parades. More and more town inhabitants begin to support the movement. Jack dreams about taking over all parts of government and society step by step. Even some policemen are not willing to act according the Realm Act and arrest the agitators and do not stop the parades. Henry quits the affair with Annie and gets his father’s wooden leg back.
There is a discussion going on about the purpose of wearing an uniform or better to avoid it to keep them secrect. Annies husband joined the movment. They decieded to wear uniformos to increase moral and because spies are considered to be almost everywhere.
In Phil Shanhans’s pub Henry meets Michael Collins and swears into the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Shortly afterwards he killed his first policemen.
Chapter8
After the murder of the policemen, which was supposed to be a message for the local Britsh government (Dublin Castle figuratively), the overreaction of the public authorities is, according to the narrator, considered as best ally the terrorists can count on. These reactions are part of the so called Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), which allows restrictions of civil rights in order to keep the control in government’s territories during World War I.
Henry stores bootleged rifles in the house of his grandmother, who briefs him about Alfie Gadson, who indents his father for contract killing. Henry also finds out that Gadson is the landlord of the rebels and that he supports the movement.
The death of Thomas Ashe, anEaster Rising veteran, who died of force-feeding, because the authorities want to prevent the birth of a martyr died after a hunger strike, is celebrated with an in staged, patriotic funeral. The IRB uses the event to spread propaganda: the funeral is filmed and ready to be shown in the cinemas all around the country.
Herny and Collins are provoking the police, which does not believe in Collins' identity, because he looks very young after he shaved his moustache.
As the Royal Irish Constabulary creates a special division (G Division) , who is able to install a network of spies in order to gain back the control over the country, Collins invents secret cells called circles. A circle consits of not more than nine members at a certain time. These cells gather information about the agents and the spies. For this purpose they arrange marriages between women, who eavesdrop their future husbands about the status of the enemey.
After this Collins introduces a group of men on bicycles on the way all over the country. Of course, Henry is one of them. He steals the bike he will use for more than three years. (Henry often names his bike or even shorter ). His first destination is Greville Arms Hortel. The people of Greville Arms were Sinn Féin supporters since 1916. Michael Collins is waiting for him there. Henry recognizes that the complete exhausting journey is nothing more than a test of loyalty and fitness. Both, Collins and Smart, have a fight, but Michael knocks out Henry.
Henry awakes as guest of a friendly old woman, who calls herself O’Shea. Although her soup is nearly uneatable, Mrs. O’Shea is very friendly. Henry notices the extreme likeness of her with Ms. O’Shea, so that he supposes Miss O’Shea to be her daughter.
After his recovery Henry starts some affairs with the woman of the country folk.
Chapter9
Henry visits Annie a last time before he begins to train the country lads. In the end of 1918 Sinn Féin gets many votes in the general elections and the parliament of the Irish Republic gets formed in 1919. De Valera gets voted to be the president, although he is still arrested. On the same day two policemen's murder started the War of Independence. Henry, who is wanted in the meantime, cycles to the place where old Missis O'Shea lives and recruits a group of young soldiers. The nephew of Miss O'Shea, Ivan Reynolds, proves as a good leader of the group. For the first time in his life, Henry gets fresh vegetables from old Missis O'Shea and says he would even die for it. The Britons establish militarily restricted areas while Sinn Féin sharpens the situation by systematicl terror. The first dead with plates saying 'Spy – killed by I.R.A' were found. When old Missis O'Shea tells Henry, that her well is dried up, Henry promises to find a new source with his old skill to feel water with the old wooden leg of his father. Doing this, he meets Miss O'Shea, who is really the daughter of old Missis O'Shea, and talks to her. She looked as if she was ill a long time. Being alone again, Henry finds a new source. On 12th September 191 Henry and Miss O'Shea get married and Henry gets a birth certificate from Collins that says that the 18-years-old Henry was 4 years older than he is, while Miss O'Shea is 32 years old. During the marriage Henry keeps his ears shut when the priest says the forename of Miss O'Shea, because Henry wants her to be Miss O'Shea for him forever. Ivan, who has conquered the whole environment, secures the day of the marriage. A photo of the bridal couple is taken at that day. On the same day the Irish Parliament gets declared to be illegal by the British government. Henry becomes a assassin of one of Michael Collins cells. He does jobs like the murder of officer Smith. Due to the fact that Henry is a criminal and unsettled he stays in the streets at night. Here he meets David Climanis, a Jewish pipe whittler, and the two men become friends. Mister Climanis provides Henry with a sample bag with pipes. Thereby the protagonist can simulate that he is a harmless vendor when he has to pass a military control. Making up her mind Miss O Shea becomes a partisan. Together they raid a post office. Using a bike the couple accomplishes the escape. Back in Dublin Henry meets his friend Jack Dalton after about a year. He wants to know how the Jewish man is and dislikes Henrys friendship with him. Despite Jacks harsh words, Henry is happy to talk to his friend after this long period of time. Jack tells him, that there is no chance to win the war against Great Britain. Further in the conversation Jack tells Henry that he envies his position in the secret cell of Michael Collins cell. The chapter ends with the murder of Annies husband.
