Summary of chapter 4

Back to Main Page Bernard MacLaverty: CAL

Summary of chapter 4
In chapter 4 Cal continues to live in the cottage. The only thing that is left to him is to watch Marcella from the cottage. One night he observes her through the window, although he knows that he could lose his job and the chance to be near her. Cal feels sad and depressed because he remembers the thing he did one year ago to her husband and that because of this he isn't allowed to love her.
In the same night the Army invades the cottage and orders Cal to follow them to the Morton farm-house. Someone saw him lighting a cigarette, thought of another terrorist attack and called the police.

The Terrorist Threat in Northern Ireland The Armed Forces in Northern Ireland support the RUC in operations against both Republican and Loyalist terrorists. Currently, both groupings retain their arsenals of weapons, ammunition and explosives. Whilst the loyalists are currently maintaining their ceasefire, they are capable of using violence for their own political ends.


Mrs. Morton allows him to live in the cottage, because they have to get it bricked up if nobody lives there. Cal is happy and from this point on he gets closer to Marcella. She often visits him and they talk a lot or have a cup of tea together. Moreover they talk about the death of her husband and Cal even gets some of his clothes. Cal decides to discipline himself and wants to stop smoking.
He learns that Marcella feels unhappy and that she wants to get out of the house. Cal always listens to her. One day he visits his father who doesn't feel well. His father tells him that Skeffington has been there.
Later Marcella and Cal have a date to collect some blackberries, accompanied by Marcella's daughter. They spend a nice afternoon together but at the end they hear an explosion.
Cal runs to the field where it took place and sees a dead cow lying in the grass.




by Silke Schwitters

The following chapter: Five