What is one life lesson that you have learnt from the main character in the novel that

you have
studied? Support your answer with close reference to the text.


I have studied the novel 'Catch Us If You Can' by Catherine MacPhail. The story is narrated by Rory, a
young boy who lived alone with his grandfather, Mr. McIntosh whom he lovingly calls 'Granda'. Rory's
father had left him when he was still small and his mother had died of a broken heart.
One life lesson that I have learnt from Rory is that one should be a responsible family member. Rory was
a very responsible boy even though he was still a young kid. He realised that Granda had looked after
him all his life and now that Granda needed him, he would take care of him. He did the shopping and
cooking. He cleaned the house.
Rory also gave up football for Granda. Mr Hood, his football coach had asked him to join the football team
but he lied that he did not like football anymore. The truth was, he needed to look after Granda. Granda
relied on him to get his lunch and he also had to make sure Granda took his pills. Sometimes, he rushed
home during lunchtime to buy two hot pies for their lunch.
When Granda was hospitalised at Rachnadar, Rory realised that if he left Granda there, he would be very
miserable and sick. He was very frightened when he visited Granda and he did not respond to him. He
was afraid that he would 'be dead inside'. He decided to run away with Granda in order to save him.
Darren's mother was concerned for Rory. She felt that Rory should not have to bear this kind of
responsibility. However, Rory felt that it was his responsibility since there was nobody else. Finally, when
he found out about his father, he felt that it was high time he lived up to his responsibility as a son and
father.



CARING FOR THE ELDERY

Rory , a young boy , cares for his aging granda . he takes on the responsibility in doing
so without any complaints or qualms . Rory ensures that his granda has his meals and
takes his medication on time . He is even willing to put aside his own interest like joining the
school football team . Granda is becoming senile and tends to be forgetful . Rory rushes to
the bakery immediately after school . He gets pies from the bakery as lunch for Granda ,

Granda has thrown Rory's homework jotter down the rubbish chute but Rory does not
blame Granda or gets angry . As a young boy , Rory exhibits great understanding and
patience in handling his aging grandfather .

Taking care of the eldery is never an easy task . Rory is a courageous boy who not only
takes care his granda , but also emotionally as well as physiological needs .

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

Blood is thicker than water . Family will sick by us through thick and thin . Rory
examplifies that quality throughout the novel . He never once thinks of abandoning his
Granda when the going gets tough . They lose their home because Granda leaves the chip
pan on the stove . Rory does not blame his granda over the accident . He knows that
Granda is suffering from memory loss .

When Rory sees that Granda is dying on the inside at Rachnadar , he plans the escape .
Moreover , he does not want to be separated from his grandfather . Granda suggests to
Rory to run when the police block the entrance to the caravan park . However , Rory insists
on staying by his granda's side . Rory is the epitome of what the younger generation should
do for the older generation .

SOCIAL AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Rory and Granda are aided by scores of people during their escape from the authorities .
These people try to intervene and help Rory and Granda escape because they perceive
that Rory and Granda deserve better treatment from the authorities . After all , they are
harmless . Unlike criminals . At the beginning of their journey , Rory and Granda were
assisted by Darren who gave them to his Mother caravan . Along the way , the two of them
also meets people who were willing to help them even tough they were strangers .

PERSEVERE THROUGH LIFE'S DIFFICULTIES

Life has been challenging for Rory . He has to take care of his granda who is suffering
from memory loss . Rory perseveres through life difficulties . He does not complain or finds
his granda to be a burden . Instead , Rory sees it to be the natural thing to do . His granda
has taken care of him and now that he is ill , Rory feels that he should take care of Granda .
His granda is all he has and vice versa . Therefore , they both feel that they should not be
separated . The most difficult time for Rory and Granda is when they have to live apart .
Rory in Castle Street and Granda in Rachnadar .

In Castle Street , Rory lives in fear because of Tess . She has threatened to kill him . Rory
keeps this fear away from his Granda . He does not want Granda to worry . He perseveres
through this difficult time of separation from Granda who is viewed to be unfit to take care of
his grandson . Granda also suffers when he is in Rachnadar . He is treated like a baby and
has lost all his zest for life . Seeing his granda's condition , Rory plans the Great Escape .

