Write about a character you sympathize with/admire.

Write about a character you sympathize with/admire. Give reasons for your choice.

From the novel .Catch Us If You Can. written by Catherine MacPhail, the

character I sympathize with/admire is Rory. He is just a boy but deals with every problem that arises with a maturity far beyond his age. There are many reasons why I

choose him.

The first reason I choose Rory is because he was a loving and responsible grandson. Ever since his grandfather had not been well, Rory took care of almost everything. He

would make sure that Granda took his medicine every day. He hid Granda’s pipe at night so that he would not smoke. He would also buy pies from the baker for Granda and himself during his school lunch break every day. To Rory, Granda was everything and he loved his grandfather very much because after his mother died, Granda was the only person who brought him up. It was not easy as Granda was losing his memory.

Another reason is because Rory was a brave boy and acted like a savior

to his grandfather. First, when he knew that his grandfather would not last long at

Rachnadar, the resting home, he planned an escape for both of them. Rory made sure he had everything Granda would need. The way he planned how to rescue Granda was amazingly well thought out. He ran away from the children’s home in Castle Street and saved his grandfather from Rachnadar. He left the emergency door at Rachnadar open so that he could come in and get Granda out. This is also shown in his choice of train stop at the pierhead to confuse anyone following them. This shows that Rory was brave and cared about his grandfather very much.

In addition, Rory is also a high risk taker because he ran away with an old

and sick grandfather. Throughout their Great Escape, Rory was terrified. He saw how ill and weak granda was. His plan almost cost him his grandfather’s life when at one point, his grandfather collapsed and fainted while they were escaping from the house of Rab’s friend, Norma. He received the news from Nicola, Norma’s daughter that her mother had gone to the police to report their whereabout.

Therefore, Rory and Granda ran away again. When they were at Rab’s place, he saw on television that his father was in Liverpool, he planned to take his grandfather there with an intention to get some money from  his long lost father in order to escape from the authorities.

Based on the reasons and evidence from the novel, I really sympathize with/admire Rory. From the beginning until the end of the story, he had to face so many problems. He realised how alone he was. Yet he continued to do what it takes to make Granda happy. However, in the end he managed to save both himself and his beloved Granda. He was also united with his own father, Jeff and his family.

What made Rory so admirable is his courage, love and compassion. It is unusual in one so young. His love and devotion to Granda makes him an outstanding character who shows filial piety and gratitude to his aging and ailing grandparent.

In my opinion, ..................................

(Adapted from Model Pecutan Akademik SPM JPN Kelantan)