Chapter10
From now on the British Army is supported by veterans. Henry, his wife and the gang of Ivan raid a barrack in order to steal arms and ammunition. As the reinforcement appears the freedom fighters flee. Miss O Shea gets shot in the arm and Henry critically in the chest. Subsequently Miss O Shea carries his husband into safety. At a hiding spot an old man and his daughter treat Henry medically. Miss O Shea„s wounds cure very quickly so that she thinks they are immortal now. During Henry's recovery she already fights again and earns the name “Our Lady of the Machine Gun”. After his convalescence Henry is called to go to Dublin to comply a new order. There he also meets Jack again, who tells him that his friend David Climanis is in danger. Afterwards he disappears immediately. In the morning of the 21 Nov. 1920 is a huge action of the IRA against the reinforced Britain veterans. 13 secret agents are shot. Henry killed one of them.
Part Four
Chapter11
Henry has been caught by British agents. In prison, Henry is tortured but he does not betray his fellows. After a few months, Henry can escape because a guard had been bought by Miss O’Shea.
Chapter12
Henry talks to Ivan again, who had become very powerful. Ivan says that Henry will be killed because some important people in the IRA want to. Henry tries to find Mr.Climanis, his old friend, but he seems to be dead. He blames Jack Dalton for the death and he does not negate it. Henry escaped from Dublin to see his daughter. He comes back to kill Alfie Gandon, the one who might have killed his father and to visit his wife in the prison. The novel ends with Henry thinking about what to do next.
Sooo nachdem jetzt paar mal kam das sie Probleme mit dem Öffnen haben, werde ich alles jetzt hier einfügen damit ihr es euch kopieren könnt.
Liebe Grüße Kathrin
A star called Henry
PART ONE (CHILDHOOD | LOSS | POVERTY)
Chapter1
Looking at the night sky, Herny’s Smart mother Melody shows her son his star, having (accoring her) the same name as the boy have. Thus she creates the reference to the title of the title.
The narrator, who is considered to be the protagonist, describes his mother as old and exhausted. Besides her, there is the always reading Grandmother. Not for the last time the narrator describes his antiphaty to Grandmother Nash.
After this short introduction the story of Herny’s parents’ first meeting is being told. Melody (Nash) colides with Henry Smart so that he rushed to the ground. Herny is wearing a lower lip prosthesis made of wood and the narrator insisted that Melody instantly fell in love with his ruined but strong look. And as Herny realized her name, is also fells in love (with her) immediatly.
The couple marries in the Jesuits’ church on Gardaner street. After the church some old ladies telling Melody their horror stories about getting babies and sexually transmitted diseases.
They move into in a exceedingly modest apartment, a room in 57, Silver Alley. The inventory consits of a stool, a chair, a mattress, two tea chests (one for coal, one severs as table) and a statues of Mary placed on the mantlepiece.