SOCIAL BIAS

Granda's admission to the old folks's home in Rachnadar illustrates the society's biased
decision against senior citizens like him . They are neither consulted nor given the
opportunity to decide on such important matters . The authorities were willing to separate
Rory from Granda just because they felt that it was in their best interest . However , at the
end of the novel , the authorities allowed Rory and Granda to stay together in a flat .
providing them with home help and care workers for support .









THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN A FAMILY

The novel that I have learnt in Form Five is 'Catch Us If You Can' by Catherine MacPhail.
The characters in the novel have clearly shown the importance of love in a family and they
have demonstrated that love can overcome the challenges in life. This is clearly shown by
Rory and his grandfather, Granda.

The love and commitment between Rory and Granda is truly remarkable and heart-
warming. Both of them want to keep the family unit intact no matter how great the obstacles
can be. That determinatin leads to an adventure which is both funny and heart-wrenching at
the same time.

Rory is very loyal to his Granda. As a devoted grandson, Rory ensures Granda takes his
medicine on time, does not miss his meal and makes certain his basic hygiene is taken care
of. Rory even gives up the school football team so he can spend more time with Granda.
There are times where Rory even has to coach Granda to behave in public. Consequently,
Granda loves Rory dearly and refuses to be parted from him even if it means he has to be
away from medical help.

Rory makes careful plans to escape when he realises that he is to be separated from
Granda. Granda agrees to Rory's escape plans and they are prepared to run away to be
together. They are indeed lucky enough as along the way, kind people who believe in the
importance of love in a family help them continue their journey together. In the end, after all
the hardships and challenges they face, Rory and Granda manage to stay together.

In a nutshell, Rory and Granda have shown the importance of true love in a family and they
are successful in facing all obstacles along their journey because of love towards each
other.








THE LESSON LEARNT

The novel that I have learnt in Form Five is 'Catch Us If You Can' by Chaterine Macphail.
The novel is about the troubles Rory and Granda had to endure in their escape feat from
their hometown to Liverpool. Both Rory and Granda had been staying together and looking
after one another. The conflict happened when they had to be separated : Rory was to be
placed in a children's home and Granda in an old folks' after a fire in their flat. They started
an escape adventure that took them through the countryside and small towns and became
headline news. At the end of the story , they ended up in Liverpool when they were reunited
with Rory's father and his family.

One of the lessons learnt from the novel is care and love among family members must
be nurtured and not taken for granted, This is shown whern Rory and Granda made the
effort to take care of one another and were determined to stay together free from the control
of the social system. This determination made them willing to face dangers and discomforts
on their journey of a lifetime. They suceeded in staying free until they reached Liverpool
where they had a happy ending.

Another lesson learnt is that there are strangers who are kind and are willing to lend a
hand when needed . They do not expect anything in return. This is shown by the minor
characters in the novel ( Sammy and his family ) who helped them without any hidden
motive. Rory and Granda appreciated their help given in the right spirit. There should not be
any generation gap though family members may be from two different generations ( for
example , the relationship between a grandson and a grandfather). Anyone of any age
should be able to get along fine with a bit of effort.

In a nutshell , Rory, Granda , and Sammy and his family have shown some interesting
moral lessons which can be adapted to in one's everyday life


IMPORTANCE OF DETERMINATION

1. Resolves to run off with his grandfather to keep them together .


Determined to take his granda out from Rachnadar
Rory puts his plan into action
Goes to the hospital through the emergency exit and collects granda's belongings
escapes successfully with his granda which he calls ' The Great Escape ' from
Rachnadar
Evidences to show that he is determined to be together with his granda

2. Goes to many places and country to run off from police
asks Darren who gives him the spare key to Darren's mother caravan
Decides to get off the train at Perth when he notices a woman observing them
steals a car to get their destination
Evidence to show he is willing to face aby obstacles to be together all the time

3. Tries to wake Granda up
calls out loudly , hoping someone will hear him
runs shouting for help
someone helps him
Shows his determination to do anything for his granda


Which characters do you like most Paragraph

I have read the novel Catch Us If You Can, written by Introduction
Catherine MacPhail. I like Rory the most as compared to other

characters.

First of all, he is a young boy who is very attached to his aging Evidence +
grandfather, Granda. His dedication in taking care of Granda Example
impresses me as it shows that he is a caring and mature boy for his

age.

