Monday, November 29, 2010
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
Nory Ryan's family has lived on Maidin Bay on the west coast of Ireland for generations, raising a pig and a few chickens, planting potatoes, getting by. Every year Nory's father goes away on a fishing boat and returns with the rent money for the English lord who owns their cottage and fields, the English lord bent upon forcing the Irish from their land so he can tumble the cottages and clear the fields for grazing. Times are never easy on Maidin Bay, but this year, a terrible blight attacks the potatoes. No crop means starvation. Twelve-year-old Nory must summon the courage and ingenuity to find food, to find hope, to find a way to help her family survive.
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1) "Debtor's prison, maybe. They owed rent, owed it for a long time. Someone said they'll be sent to Australia." I looked at her, horrified. "But that's where criminals go!"
ReplyDelete2) Nory is an important character because she wanted to help the Neelys pay their rent, even if she was broke herself. So she went all out and asked Anna Donnelly for a coin, which she is afraid of Anna Donnelly.
3) The story takes place in Maidin Bay, in Ireland.
4) It is a historical fiction text because people today who live in Ireland do not live in cottages and they are not being taken over by the English. I know something like this happened a long time ago, but it isn't happening now. The three references to history I have found is: people in Ireland lived in tiny little cottages owned by a rich English man, Irish were very poor at that time, and people went to debtor's prison in Australia if they couldn't afford their rent. These references are historical because people in Ireland live in houses today, the Irish are probably richer now, and people don't go to Australia for debtor's prison if they can't afford to live in their house.
Thank you!!! But? Maeve the dog belongs to who???
DeleteThe beggar and her mother
Delete1.(Quote) "I was tired of knitting with only the light from the hearth to guide my stitches. I was tired of that one room with its earthen floor tramped down by Ryan feet over the last hundred years.
ReplyDelete2.Nory Ryan is important because she is she is the older sister of a younger brother, and the younger sister of two older sisters. Nory is also important because she can fish well, she can work for a small amount of money (in witch they will need more of, for food now that the potatoes are rotting and the few that were saved aren't enough to last an entire winter), and she can knit clothes for the family.
3.this storey takes place in a little town.
1) I agree with your quote because it kind of lets people know that the book is historical fiction.
ReplyDelete2) "We will bring it when we come to Brooklyn." (p. 28) This quote is important because it shows that Nory is very determined and hopeful that one day she will go to Brooklyn with Maggie.
3) Our two settings are pretty much the same. Nory does live in a small town, and she lives in Maidin Bay in Ireland. So, we both got it right.
4) Irish people were very poor at that time, but nowadays the Irish are pretty rich.
Part One:
ReplyDeleteQuote: I reached the main street at last. People filled the street, people with no money for a shawl, no money for food. (p. 110)
This quote identifies the text as historical fiction because during that time, people didn’t have any money for food, and they didn’t have any money for a shawl. Today people aren’t that poor, exactly, at least they can buy a shawl.
Quote: Scavengers were at the water’s edge where nothing would wash up. The land was bare as well. Even the grass was sparse because people had pulled up huge clumps to suck on. (p. 110)
This quote identifies the text as historical fiction because the Irish people were so hungry they had to eat the grass, and because of that, the entire land was bare. Who would actually be so desperate to eat something like grass? No one today in America, that I know of.
Part two:
I think that Patch and Celia will remain in Ireland in the end, and Anna Donnelly will die. I think this because Anna Donnelly has been getting weaker and weaker and she has been giving all her food to Nory and Patch, and she hasn’t been eating herself. Also, I think that Nory will be the one to go to America first, before Patch and Celia. She keeps herself determined and she doesn’t give up easily, and she believed ever since Maggie left that she would go to America, too.
Hunger and starvation. This problem will be solved by Nory going into town and selling the shawl for money, and then buying food with the money.
