History Soars at Pheonix  

 

Name _______________________ Period ________

Far And Away Movie Questions

 

1. In the very beginning of the movie, a paragraph precedes the film explaining the oppression of the tenant farmers of Western Ireland. Above the paragraph, the year the film is supposed to take place is shown. What year is it?

 

 

 

2. When Joseph is burying his father, he meets Shannon’s fiancé, Steven. Why did Steven find it necessary to burn down their house?

 

 

 

3. When Shannon first meets Joseph, she gives him a serious injury. What does she do?

 

 

 

4. When Joseph awakens in the Christie home, what desire – common to most immigrants – is his main dream?

 

 

 

5. How does the Christie Mansion compare to the Donnely shack? Is this similar to the wealth gap in the United States?

 

 

 

6. What possession did Shannon steal from home to exchange in America for money?

 

 

 

7. What does Joseph do with his necktie on the ship?

 

 

 

8. What is the name of the Ward Boss who helps Shannon and Joseph find a room?

 

 

 

9. Why does ward boss Kelly send a boy to greet new arrivals in the harbor?

 

 

 

10. Because Shannon causes the Ward Boss to lose a fight, how does Joseph help her? 11. Besides running to a bar-what other businesses did the Ward Boss have?

 

 

 

12. Why is Shannon’s pay docked at the chicken factory?

 

 

 

13. What would middle class Protestants have made of the activities of the Irish social club?

 

 

 

14. When Joseph is boxing the Italian, how much money did Darcy Burke and the Ward Boss each have bet on him?

 

 

 

15. How does the eviction scene demonstrate the ward boss’ power over the police and economic activity?

 

 

 

16. How are Joseph and Shannon treated by the public as they search for work and shelter? Why are they treated this way?

 

 

 

17. Describe Joseph’s life working on a railroad gang.

 

 

 

Take a few lines to answer the following questions:

1. How did Mr. & Mrs. Christie get their land in Ireland, and then their land in America? What did you think of their actions at the end of the film? Should people be allowed to own land, or should it belong to the government (or the Indians, or someone else)? Explain your opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. What was the difference between the life that Joseph had in Ireland and in New York? What was similar? At the end of the movie, what allowed Joseph to have a different life in America than what he would have in Ireland?