All Souls - 1

All Souls
In the book All Souls Michael McDonald faces a lot of life situation that are very difficult to handle. MIchael went through a lot as kid that no kid should ever experience. The McDonald family moved into the Old Colony Projects from the Columbia Point t. The McDonald's were not wealthy they didn't have the nicest house. Their neighborhood wasn't the safest place ever , there was a lot of violence in the projects. Projects Michael was the youngest out of 7 before Seamus and Stephen were born. Michael went through 4 deaths in his family 4 of his older brother went through traumatizing deaths that impacted Michael life tremendously. Throughout the book Michael experiences the traumatizing deaths of his 4 older brothers. Each death has changed Michael’s life dramatically. Michael’s older brother Davey killed himself in August 1979 and the whole family had a very difficult time dealing with the death. Then in 1984, Frankie was involved in a robbery. During the Robbery he got shot and he needed medical attention. Instead his friends didn't want to get caught and put a bag over his head and hid him under the seat. Frankie died and he could have survived if he went to the doctors. Michaels family all looked up to Frankie. He was doing good, he wasn't involved in drugs and he was one of the kids that were going somewhere in life. Kevin died in 1985, he was serving time in jail and supposedly he killed himself but some say he was murdered. After so many death Michael is taking it hard but hes not showing it “i went to bed numb i wasn't going to feel this one”. All

these death impacted Michael greatly and I guess it wanted Michael to do really good and get out of Southie and make something out of himself. Another thing that impacted Michael is when Kathy jumped off the roof trying to kill herself. It was a couple years after Davey’s death and Michael herd all the sirens “ I knew right away from the fast knocks and then kicks, that it was our turn once again”. When Michael found out that it was Kathy that she jumped from the roof. Michael couldn't believe that this is happening again and Michael didn't know how Ma was gonna deal with this again. Kathy was in the hospital and Michael called everyday asking how Kathy was. Michael was very scared for Kathy and he didn't want to lose her him and his family couldn’t take another loss. I think during the experience of Kathy being in a coma i think Michael learns who Kathy was when she was in the coma and he felt bad not knowing her that well. And he realizes she all the people that came to support his family and to see kathy is that family is important and its all that they have. Another thing that impacts Michael life is when Stevie was on trial for murdering his best friend Tommy. Tommy was stevie best friend and Tommy was over Stevie's house and he got a hold of Johnnies gun and Tommy disappeared and Stevie went to go look for him and all of a sudden he heard a gunshot and found Tommy with a bullet through his head with a blood puddle next to him. Michael was scared for Stevie with this trial, “ I stayed up all night at Mary’s apartment drinking a bottle of whiskey to get back the numb feeling i’d had after Kevin died”. The trial was going to good and Stevie was charged for 1st degree murder, he was pleaded not guilty and Stevie was put on bail for 250,000. The Mcdonalds saved up all the money even there college money and bailed Stevie out. During this whole trial with stevie i think the Mcdonald family came

closer together to help their little brother out. Michael learned from this experience that he wants to get out of Southie and start something to prevents kids owning guns. Michael learned that multiple people die each day from guns and he wanted to end that he had one his older brother die from a gun. Michael soon later started an organization for the gun buyback program and Michael started to do something with his life. From the beginning of the book Michael is different guy from now. Michael was a quiet guy he really wasn't into drugs and all that stuff. Michael wasn’t going to school and he didn't seem to care if he was or not. All the deaths that happen in southie Michael didn't really show a lot of emotion or he didn't do anything about but now Michael would take action. My connection with Michael is that we both had/have older brothers with schizophrenia and we both have to watch them suffer and not understanding them. I know how michael was feeling about Davey and i know how hard it must of been for him to watch Davey like that and think you can't do anything about it. This book changed my view on society of how violent and sad it was it made me realized there were so many kids suffering over drugs abuse and not be able to go to school. It made me want to help them and do something while reading this. It made be change my feelings about Southie, with all the abuse violence and suicides there was a family in that community and it really showed me how strong they are and this book helped me understand what was going on in this time and how living under the shadows of whitey was very difficult. Overall this book have showed me how much strength Michael and Southie after all the bad things that has happened.