Analyse af 'Tom Carridon' og social arv

Families in the lower class often live on the edge of poverty. They have a hard time climbing the social ladder and breaking the social heritage. The majority of parents would be thrilled and proud of their children for trying to break the negative social heritage. In the essay "Tom Carridon" written by Arhondia the story is dissimilar. The protagonist Tom Carridon is dedicated to getting out of Cherryfield Road. He strives to break the social heritage by taking extra classes in Ancient Greek and at some point, going to college. You'd think his father certainly would be supportive and proud, but that’s far from reality.

The story takes place in Dublin more specifically in Crumlin. The protagonist’s description of Crumlin creates a very melancholic and negative view of the area. “The most miserable, greyest, fucking hole in Dublin"(Line 11-12). It becomes clear that Crumlin is an underprivileged area and most of the people living there belong to the working class. The language also demonstrates that the environment is a lower class, and it gives a better understanding of the social setting in the story. The informal language and the use of slang are seen throughout the whole story. A prime example would be the conversation between Tom, his dad, and Michael at the pub. “With their dirty shirts and dirty necks and filthy nails. Cunts, I think to myself” (Line 29-30). Tom’s inner criticizes them for making fun of him taking Ancient Greek classes. They doubt he’ll be any different from them or that he will be able to go to college. The conversation at the pub links well with the protagonist’s hatred towards Crumlin. It’s difficult to climb the social ladder and break the social heritage when you live in an area like Crumlin, which Frank notifies Tom about: “You sound like a fucking fairy!., you’re fucking thick, but you sure as hell ain’t rich” (Line 56-58). It’s clear that some people don’t even consider trying to break the social heritage because it seems impossible from their position such as Michael or Frank. Therefore Frank said it, he doesn’t believe in Tom’s ability to break the social heritage and is instead giving him some “realistic” expectations. This helps us get a clearer view of the social settings in a working-class environment and how it doesn’t seem possible from their point of view.