Mr. Costello, an unlikeable police officer, who also collects the rent weekly, is bothering Melody every friday and jibes at Hernys job as bouncher in a brothel. He, however, does not know that Herny works also as a killer (a hit man) — or as the narrators calls it: Henry Smart delivers special messages.
At the end of the chapter Mr. Costello is als receiving a message transmitted by Henry Smart.
Or:
First of all Henry Smart, the protagonist, tells us al little about the past of hist mother. How she met his father Henry the First, how they got married, how they moved into a little but nice room and how happy they were although they had not much. But still more than they could have ever imagined (both coming out of poor conditions).
Henry narrates that his mother had to hand the rent to a person called Mr. Costello.
We also get to know that Henry the First works as a bouncer and after closing-time he earns his money with murder for hire.
The first man that is killed ist Mr. Costello.
Chapter2
Henry Smart and his wife Meldoy are getting a baby.
Grandmother Nash is busy reading newspapers serving as padding of the hand-cart, which is used to transport the pregnant woman. Meanwhile Melody is giving birth with the assistance of the good-willing “Missis” Drake.
Henry reflects his job as a killer about all the victims, all the cruelty. A killer turns into a father.
Both, he and his wife, are very happy having a son.
Henry and Melody are described as very tender and overwhelmed parents.
Afterwards, however, they have an heated argument about the childs name. The boy has been bapitized without a real name.
At first the mother was against naming her son “Henry” like her husband’s name. Her reluctance is caused by the tragic fact, that there has been already a first Henry.
The protagonist of the story was not the first child of the Smarts, but no other baby has survived any longer than a few days or weeks.
According the narrator Melody constantly avoids telling her son by his name.
This lasts until the day she tells him the story of his compainion star already mention in the first chapter.
Chapter3
Henry Smart has a meeting with his boss Dolly Oblong the owner of the borthel he works as bouncher and “message delivery boy”.
He, who is sparing of words in the complete conversation, is totaly impressed about his boss. Dolly Oblong curtails his wages from fiveteen to twelve shilings a week.
She claims that her bouncer is not good for her bussines, because he does not let enough customers passing through. On the other hand her bussiness partners are very pleased with Henry’s message dilvery jobs. Henry remarks that she is Alfie Gadson.
At the end of the conversation Henry is full of motivation. He now works harder than ever before.
Meanwhile his familiy grows and shrinks in turn. Henry is the oldest child, he is five and a very keen and cheeky boy, who swears at adults.
As his father is absent and the mother is very busy with the familiy and is constantly being pregnant the boy starts being on it’s own very soon.
After all his brother Victor is born for whom Henry takes care since then.
Chapter4
Henry Smart has to kill Cecil and Desmond Brennans. He needs three days to get rid of the bodies in local rivers bit by bit.
King Edward VII visits Dublin because of the Irish International Exhibition (July 1907). The five year old Henry and his younger brother Victor making trouble in the crowd, who cheers for king and queen. Fortunalty her father, who returns from his latest murder, saves his boys and carries them pickaback.
The father and his sons have to flee for the police. On the run they are hunted by several police officers.
Henry Smart develops a plan to save his boys and have a narrow escape. The are trespassing the area of Herbert Park and find secret access to the Swan River, who pass them through the city sewage system they use to escape her haunters.
While they passing the underground in entrie darkness, Henry persuades his children by singing folk songs or telling them stories about the places they left behind. The five year old Henry likes it being so close to his fahter.
When they arrive the father says Goodbye to his sons and both of them are bursting into tears.
Unfortualty Henry Smart does not escape at all: He went back to his job and is being recoginzed by a couple of policemen who decided to kill him.
Henry Smart escapes but his enemies got his coat who smells of blood and murder. Then they realized that he is the killer of a lot of people and Herny Smart is never seen again.
Chapter5
After Henry’s father disappearance he and his little brother Victory eking out a living. They sell stolen newspapers and try to make very small job they are able to get. Herny gets aware of his given charme early. And he use it to make some money of it.
