The author A. J. Cronin is a doctor by training but a writer as profession. Cronin’s strengths were his narrative skill and powers of acute observation and graphic description. He could see the dark side of life in a better frame. The plot of the story is arranged in a rousing style, the exposition of ‘An Irish Rose’ is highly detailed and gives a clear idea of the scenes, and his graphic description as mentioned above also add to it.
The rising action of the story contains many momentarily good events which make the climax much more effective.In the climax he is resolving into the sacrifice, love, or affection etc of a sister. The climax occurs after the entire crisis ended, the situation seems good before the climax and it gets tragic in the next paragraph where it has a beautiful ending. The main characters in the story Rose Donegan a very young lady about fourteen had many responsibilities regarding her brothers and her father who spends most of his time in a nearby bar.
She sees life much seriously with love and affection towards her brothers and her father and always has a pleasant smile and attitude.One of the most important perspectives about her character is her pleasant attitude towards anything and anyone and of course her deep affection, which results in sacrificing her life. Here Rose Donegan has to earn for the family, buy milk for her youngest brother Michel. She had to cook, attend to the children and father.
With a slum child’s elemental knowledge she had to do everything, even she would bargain the baker to extend her credit for an extra loaf. Rose has a shaggy dressing which shows the deprived condition of the family; even she had to pawn the new dress that Cronin had paid for her.The other characters in the story include the Carroll’s, a middle aged couple, childless and prosperous. Also include the youngest brother of Rose; Michel, who is nine months old.
Other than Michel there are three more children who are younger than Rose, Donegan her father and the writer himself. The minor characters were meaningful making the rising action good. Reading such a story could take us to such families where the children (elder) had to deal with all responsibilities. Responsibilities are rejected by the responsible And future becomes unpredictable.
