Practice Essay

Essay Question:

Geraldine and Fran had events from their past that ruined their relationship as sisters. Explain what unfolded between these two women that led to their hatred of each other (include direct quotations). In your essay response, you should also consider whether only one character was in the wrong or both were to blame. You should also think about whether Geraldine should forgive Fran or whether it is right that she has held a grudge for all these years.

Re-Written Question:

This question is asking me to highlight the events from Fran and Geraldine’s past and how these events triggered their hatred for one another. You have to decide if only one character has started this hatred or if both of them contributed. You should also decide if Geraldine should forgive Fran and if she should have held a grudge for all these years.

Essay Response:

In the novel Chain of Hearts by Maureen McCarthy Geraldine and Fran have un resolved issues from their past, which has led to their mutual hatred of each other. Looking back at these issues and how they have shaped the two sisters relationship will give us a better insight about how this hatred first started and if both of the sisters are to blame for their hatred and if they should finally forgive each other.

One of the ways that the mutual hatred between Geraldine and Fran began, could have been because of the environment they grew up in. When Geraldine was a small child her father was always very strict towards her. “He was a good father, but distant and stern. At least in those early years.”(p.289). However when Fran was born she was treated a lot better by her father. “Fran had delighted her father. It seemed that the more violent her outbursts, the further she diverged from his own political views, the more he was interested in what she had to say.”(p.290). These quotations show how Fran was treated a lot better than Geraldine when they were younger. This could have been why Geraldine started hating Fran, because she thought her dad liked Fran better. At this point Fran may not have even realized that anything was wrong between them. But she could have started hating Geraldine because Geraldine hated her. Therefore Fran would not have hated Geraldine, until Geraldine made her hatred known to Fran. The way that Geraldine and Fran were raised and the environment that they grew up in could have triggered their hatred of each other.

The hatred between Geraldine and Fran could have also been developed because of how what happened with Geraldine’s relationship. When Paul broke of the engagement to Geraldine the night before the wedding she was so upset. Fran was very sad for her and wanted to help her through it. “What could she do? What could anyone do? She sat listening to her sister cry, feeling the blunt sense of disappointment grow steadily inside as the news sank in.”(p.35). When Fran went back to the city and she saw Paul Healey and he told Fran her true feelings for Fran and why she couldn’t marry Geraldine. “Because at that moment I was looking at you and thinking, I wish it was Fran. She’s the one I really love. I wish I was marrying Fran.”(p.59). After hearing this news Fran did not do anything with Paul. But Geraldine probably thought that it was all Fran’s fault and that she broke up her marriage, even though she did not have any feelings for Paul and even if she did she didn’t act on them. This is also an instance that Fran has done nothing wrong but Geraldine is still very mad at her because she thinks that she is purposely trying to ruin her life. Geraldine’s hatred towards Fran was built up because of why her fiancée broke off the marriage.

Geraldine and Fran’s hatred of each other is because of the issues that Geraldine has with Fran because she blames Fran for the issues that have occurred in her life, like her engagement being broken off and how she was raised as a child. However Fran has not done anything wrong and she only started to hate Geraldine because she had so much hatred for her and she did not know why. Therefore this whole feud was not Fran’s fault, instead it was Geraldine’s, and she should finally forgive Fran. This hatred between the sisters is because of the unresolved issues that Geraldine has placed upon Fran’s responsibility when it was not.