Melody turns into an alcohol addict and her children loose the connection to her.
While Henry try to earn money by betting, that he will hold his hand into a sack full of wild, anxious rats, he always takes care of his younger brother. They are also in pickpocketing, for instance when people observing Halley’s Comet passing by.
The boys joined the drovers comming from the Midland in Lucan and help them, together with a large group of other children, to drove the cattle and sometimes to sell it to local butchers. At times the children annoy the drovers, because the hungry pack of little one’s slaughtered some cows and sheeps beastly. The drovers found out, that there is no chance to get their flocks droven without the support of the children. It’s said that the children control this kind of bussiness within the city.
Shortly after this time Herny heard people talking about Sinn Féin and the Home Rule.
Henry was nearly nine as he decided to attent a school togehter with his brother in order to get some education. He applies for the eduation and reported that he was busy the last years but that he has come to get his eduation now. Their new teacher, Miss O’Shea, likes the clever boy at first sight. While Henry shows his talent for mathematics his sickly brother felt asleep right beside him.
In the next morning Victor asks his older brother if he would marry Miss O’Shea someday, but Herny is not sure. So Victors asks her teacher if she is married and she negates it. Henry tells him rather to observe people than asking embarrassing questions.
Henry does not like prayers, theatre plays or sining Catholic hymns in school. He is interested in facts only.
The boys learn to write her own name on a board of slate. Unfortunalty a nun called Mother came into class and disturbs the learning process of the two boys. The fundamentalist woman instists in respect on her person and does not understand the boys ignorance of Christiany.
The noun grabs Victor but his brothers averts him from being caught. Both flee by shouting their names into the classroom and telling Miss O’Shea to remember, that she taught them how to write their names.
Sadly to say, Victor dies at the day of King George V’s coronation of Tuberculosis (TB is also called Consumption in the novel). This stroke of fate leaves a trauma in the soul of Herny. He realize that he is alone now, that his brothers died because of their poverty.
While Henry is in mourning the tensions between localists and revolutionaries begin to grow.
Or:
Henry and Victor are the little princes of the street. They rob and help, invent and beg, but they are often cold and always hungry. They bring customer to Mister Lipman and get money for it.
Mister Rafferty sits outside the Coffee Palace and hides his legs under his coat. Henry, Victor and Rafferty say to the people that they should help an old soldier and his childer, so they get money from them. Also Henry and Victor sell stolen newspapers and steal back flowers they sold before.
Sometimes Henry leaves food for his mother at the stairs. Thy steel pockets and cattle to get money. One day to men come to them and ask whether they would earn a few shillings. They should maim the cattle of the smallholders. And they do it.
Henry is living since three years on the street now, but he is missing anything. So he goes with Victor to school. Their teacher is Miss O’Shea. They both like her. She thinks that Henry is very intelligent. At the next day in school a nun says to Henry and Victor that it must be a mistake that they are in school. That it is not the right place for them. Henry lifts the leg from his father and whacks it at the nose of the nun. She lands in the middle of the other boys.Henry and Victor run to the door. Miss O’Shea lets them past. In the night they sleep under a tarpaulin. Victor coughs the whole night and on the next morning he is dead. Henry thinks he died because of Consumption.
The new king is being crowned.
PART TWO (EASTER RISING)
Chapter6
Easter Monday in the year 1916. Henry belogs to the Irish Citizen Army and revolts togehter with other rebels — about two hundred — under the command of James Connolly, Tom Clarke and Patrik Pearse. This insurrection is known as Easter Rising.
They seize the General Post Office (G.P.O) and begin to install barricades. Henry is along with Paddy Swanzy and Felix Harte.
The insurrectionists endued the The Liberty Hall with a banner who shows the writing: “We Server Neighter Kaiser Or King“. Henry used to live the last three years into this buliding. There are several onlookers out there and most of Dublins inhabitans does not know about the rebels plans who began to form the new Irish Repulican Army.
