Human beings are complicated, one day we fight for peace and the other day we create a new conflict. An example is the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, which seems like an endless war. It has been going on since forever and in the short story “Killing a Brit” written by David Park we see how the conflict impacts the youth.
Kiernan Caffrey, a young Catholic boy from Northern Ireland, born into a war between two sects. Father Brophy gives the class homework. Kiernan choose the topic ‘Cruelty to Animals’ between the options. He hurries to home, because it is Monday and it is his favorite television evening. On his way home he see a caterpillar. He wonders if it turns into a butterfly, so he decides to put it in his lunch pack and keep it.
He continues his way home but something happens, a Protestant soldier or rather “a Brit” is shot. Father Brophy sees the soldier on the ground and he starts to administer the last rites for him. Kiernan shouts some nasty things at the dying soldier. He is afraid that father Brophy will see him, so he hides between the many screaming people. Then he thinks about it is his favorite television night, and if the caterpillar would ever turn into a butterfly one day.
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