Falsely accused, but some cannot afford to lose face

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Recommended: Ireland, The invention of tradition thesis

If anyone ever asked you to describe the relationship between Ireland and England, what would be the first words to come into your mind? Rough? Yes, absolutely. Deaths? Too many! Unforgivable actions? That affected innocent people, yes. The road to Ireland’s independence was long and rough, and many people, both Irish and English, suffered losses that were not replaceable. In the movie In the Name of the Father (1993), directed by Jim Sheridan and produced by the already mentioned as well as Gabriel Byrne, Terry George and Arthur Lappin, we follow Gerry Conlon, an Irishman from Belfast who is sent to London by his father. Gerry happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and is falsely accused of the bombing of two pubs in the Guildford area, spoken about as an act of terrorism. These bombings happened during the height of The Troubles.
Plot summary
The bombing of a pub is what we are first presented to in the beginning of this movie. At the same time, we are introduced to a woman in a car listening to a cassette recording of Gerry Conlon talking about his younger years. At this time, he is a political prisoner. While he is talking we are being taken back to his younger years. Gerry used to steal lead sheets from the rooftop of row houses and sell them. While he is holding a pipe, he is mistaken by British soldiers for holding a rifle. A lot happens and he ends up starting a riot.
Gerry’s father decides to send Gerry to London with the hopes of him getting a job and staying away from the Troubles in Belfast. On the boat to London Gerry meets his friend Paul. When arriving to London, the two boys find the house of their hippie friend Patrick Armstrong. One of the other hippies in the house, Jim, is being hostile towards Ger...

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... way he can. After he wins the case, he shows that he will do what it takes to clear his father’s name.
Conclusion
Gerry Conlon is a dynamic character. He goes from being a rude, careless rebel to being one who cares about how others see him, one who cares for others and one who fights for what he believes in and what is right. He goes from being one that people locked down upon to being one that people would follow and listen to. We also see clearly how he learns to show his family that he loves them. Obviously he loved them before as well, but he gets better at showing it.

Works Cited

Myturn21. (2012). In the Name of the Father (film). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Name_of_the_Father_(film)
StudyMode.com. (2011). In the Name of the Father – Gerry Conlon. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/In-The-Name-Of-The-Father-820867.html

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