Connolly’s plan of guerrilla warface consists of tunneling building and destroying buildings partly in order to balance (or try to balance) the lack of appropriate arming.
Paerse begins to announce their Proclamation of Indepencence. Henry contributed the idea to contains a phrase about the Irish children to this declaration and remembers himself that Connolly has thought him finally reading and writing three years ago.
The rebels are surrouned by a huge amount of British soliders. They sent an agent provocateur who manages it that one of Connolly’s men throws a blind grenate, while the commander does not want any of his people to overreact.
Shortly after that a bunch of shawlies (woman who wear a shawl), who came to protest in order to recieve a compensation because her husbands still does not return from Word War’s I battle fields in France. Henry talks to Michael Collins who managed it that they could receive a bit of the money the rebels seized in the G.P.O. It was the first time Henry meet Piano Annie and he kissed her while hands over the money to the shawlies.
As the Cavelry Regiment appears it is Henry’s first enemy contact. The Regiment has no chance to stand the hail of bullets.
At the next morning Paddy tells Henry about the carnages at certain places in the city. And then Herny meets Miss O’Shea again. His former teacher joined the Cumman na Ban, a paramilitary Woman’s League who supports the Volunteers. The woman are not only responsible for food. They also cylce all over the city in order to form a message delivery system to keep the insurrectionists informed about the turns of their enemy.
The rebels still hope for support of German troops and arms send by ship. Kids and other citizen starts loting Dublins shops and factories but the rebels do not stop them forcefully. While Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, a pacifist writer, tries to prevent some people from robbing, he have been shoot.
The headquarters of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union and the City Hall are under heavy bombardment. When Herny is downstairs he meets Miss O’Shea and he has his first time sex with his former teacher. Miss O’Shea does not like the traditional role models of woman and joind the revolution in order to be free and to be treated as equal as man.
As the bombardment stop most of the buldings and barricades has been destroyed. The survials form new guerrilla groups quickly. While they are waiting for their supposed allies from Germany and the USA, they are constantily under fire.
A few days later Connolly has been shot and wants to see Henry. Connolly lost his leg and reminds Henry not to forget about his intelligence. Henry and his friends feel behaving like machines. They carry Connolly out of a burning building which is under heavy fire.
The destruction was enormous: Sackville Street, the Waverly Hotel the Dublin Bakery Company building do not longer exist. After fixing their bayonetts Connolly commands Henry also to use his fathers’s leg as weapon and then he sends Henry with Felix, Paddy and others out of the G.O.P to attack the enemy.
Both friends of Henry, Felix and Paddy, die when they enter Henry Street in gunfire. Connolly still tries to stop his companions from hinding. Henry also lose Miss O’Shea in this chaos.
Pepole jibe at Henry when the revolt has been quenched and Pearse signed a capitulation document. Herny is very despressed because of the loss of friends he sustain. His cleverness saves him to pass police checks. He gives himself the name Brian O’Linn and tells the police that he is wearing britches because of a holiday.
Herny is there, when the police takes a photo of the so-called last rebel de Valera. When the police is trying to catch Henry Smart at last, he manages it to escape using the Camac River. He leaves the river at the Metal Bridge and begin to search for Piano Annie at Liffey Street.
Annie and Henry start a relationship, because she thinks that her husband died in war. When Annie is out to get something to eat she also brings messages about executions of rebels, the complete progress of the revolt and the murder. The musical woman does not believe in change for the status of poor one’s. In her eyes there is no hope for the future. The excecutions does not let the parades end. Sometimes this parades turn into a small riot.
James Connolly was shot on 12th of May. Annie comforts Herny and he promise her to write her a letter on the last evening before his own execution.
Part Three
Chapter7
Annie places Henry in a job as docker and he introduces himself as Fergus Nash.
The job is characterised by irregular working hours and hard working conditions. Depending of the ships loadings the coaldust for example is almost everywhere. Most of all Henry has to struggle with the unloading of phosphorite.
