Analysis Of Michael Patrick Macdonald's All Souls

Despite the adversity that plagued the children of South Boston throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Southie native Michael Patrick MacDonald often remarked that he grew up in “the best place in the world,” suggesting that while adversity can be crippling, it does not guarantee a bad life. Throughout his childhood, MacDonald and his family suffered from extreme poverty, experienced the effects of drugs on the family structure, and felt the poor educational effects in a struggling neighborhood. Through his memoir, All Souls, readers gain an in-depth perspective of Michael Patrick MacDonald’s life, especially his childhood. Because readers are able to see MacDonald as both a child and an adult, it is possible to see how the circumstances of his childhood

Parental involvement often acts as a buffer for poor education as it leads to higher elementary school achievement, lower high school dropout rates, and more time time spent on homework (Morris, class lecture, May 3, 2016). While it is true that MacDonald’s mother Helen allowed her children to boycott school for a period of time, she was quite involved in her children’s education and lives as a whole. From the time they were young, Helen MacDonald instilled the importance of education upon her many children. When Michael Patrick MacDonald was five years old, his mother began to take classes at Suffolk University where she was studying with the help of financial aid from the government (MacDonald, 41). Helen MacDonald did not have a babysitter but continued to attend class despite this challenge, bringing Michael along with her. In doing so, Helen MacDonald not only furthered her own education but also demonstrated to her young children that school is important. Furthermore, in the face of busing riots, Helen MacDonald paid to send her children to private school despite the crippling poverty she was facing. Because Helen MacDonald paid for education rather than several necessities for herself, it is clear that she not only cared deeply about her children, but that she cared deeply for their