Besides, his courage and determination to remain united and Evidence +
close to his Granda even when faced with desperate situations is Example
endearing. This is especially clear when Granda was admitted to the

old folks home at Rachnadar and Rory became very upset.

This shows that he is a caring person. Another trait that makes Evidence +
me like Rory even more is helpless and clueless in dealing with the Example








A character you sympathize with/admire Paragraph

From the novel Catch Us If You Can, written by Catherine Introduction
MacPhail, the character I sympathize with/admire is Rory. There are

many reasons why I choose him.

The first reason I choose Rory is because he was a loving Evidence +
grandson. Ever since his grandfather had not been well, Rory took Example
care of almost everything. He would make sure that Granda took his

medicine every day. He would also buy food for Granda during his

school lunch break. 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.


Another reason is because Rory was a brave boy and acted Evidence +
like a savior to his grandfather. First, when he knew that his Example
grandfather would not last long at Rachnadar, the resting home, he

planned an escape for both of them. He ran away from the orphanage

in Castle Street and saved his grandfather from Rachnadar. This

shows that Rory is brave and cared very much of his grandfather.

In addition, Rory is also a high risk taker because he ran away Evidence +
with an old and sick grandfather. His plan almost cost him his Example
grandfathers life when at one point, his grandfather collapsed and

fainted while they were escaping from a house of Rabs friend,

Norma. He received the news from Nicola, Normas daughter that her

mother had gone to the police to report their where about. Therefore,

Rory and Granda ran away again. He planned to take his grandfather

to Liverpool with an intention to reunite with his long lost father.

Based on the reasons and evidence from the novel, I really Conclusion
sympathize with/admire Rory. From the beginning until the end of the

story, he had to face so many problems. However, in the end he

managed to save both himself and his beloved Granda. He was also

united with his own father and his family.








what happens at the end of the novel (Plot) Paragraph

Based on the novel that I have studied, Catch Us if You Can Introduction
by Catherine MacPhail, at the end of this novel, Rory had a great

shock in his life when he thought that his grandfather was dead before

he at last met his biological father and together with his grandfather,

they both reconciled with Jeff McIntosh, Rorys father, his stepmother

and his two sisters. Rory then had a happy time with his new found

family.

When Granda fainted at the bus shelter while on their run, Evidence +
Rory ran away to get help, leaving Granda at the shelter. He received Example
a help from a stranger who recognised him from the news on the

television. He and his grandfather were taken to the hospital but on

their way, a man whom Rory thought a policeman in plain clothes sat

beside him in the patrol car and he later found out that the man was

his father.

Rory spent the next few days with his new found family while at Evidence +
times visiting his grandfather who was recovering at the hospital. His Example
fathers wife, Karen was kind as she came and asked Rory to go and

stay with them while Granda was hospitalised. He also found out that

he got two little sisters, Ronda 5, and Ava, 3. Granda loved the

granddaughters soon as he saw them even though he was still mad at

his son.

Rorys dad was an apologetic man. He asked for forgiveness Evidence +
from Rory and Granda every now and then. He was sorry about Example
leaving his son away with his father because he could not accept the

insults from his father. He asked Rory to give him a chance to be a

good father and a good son to his ailing father. They were given a flat

and helps came around every day which made him wonder why not

before? But he realized that he had found what he had looking for.

In conclusion, I find that the ending of the novel is a joyful one. Conclusion
This is because Rory had found what he had been looking for, a

family of his own and a comfortable life for his grandfather. It is very

convenient to find that Rory could forgive everyone who had caused

him pain and fear of losing hope. I am also happy to cherish the

friendships that Rory had built with the people he met along his

journey: Ruby, Sammy and Tyrone; Norma, Nicola, Annie, Rab; not

forgetting his ever good buddy, Darren.



An event in the novel you have studied which you find to be the Paragraph
most memorable.

The novel I have studied is Catch Us If You Can by Catherine Introduction
MacPhail and I find the most memorable event is when Rory and his

Granda had to go away from Darrens mothers caravan after Darren

sent him a message telling him that the authority had known where

Rory and his Granda were.