It’s said that his boss stevedore O’Malley has affairs with with wifes of his empolyees. Henry never find out, how Annie accomplished it getting this job for him, but probably she had an affair with him, too. As Henry gets into a fight he as to unload phosphorite for several days. This unhealthy job is definetly a punishment.
Henry steals a lot of cargo. He even bootlegs a grammophone bit by bit to the house of Annie. His knocking-off time is also full of alcohol he drinks with his colleagues. Suddenly Annies missed husbands returns from French. Henry let Annies husband believe that his wife and he never had an affair.
Homless again he visitis his grandmother who does not know where his mother lives. Henry begins to interview his grandmother about his father and his work for Dolly Obolong and Alfie Gadson. She illuminates the mystery about Alfie Gadsons identity a bit. Henry’s father was wrong believing, that Dolly Obolong and Alfie Gadson are one and the same person.
Finnally Henry meets Jack Dalton, who knows his real identity from the Easter Rising and starts to work as a docker. Both get friends soon. Jack lives in a flat in Carnby Row, because the landord supports their policial direction. Jack informs Henry about folks songs composed about him. Later on Jack arranges a meeting with the Gaelic League and soon Henry is up with the idea of revolution again. Even Annie, their secret afffair still continues, regonize that.
Henry and Jack start to provoke the police (G-Men) and organize parades. More and more town inhabitants begin to support the movement. Jack dreams about taking over all parts of government and society step by step. Even some policemen are not willing to act according the Realm Act and arrest the agitators and do not stop the parades. Henry quits the affair with Annie and gets his father’s wooden leg back.
There is a discussion going on about the purpose of wearing an uniform or better to avoid it to keep them secrect. Annies husband joined the movment. They decieded to wear uniformos to increase moral and because spies are considered to be almost everywhere.
In Phil Shanhans’s pub Henry meets Michael Collins and swears into the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Shortly afterwards he killed his first policemen.
Chapter8
After the murder of the policemen, which was supposed to be a message for the local Britsh government (Dublin Castle figuratively), the overreaction of the public authorities is, according to the narrator, considered as best ally the terrorists can count on. These reactions are part of the so called Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), which allows restrictions of civil rights in order to keep the control in government’s territories during World War I.
Henry stores bootleged rifles in the house of his grandmother, who briefs him about Alfie Gadson, who indents his father for contract killing. Henry also finds out that Gadson is the landlord of the rebels and that he supports the movement.
The death of Thomas Ashe, anEaster Rising veteran, who died of force-feeding, because the authorities want to prevent the birth of a martyr died after a hunger strike, is celebrated with an in staged, patriotic funeral. The IRB uses the event to spread propaganda: the funeral is filmed and ready to be shown in the cinemas all around the country.
Herny and Collins are provoking the police, which does not believe in Collins' identity, because he looks very young after he shaved his moustache.
As the Royal Irish Constabulary creates a special division (G Division) , who is able to install a network of spies in order to gain back the control over the country, Collins invents secret cells called circles. A circle consits of not more than nine members at a certain time. These cells gather information about the agents and the spies. For this purpose they arrange marriages between women, who eavesdrop their future husbands about the status of the enemey.
After this Collins introduces a group of men on bicycles on the way all over the country. Of course, Henry is one of them. He steals the bike he will use for more than three years. (Henry often names his bike or even shorter ). His first destination is Greville Arms Hortel. The people of Greville Arms were Sinn Féin supporters since 1916. Michael Collins is waiting for him there. Henry recognizes that the complete exhausting journey is nothing more than a test of loyalty and fitness. Both, Collins and Smart, have a fight, but Michael knocks out Henry.
Henry awakes as guest of a friendly old woman, who calls herself O’Shea. Although her soup is nearly uneatable, Mrs. O’Shea is very friendly. Henry notices the extreme likeness of her with Ms. O’Shea, so that he supposes Miss O’Shea to be her daughter.
After his recovery Henry starts some affairs with the woman of the country folk.
