Paragraph Response: Chain of Hearts Cont...

1. Uncle Jimmy is integral to Sophie’s emotional recovery. What does he do that helps her rebuild her confidence and find happiness?

Jimmy’s help is integral to Sophie’s recovery; he introduces her to pottery, which she finds soothing and calming. It helps her to find herself and fill her time with something more productive. “What about you making us something?... I wish I could but I cant sew or knit or cook and I’ve never done any artwork… Actually I can make pots”(P237) This was the start of Sophie beginning to start making pots. Jimmy was the one to convince her to make the pots, which begin her recovery.  “And there was Sophie. The girl coming alive before my eyes. The pots she was making where ordinary enough. Nothing wrong with them, but basically just plain dishes and simple little vases and things to put plants in… Jimmy acts as if hey are the most beautiful things he’s ever seen… I can see she’s touched by Jimmy’s high praise.”(P247) Jimmy gives Sophie some confidence back by praising her work and makes her feel good about herself. This is important to her recovery because a lot of her problem is feeling like she has no idea what she wants to do with her life and that she is worthless, but the pottery seems to give her meaning and worth. 

Paragraph Responses: Chain of Hearts

Chain of Hearts: Extended Responses

1. 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). Who do you think was in the wrong? Do you think Geraldine should forgive Fran or was she right to hold a grudge against her?

Fran and Geraldine’s relationship is shown to be extremely rocky right from the start of the novel. There is one event that starts to crumble the relationship between the two sisters. When Geraldine’s fiancée Paul calls of their wedding and Fran isn’t entirely supportive and finds herself falling for Paul. “In an answer to your question I knew then that I absolutely shouldn’t marry Gerry… Because at that moment I was looking at you and thinking, I wish it was Fran. She’s the one I really love.” (Page 59) This was the moment where their relationship began to show its first sign of cracks. Even though Fran didn’t think that Geraldine knew that Paul was in love with her it would have made it uncomfortable between the two because of Fran’s feeling of guilt. “If you remember, I also loved Paul Healey’… ‘Can I ever forget I had my first love affair with you ex-fiancée?”(P332) At this moment the reader realises that Geraldine knew about her affair with Paul and doesn’t react in the way you think she would. She acts as if she has nothing to be ashamed of and taunts Geraldine. This part of the novel shows you a huge crack in their relationship and you see why Geraldine holds such a strong grudge against Fran. I believe that Geraldine has a right to be angry and hold a grudge at Fran but she should move on and forgive Fran for having an affair with Paul. She is happily married to Robert and shouldn’t still be upset because is she had married Paul she would have been in a loveless marriage and would have never found Robert and have the life that she does now.