It is a memorable event because from there Rory and Granda Evidence +
started to have more interesting adventures. For instance, Rory had Example
to urge his grandfather to move faster and in doing so, he could see it

was very funny because Granda was trying hard not to show his

panic. Granda was also forgetting his shoes which Rory had to shove

the shoes to his feet while wrapping his coat and scarf around him

and also buttoning his jacket as well. Rory had also not forgotten his

grandfathers things including the food and warm clothes.

The event is also memorable because Rory and Granda were Evidence +
always alert for the authority not to get them. He was careful not to let Example
his grandfather lose the way by taking and pulling his grandfathers

hand at him. He also flung his hand phone into the bushes because it

would be useless to him since the phone had run out of battery and

there was no way for him to charge it.

It is a memorable event because from there Rory and Granda Evidence +
met more kindhearted people who jumped in to give them a helping Example
hand. For instance, the man and his son, Sammy and Tyrone whom

Rory and Granda met at the loch while they were fishing the other day

helped them by giving them a ride in their caravan to get away from

the camp site which was full of police and their search party. Sammys

wife Ruby gave Rory and Granda food and drinks in the journey. This

also tells us that not all strangers that we meet are bad people or

unkind. We should learn to respect people in order for people to

respect us.

In conclusion, the most memorable event from this novel is the Conclusion
part when Rory and Granda got away from the caravan because this

has caused them to face more interesting adventures and

encountered with some kind-hearted people like Sammy, Ruby and

Tyrone.




A message that you obtained from the novel Paragraph

In Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhai, one important Introduction
message the author conveys is that we must show respect and

concern for others and uphold their rights.

We are told that people like Granda need special care and Evidence +
attention. Rory remembers that the good days when his Granda made Example
toffee apples for him, put up Christmas trees and carried him on his

shoulders at footfall matches. He remembers Grands better moments

and therefore wants to care for him now. Rory hides Grandas

smoking pipe and drills him on how to behave at Parents Night. Rory

treats his Granda with respect all the time and even when he teases

Granda, it is done in a kind and humorous manner.

The authorities think that Granda should be put away in an old Evidence +
folks home but both Rory and Granda think that is not right. Granda is Example
unhappy about it and does not want to be separated from Rory. I think

the elderly should have their wishes respected and be cared for at the

same time. They must have proper home help, meals and medical

care. They have done much for us before. Now it should be our turn

to do good for them. Let them live their remaining days in pride and

dignity.

Children need to be given the right care and attention too. Evidence +
When they become carers, it is harder for them to enjoy the childhood Example
they are entitled to, go to school and get the right education. So it is

important that they get the use of proper services from the authorities.

They emotional needs too must be addressed.

People who are different from us must be treated with respect. Conclusion
Take the travelers for example. People look down upon them, but

they have their rights too and need to be treated with respect and

dignity. This is an important message that is most relevant in todays

world.








.
The important moral value you have learned in the novel Paragraph

In Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail, I learnt about Introduction
compassion for fellow human beings. Many characters exhibit
compassion for each other and act in a kind manner because of their
compassionate nature.

Rory and Granda care for each other and there is compassion Evidence +
in their actions. Rory cares for his grandfathers well-being and Example
protects him from anything he considers bad, offensive or dangerous.
Granda tries his best to help Rory unfortunately makes mistakes, but
there is still compassion. He strongly says that no grandson of his is
going to a home for as long as he is around.


Dr Nicol, Val Jessup, the police and the nurses act Evidence +
compassionately towards Granda and Rory. They are affected by the Example
dilemma of an ageing man who is so dependent on a young boy and
therefore do what they think is the best. Even Darrens mum thinks
Rory has taken on too big a responsibility and worries over him. Mrs
Foley, Rorys teacher, wants to foster Rory because of this same
reason.

Darren offers his mums caravan to them because he cares for Evidence +
Rory and Granda. He warns them about the arrival of the police. Tony Example
and Tom look after Rory in the childrens home because they know he
is miserable. Sammy, Ruby and Tyrone help pair on their escape
because of their kind nature. All the others, like Bernie, Rab, Annie
and Norma are concerned about the pairs well-being. They feel for
both Granda and Rory and do their best to make things better for
them.

I think the nature of the characters proves that the author thinks Conclusion
that being compassionate helps you lead a good life.