Chapter9
Henry visits Annie a last time before he begins to train the country lads. In the end of 1918 Sinn Féin gets many votes in the general elections and the parliament of the Irish Republic gets formed in 1919. De Valera gets voted to be the president, although he is still arrested. On the same day two policemen's murder started the War of Independence. Henry, who is wanted in the meantime, cycles to the place where old Missis O'Shea lives and recruits a group of young soldiers. The nephew of Miss O'Shea, Ivan Reynolds, proves as a good leader of the group. For the first time in his life, Henry gets fresh vegetables from old Missis O'Shea and says he would even die for it. The Britons establish militarily restricted areas while Sinn Féin sharpens the situation by systematicl terror. The first dead with plates saying 'Spy – killed by I.R.A' were found. When old Missis O'Shea tells Henry, that her well is dried up, Henry promises to find a new source with his old skill to feel water with the old wooden leg of his father. Doing this, he meets Miss O'Shea, who is really the daughter of old Missis O'Shea, and talks to her. She looked as if she was ill a long time. Being alone again, Henry finds a new source. On 12th September 191 Henry and Miss O'Shea get married and Henry gets a birth certificate from Collins that says that the 18-years-old Henry was 4 years older than he is, while Miss O'Shea is 32 years old. During the marriage Henry keeps his ears shut when the priest says the forename of Miss O'Shea, because Henry wants her to be Miss O'Shea for him forever. Ivan, who has conquered the whole environment, secures the day of the marriage. A photo of the bridal couple is taken at that day. On the same day the Irish Parliament gets declared to be illegal by the British government. Henry becomes a assassin of one of Michael Collins cells. He does jobs like the murder of officer Smith. Due to the fact that Henry is a criminal and unsettled he stays in the streets at night. Here he meets David Climanis, a Jewish pipe whittler, and the two men become friends. Mister Climanis provides Henry with a sample bag with pipes. Thereby the protagonist can simulate that he is a harmless vendor when he has to pass a military control. Making up her mind Miss O Shea becomes a partisan. Together they raid a post office. Using a bike the couple accomplishes the escape. Back in Dublin Henry meets his friend Jack Dalton after about a year. He wants to know how the Jewish man is and dislikes Henrys friendship with him. Despite Jacks harsh words, Henry is happy to talk to his friend after this long period of time. Jack tells him, that there is no chance to win the war against Great Britain. Further in the conversation Jack tells Henry that he envies his position in the secret cell of Michael Collins cell. The chapter ends with the murder of Annies husband.
Chapter10
From now on the British Army is supported by veterans. Henry, his wife and the gang of Ivan raid a barrack in order to steal arms and ammunition. As the reinforcement appears the freedom fighters flee. Miss O Shea gets shot in the arm and Henry critically in the chest. Subsequently Miss O Shea carries his husband into safety. At a hiding spot an old man and his daughter treat Henry medically. Miss O Shea„s wounds cure very quickly so that she thinks they are immortal now. During Henry's recovery she already fights again and earns the name “Our Lady of the Machine Gun”. After his convalescence Henry is called to go to Dublin to comply a new order. There he also meets Jack again, who tells him that his friend David Climanis is in danger. Afterwards he disappears immediately. In the morning of the 21 Nov. 1920 is a huge action of the IRA against the reinforced Britain veterans. 13 secret agents are shot. Henry killed one of them.
Part Four
Chapter11
Henry has been caught by British agents. In prison, Henry is tortured but he does not betray his fellows. After a few months, Henry can escape because a guard had been bought by Miss O’Shea.
Chapter12
Henry talks to Ivan again, who had become very powerful. Ivan says that Henry will be killed because some important people in the IRA want to. Henry tries to find Mr.Climanis, his old friend, but he seems to be dead. He blames Jack Dalton for the death and he does not negate it. Henry escaped from Dublin to see his daughter. He comes back to kill Alfie Gandon, the one who might have killed his father and to visit his wife in the prison. The novel ends with Henry thinking about what to do next.
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