Using the details from the novel that you have studied, choose a character, discuss how the character has taught you one valuable lesson. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

                

I choose the novel  Catch Us If You Can written by Catherine McPhail. I choose Rory as the character that has taught me one valuable lesson. The lesson I learnt from him is to be responsible.

                Firstly, his responsibility can be seen by him being caring towards his grandfather whom he called ‘Granda’. Everything changed after Rory’s mother passed away and his father left him and his grandparents. When his grandmother passed away too, Granda had been taking care of Rory all by himself. However, everything started to change after Granda started to have lapses of memory and had the tendency to forget things. Since then, Rory took over the responsibilities of an adult in the household. He took care of Granda; his meals, his medicine and everything. Rory was willing to do anything for Granda. This is because he believed that they (Rory and Granda) only had each other to protect and to love.

                Secondly, Rory’s responsibility can be seen when he decided not to play football for his school. The reason why he made such a decision was because he wanted to prepare or buy lunch for Granda. Usually he would stop at the baker’s and bought pies for lunch. Other than that, he had to be home by lunch time to make sure Granda take his medicine according to the doctor’s instruction.

                Lastly, Rory also shows his responsibility towards his Granda by taking out his Granda from Rachnadar, the old folks home. He knew that Granda loathed that place, ‘the place you go when nobody wants you’. He knew that Granda was not happy living there. Therefore, because he was a responsible boy, he decided to save his Granda by planning The Great Escape. He planned this because he was not happy staying at the children’s home at Castle Street. He planned the escape so that he and his grandfather could stay together, and never be apart again.

                In my opinion, regardless of age, people should be responsible in whatever they do. In Catch Us If You Can, the character of Rory has taught me a valuable lesson that is to be a responsible person. We should emulate Rory’s examples of responsibility and use them in our life. He has also taught us that if we love somebody sincerely, God would give us a happy life in the end.