CATCH US IF YOU CAN

by Catherine McPhail
(chapter 6-10)
NAME MATRIX NUMBER
NORSYAFIKAH BINTI ASMANUH D20101038211
SITI MAIZATUL AKMA BINTI CHE AHZAHAN D20101038220
SITI ASMAH BINTI MD YUSOFF D20101038222
MUHAMMAD YAZID BIN ROSLY D20101038222
SHAHRUL ADINA BINTI AZLEE D20101038227
AINNE AISYAH BINTI MOHD NADZIR D20101038228
AUTHORS BACKGROUND
Catherine McPhail
Born in 1946, 25
th
January
Greenock, West Coast of Scotland
Favorite book: Little Women by Louisa
May Alcott
First book in 1994
Last book in 2009
Total of 23 novels

CHARACTERS AND TRAITS
Main Characters
Rory
Mr McIntosh
(Granda)
Mrs Foley
Val Jessup
Additional
Characters
Policewoman
Male nurse
Mrs MacKay
Tony and Nellie
Jackie, Georgie,
Tom and Tess
Rory
Responsible
Intelligent,
educated
Loving
Anxious
A believer
but no
religious
Practical
Granda
Insomniac
Forgetful
Confident
Kind
Childish
Val Jessup
Kind
Spirited
Keen
Mrs Foley
Strict
Caring
Understanding
Tess
Troubled
Aggressive
Rude
CATHERINE MCPHAIL AND
RORY
Catherine McPhail

Rory McIntosh

An eejit

Really smart for an 11 year
old

Always trying to change her
image

Sticks to his principles

Does the opposite of norm
(as a writer and personally)

Does the opposite of norm

Live out of stories

Does not completely believe
in stories

PLOT
EXPOSITION
Rory was taken to the hospital to see his Ganda who was hospitalised
after he had burned their flat down.
Rory was worried about his Granda and wanted to stay and look after
him but it was impossible.
RISING ACTION
Rory was brought to his nightmare home which is, the childrens home
at Castle Street.
Rory was welcome into the childrens home by Tony and got
introduced to all the children in the home.
He also met Tess, a scary girl who was always angry and put Rorys in
trouble.
CLIMAX
Granda has awaken and told Rory how he had burned down their flat.
Granda has found out that Rory has been taken to the Castle Street and insisted to get
out of the hospital as he did not want Rory to be there.
Rory calmed Granda down and asked him to get well soon if he wanted them to be
together again.
FALLING ACTION
Rory was taken back to their flat to take his clothes and stuffs.
He also took all his Grandas medicine with him.
In the childrens home, Tess always scare Rory off but he never told Granda when they
met as he did not want him to be worried.
RESOLUTION/DENOUMENT
Mrs. Foley was being nice to Rory and showed her concerned towards him.
Darren told Rory that Mrs. Foley would probably want to foster him.
Rory ran into the hospital and found out that Granda was missing and disappeared from
his bed.
An eejit
Act sophisticated,
grown up, sensible
Father died when she was only two.
Run Zan Run, based on what happened to
her own daughter Katie, in Greenock. (1994)
Grew up with three sisters
and widowed mother.
Childhood was full of fun but she believes that
her mother faced hardships to raise them.
Other books: Fighting Back(1994), Picking on Percy (2003), Nemesis series
Into the Shadows (2006).
SETTING (PLACE)
The hospital
- Granda gets his treatment
It was as if were in a dream world as I walked
through hospital, with its white-panelled walls and
nurses who move smartly past me
(Page 26)

Castle Street (Childrens home)
- Rory stays here when Granda gets treatment in the
hospital
.an old Victorian villa that had been converted
into a children home just after the war.
(Page 31)

The apartment block
Val took me back to our flat. I looked
around at the blackened walls, the smoke-
damaged furniture and curtains
(Page 42)

The school
That morning she held me back as we
crowded out of her classroom. The first thing
she asked was how things were at Castle
Street
(Page 47)

SETTING (TIME)
Autumn
I held tight on to my grandas hand and
didnt care, for once, who saw it. I dont
know how long I sat there. Dusk had fallen
early on this wet, grey October day.
(Page 28)

POINT OF VIEW
uses the first-person narrative.
use of I and we.

THEMES
Value of unconditional love and
responsibility
- Rory offers to look after Granda when
he is
admitted to the hospital.
- Rory would rather accompany Granda
when he
is offered to be bought food.
- All Rory thinks when he is in the
childrens home at Castle Street is
Grandas condition.
Having faith and trust in Gods plans
- Rory prays that God will wake Granda
up but
when he is told to be brought to the
childrens
home at Castle Street, he feels a bit
angry
because God does not seem to grant
his wish.
After a while, he takes his words right
back
away and positively thinks that it may
be Gods
plan; so that Granda will feel better
knowing he
is taken good care of at that place.
Effects of family problems to children
- Tess becomes a child who is full of
anger and
hatred towards people around her.
- She acts violent and rebellious
because she
feels sad, rejected and unwanted by
the adults.
ISSUES
Responsibilities to one another
Rory felt responsible for Grandas condition
He felt like he failed to take care of Granda
Rory was puzzled why Granda was heating a
chip pan, he felt that he should have thrown the
pan away so that Granda would not do anything
dangerous
Rory took care of Granda although it was not his
responsibility
Most of the children his age would not do the
same
He understood that he only had Granda in his
life
He willingly took the responsibility of taking are
of Granda as he has no one else

Hardship
Refused to listen to others that he would not be
able to take care of Granda.
Probably related to the writers own life -
Catherine McPhail lost her father at a young age
and had to live with her sisters and mother.
Although Rory had to face hardship in his life, he
still enjoyed his life just like the author did as she
was younger
The writer was probably trying to portray her
mothers hardship as she did not let her children
see her hardship, just like how Rory did not want
people to see him struggle with Grandas illness.

Anxiety
Rory was anxious about Granda - wanted
Granda to be well so that he could stay with
Granda - did not want to be separated with
Granda.
Rory was anxious about living in a new place-
he wanted to leave and stay by his Granda
side - afraid that Granda might not come
home and he had to stay there.
Probably the similar to the anxiety that the
writer felt while she was growing up - anxious
that she might have to be separated from her
family should something happen to their
mother.
Showed anxiety that kids with single parents
felt - love towards family.

Sense of Belonging
Rory did not felt belonged in the home although
everybody was nice except for Tess.
Tess hated Rory as Rory had a place and had
someone that wanted him back while she had
nothing.
Rory felt a chill as Val Jessup said she needed
to talk to him about something.
He felt that something bad was going to happen.
He refused to make himself comfortable in the
home as he wanted to go back to Granda.
In chapter 10, Rory felt like he no longer have a
home.
He was scared that Mrs Foley would want to
foster him.

MORAL VALUES
The importance of looking after the old,
sickly and helpless in society.
The importance of helping others when
they are in trouble.
The importance of maintaining the family
ties.

REFERENCES
1. Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Little
Women.
Retrieved March 26, 2014 from
http://www.shmoop.com/little- women/
2. Khor, J. (2007). Literature for secondary schools.
Retrieved from
http://literature.com.my/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&tas k=view&id=501&Itemid=421
3. Paperback review. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2141210.Catc
h_Us_I f_You_Can
4. Yusran, M. F. (2012). Form 5 catch us if you can.
Retrieved from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/117766699/Form- 5-
English- Novel-CATCH-US-IF-YOU-CAN