To me, I think Anna Donnelly has been extremely important because she has been the one to sacrifice herself and her food to Nory and Patch. Basically, she has been the one keeping Nory and Patch alive.
1.A.““Where’s your cow?” I said next,still tasting the milk. “I sent her away this day.” I went closer. “Sent your cow away? What do you mean? Sold her?” “gave. . .” “Gave her to. . .” I repeated, then I knew. “Devlin?””
ReplyDeleteThis is historical fiction because the English (Devlin in this story) would take live stock away if they couldn’t pay the rent.
Sorry ran out of time.
I sort of agree with your quote because the Irish had to give away everything they had to live off of to the English, in order to pay the rent. The English also knew that if the Irish gave everything they had away, they would have a better chance of taking over their land.
ReplyDelete1. I agree with your prediction because yes Anna has been giving Norry and her little brother all her food and she is old and weak getting weaker.
ReplyDelete2.
I couldn't find a Quote
3.
1) Quote: "And someday we will go to Brooklyn, New York, America."
ReplyDelete2) This quote identifies the book as historical fiction because not many people in Ireland could escape to America, and lots of people in Ireland today aren't that desperate to get to America.
last comment continued.
ReplyDelete2.""I all-ways knew that some day You'd leave, and this is for you to wear on the road to Galway." Anna said to me."
3.""Do you have some to eat in the house? I asked. "Is there any thing for you at all?" But I Knew the answer before she told me. The coin, the milk, the apple. I had taken them all. "My fault" I said. She shook her head and said some thing to me, but she was mumbling."
1) The main problem in the book was that the English were taking over Ireland and the potatoes rotted, and everyone was starving. The problem was solved by the entire Ryan family going to America except for Nory. Nory solved her own problems by going down the cliff and collecting bird eggs to eat.
ReplyDelete2) I was not correct with my prediction because Celia went to America, and then Patch went to America with Sean Red and Mrs. Mallon. Nory left for America after her whole family had gone. Also, Anna Donnelly did not die in the end.
3) I actually kind of liked this book. I feel this way about the book because I found out I like historical fiction books. It is also pretty much easy to connect with (sort of) and it’s the kind of book where you just need to keep reading it and reading it until you figure out what happens in the end. Basically, it keeps you on the edge; very suspenseful.
1. the main problem in this book is all the starvation going on in this book. The problem wasn't solved but is close to being solved because all most every one is going to America so they won't starve.
ReplyDelete2.I didn't really have a prediction but my partner's was partly correct because Nory did go to America but the order they put it in wasn't correct.
3. I think the book was really well written and sad. It is so sad because every one is starving, the English are taking all the food they would have had even with out the potatoes and all the money they could have had for food. Also some one all the time was too skinny, or hurt, or had no food, many were sick, there was nothing to eat, and when they found some thing to eat it was dangerous to get it most the time. "If I lost my footing and fell, He'd have to depend on the strength of his body and the rocks to keep me from going into the sea. He'd never be able to use his hands." They are trying to get some eggs to eat and Sean's hands are completely trashed.
1) I agree with your main problem because basically the entire book is about people starving.
ReplyDelete2) My prediction was not meant to be in order, because I get sidetracked easily.
3) I also agree with your last question, because it really was a sad story. I don't know if it was meant to be sad, but it came across me as depressing. You're right; almost everyone in the book was either hurt, extremely skinny, or hungry. Everyone was desperate for food because there was hardly any left, due to the rotting of the potatoes. I also agree with the fact that it was well written. The author made the book more exciting and suspenseful.
1.(Quote) ""we could have survived" Anna said " We would have had enough food if the English wouldn't have had taken the food and livestock away. We would have made it even without the potatoes". Said Ana who's leaning against the door frame.
ReplyDelete2.It was a good book sad and suspenseful. I would recommend this book to my mom or a female middle schooler that would like an easy to read awesome, book, that is sad but makes you glad for what you have.
Maeve the dog belongs to WHO????
ReplyDelete