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Sample Answers From Watching The Film

Eilis is leaving her hometown in Ireland to move to Brooklyn for better work opportunities and a higher standard of living. Her hometown society is depicted as stratified, traditional, and limiting opportunity. At a local dance before her departure, Eilis is unimpressed with the local men and believes there are better prospects elsewhere. As she looks around the dance hall, she feels sentimental but also disappointed by the lack of opportunities keeping her in Ireland. Neither Eilis nor her friend Rose believe Eilis when she says she will return home for visits, as they both tear up at their likely permanent separation. In packing her clothes for the move, Eilis, Rose and their mother focus on trivial tasks to avoid openly expressing their sadness about

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126 views2 pages

Sample Answers From Watching The Film

Eilis is leaving her hometown in Ireland to move to Brooklyn for better work opportunities and a higher standard of living. Her hometown society is depicted as stratified, traditional, and limiting opportunity. At a local dance before her departure, Eilis is unimpressed with the local men and believes there are better prospects elsewhere. As she looks around the dance hall, she feels sentimental but also disappointed by the lack of opportunities keeping her in Ireland. Neither Eilis nor her friend Rose believe Eilis when she says she will return home for visits, as they both tear up at their likely permanent separation. In packing her clothes for the move, Eilis, Rose and their mother focus on trivial tasks to avoid openly expressing their sadness about

Uploaded by

iffinichonchubhair
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sample Answers from watching the film

Section 1 - Enniscorthy to Brooklyn

1. Rose refers to the shop keeper ‘Nettles’ as a ‘terrible old witch’. Do you agree with
this view? How does she behave in an unfair or snobbish way? How is she unkind to
Eilis? What does she represent in terms of society and the way people treat each
other? (C.C)
I agree with roses view. ‘Nettles’ kelly firstly looks at Eilis at mass with a patronizing
and condescending look when she yawns showing her superiority and snobbish
ways. When Eilis asked if she could speak to her, nettles replied by saying not if it
would cause her trouble. This shows her selfishness and carelessness for others. She
shows a lot of snobbery and looks down on the customers in the shop. This can be
seen when she gives out to the customer who politely asks for shoe polish. She then
makes a rude comment about her looks showing her shallow, rude characteristics.
She is unfair as she serves mrs. Brady before any of the other customers in the shop.
Although it is busy, nettles stands back, observes and gives orders to Eilis and Mary
who are working very hard. This clearly portrays her snobbish traits and the idea she
has that she is above everyone else. I believe in terms of society, ‘nettles’ Kelly
represents the upper class and those with authority. I think she accurately shows the
divide between classes and disrespect that was tolerated by the lower class.

2. Why is Eilis leaving to go to New York? What do you think the difference culturally
between her home and Brooklyn will be? (C.C) (T/I)
Eilis is moving to New York so she can get better work and enjoy a higher standard of
living for herself. I think the New York would be a lot more diverse compared to her
home where many aspects of living are based of tradition. There will be many more
people from various nationalities and a lot more freedom allowed. Eilis will be given
the opportunity to make her own decisions instead of listening to the local people
who try force a set life onto her.

3. What is her opinion of the local young men who will be attending the dance? Did
you learn anything about society at the time from this event? (C.C)
Eilis doesn’t have a fond view of the men who will be attending the dance. She sees
nothing special with them and can’t understand the fuss her friend Nancy makes of
them. She believes there are much better men to be found in the world. This event
showed the ways people would socialize during this time. There was a big emphasis on
finding a partner to dance with and it was a very organised and civilised event.

4. What do you think Eilis is thinking and feeling as she looks around the dance
hall before she leaves? If you were to identify a possible theme emerging, what would
it be and why?
I think Eilis is thinking disappointed that moment will soon become a distant
memory as she leaves her life in Ireland behind. Perhaps she feels upset at
the absence of opportunities keeping her there. Maybe she’s feeling sentimental and
is just soaking up the atmosphere before she leaves it behind. Although she clearly
shows her negative views of Enniscorthy, through her opinion of the boys being
identical at the rugby club, she knows she will miss the familiarity of her
hometown. I would identify a theme of homesickness emerging.
5. When Eilis tells Rose that she’ll be home to visit do you think either of them
believe it?
I don’t think either of them believe this as they both well up with tears. Eilis says this
as a source of comfort to them both, unable to confront the pain they both feel at
the likely fact that they may never see each other again. Rose then quickly changes
the subject to avoid further upset.

6. Why do Eilis, Rose and their mother spend so much time talking about her clothes
while packing? What do you learn by the way they communicate in this scene?
Eilis, Rose and their mother spend so much time fixating on her clothes while
packing because they’re deflecting from their sadness and trying to ignore the fact
that they may never reunite again. To avoid confronting this and sharing their
emotions they immerse themselves in this menial task. We, as an audience, learn
that they’re not very open with each other about their feelings. They seem to feel
uncomfortable with expressing their sadness in each other’s company. This is
reflective of the culture of rural Irish society back then, when showing one’s
emotions was avoided or perceived as weakness.

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