Subject for a star called henry

A Star Called Henry is a four part novel written by Roddy Doyle. It takes place in the beginning of the twentieth century in Ireland. The novel tells the life story of Henry Smart starting from hischildhood on the slums of Dublin to his role as a soldier in the Irish Rebellion. In his early years, Henry recounts his early years of reckless heroism and adventure. Through the numerous adventuresand experiences that Henry goes through, a lot of different themes are illustrated throughout the novel such as Irish people beating the odds, love, hard-working, superstition, violence, and many more.One important theme in this novel is poverty. The mentality of most human beings is affected by poverty which leads for them to act by any means necessary to survive. Firstly, being poor may lead topicking up odd jobs to gain some money. Secondly, living in poverty, there is a high chance that good mannerism and proper etiquette is thrown out the window or is never taught to the youngerchildren. Lastly, it leads for people to steal and beg just to get a little bit of change.
There is nothing wrong with picking up small jobs to make a little of money to feed one’s family. In this novel,Henry Smart Sr.’s small job is illegal but in his eyes, it is justified because it provides food for his family. He ‘delivers messages’ all over Dublin, a hit man, for Alfie Gandon who is laterdiscovered to be the woman who owns the brothel. He uses both his wooden leg and a leather knife to kill his victims and wipes the blood from his knife onto the sleeve of his infamous jacket, “the dirtiestsleeve in the world.” (17). Poverty affects Henry Smart Sr. in the sense that he does not feel guilty with killing people as long it pays him. That only lasts up until he actually becomes a father.Henry Smart Jr. reinvented rat-catching which he did it as a mean for survival. He would go through a long process to get paid for sticking his hands in a sack filled with rats. He would first get baby...