Foster by Claire Keegan Chapter 1 summary, analysis, character study, questions and a free gift at the bottom of the post … this page is packed with everything you need to get started with Foster!
Foster is an Irish novella written in 2009 and first published in 2010. The story tells of a little girl sent to her relatives for the summer. She tells the story through her own eyes, giving the reader a beautiful glimpse into life in rural Ireland in the 1980s, and the subtle story paints clever portraits of familiar character types.Â
This is the first in a series of articles to support students and teachers of Foster. The article includes summary, analysis and teaching resources, all free for personal and classroom use.
Foster is a perfect text for an afternoon read, and works well for students of all abilities in the classroom.Â
In this series, there will be a particular focus on the theme of childhood, to support teaching of Foster as a text for CCEA’s Unit 2 Controlled Assessment task: the study of written language, but students and teachers anywhere for any course will find these resources useful. Check the bottom of the post for links to other articles in the series.
Study Guide Contents:
Jump ahead to the following sections:
- Summary of Foster Chapter 1
- Context: the author Claire Keegan
- Context: Ireland and the Troubles in 1981
- Context: Ireland and the European Union
- Character analysis: the girl
- Character analysis: her father
- Character analysis: Mr Kinsella
- Character analysis: Mrs Kinsella
- Teaching Foster: lesson ideas and activities
- A free gift
Summary of Foster Chapter 1
In the opening chapter of ‘Foster’ by Claire Keegan, a young girl narrates her experience as her father takes her to stay with the Kinsellas, ‘her mother’s people’.Â
The setting is initially Clonegal in Co. Wexford but they drive from there into Co. Wicklow, where the dad leaves his daughter with Mr and Mrs Kinsella.
The setting is a warm summer day. The fields are said to be dry from lack of rain, and school is out for the summer.
The journey is filled with curiosity as the girl imagines what her life will be like with the Kinsellas. She envisions a mix of idyllic moments and hard work on the farm.
The girl is the narrator of the story, so tells it from her point of view. She is not given a name in the story, so we simply refer to her as ‘the girl’.
She gives clues that her father is not a trust-worthy man and not a great help in the house to her mother. He gambles and loses a red shorthorn, a breed of cow, in a ‘game of forty-five’.
Upon arriving, they are greeted by John Kinsella and wife. Her father engages in a conversation with Kinsella about mundane topics, such as the dry weather, while the girl is introduced to the woman, who is kind and inviting to her.Â
Inside the house, she observes the surroundings, noting the weeping willow trees and well kept hedges, the tidy house, and the smell of baking.
Mrs Kinsella seems cold towards the girl’s father, Dan, despite being very warm and welcoming to the girl. She turns her back on the dad as he speaks, and watches the clock on the wall.
As they sit down for a meal, the girl struggles with her unfamiliarity and discomfort. The adults discuss ordinary matters, including the weather and the price of cattle. The girl’s father, somewhat untruthfully, boasts about the abundance of hay on their farm. The Kinsellas express their willingness to keep the girl and assure her father that she will have minimal chores, just helping around the house.
Despite the girl’s unease, the Kinsellas make an effort to make her feel at home, with Mrs Kinsella asking about the girl’s mother.Â
However, the girl’s father abruptly decides to leave, offering a quick farewell and leaving her feeling abandoned.Â
The Kinsellas notice her distress, and the woman suggests a bath, signalling the beginning of the girl’s stay with this unfamiliar family.
Context for Foster by Claire Keegan
Claire Keegan's life, education and works
Claire Keegan, born in 1968 in County Wicklow, Ireland, is a highly acclaimed contemporary Irish author. She grew up on a farm in rural Wicklow, but felt frustrated by old-fashioned limitations on women, so she pursued her higher education at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Keegan has gained prominence through her impactful short stories and novels, with her works often delving into themes of family, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. Some of her notable publications include ‘Antarctica,’ ‘Walk the Blue Fields,’ and ‘Foster’. ‘Foster’ is a critically acclaimed novella that has received widespread praise for its subtle, perceptive storytelling and exploration of Irish rural life.
You can read more about Keegan’s ‘Small Things Like These’ and her storytelling in this Guardian article on Claire Keegan.
Ireland and the Troubles in 1981
The historical setting of “Foster” is deeply influenced by the Troubles, a period in Norther Ireland’s history marked by political and sectarian conflict. By 1981, the Troubles had escalated, reaching a boiling point with the Hunger Strikes at the Maze Prison. These strikes, initiated by Republican prisoners seeking political status, captured international attention. The deaths of ten prisoners during 1981, including Bobby Sands, who was elected as a Member of Parliament during his hunger strike, intensified tensions and brought profound sorrow to Irish communities. The Troubles cast a somber shadow over the entire island, and despite being different countries, the close ties in communities, families and geographically meant that the Republic of Ireland was impacted along with Northern Ireland.Â
In “Foster,” Claire Keegan weaves the personal and societal repercussions of these events into the fabric of the narrative. As with everything in Foster, it is subtle, for example the reference to the Hunger Strikes via Mr Kinsella watching the news. Political matters impacted everyone, even those in rural parts of Ireland.
Ireland and the European Union
In 1981, Ireland’s relationship with the European Union (EU) played a pivotal role in shaping its economic landscape. Ireland had joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, and by 1981, the EU was a significant factor in the country’s economic development. The EU membership brought both benefits and challenges to Ireland. While it opened up new markets and opportunities, the country also faced economic struggles, including high unemployment rates and inflation. The agricultural sector, a cornerstone of rural Irish life, experienced shifts due to EU policies. The novel “Foster” is set against this backdrop of economic flux. Everything in Foster is subtle, as with references to the EEC, but in farming communities, complying with EEC regulations was essential in maintaining an income. The EEC is referred to in chapter 1, and we see how this backdrop informs part of the relevant context for the novel.
Character Study Notes
Character analysis: the girl
- In Chapter 1, the girl is introduced as the first person narrator.
- Her age is not explicitly mentioned but implied to be of primary school age (under 10).
- Her plaits have been scraped painfully together by her mother before she leaves home which she is keen to undo once away from home. Her hair becomes untidy, described as “wild as a tinker’s child.”
- Wears a thin cotton dress and dusty sandals, reflecting a rural, casual style, reflecting the summer time, and reflecting minimal effort or resources at home.
- Demonstrates curiosity about the journey, the Kinsella family, and the new environment.
- Imagines scenes of being cared for by the Kinsellas, both positive and less likely scenarios.
- Observant – she observes details in her surroundings, such as the weeping willow trees, the hedges and the smells of the kitchen.
- Vulnerable – she displays vulnerability when left by her father without a proper farewell or clear indication of his return.
- Feels uncertain about the new environment, expressing concerns through internal thoughts.
- Innocent and childlike – retains a sense of innocence and childlike wonder, even when revealing the personality of her father (‘I wonder why my father lies about the hay’).
Character analysis: her father
- Sets the narrative in motion by taking the girl into the countryside by car.
- Relaxed demeanor – wears a hat, smokes – suggests he is easy going to at ease.
- Engages in agricultural talk e.g. cattle prices, rain, spraying the potatoes, suggesting he is as much a part of the farming community as Mr and Mrs Kinsella.
- The girl reveals in her thoughts about her father that he does not help her mother around the house: her mother does everything. She also reveals that he leaves as soon as he has eaten, suggesting he is a very selfish character.
- He shows unwillingness to help, for example when he watches Mr Kinsella setting the table without offering to help.
- He gambles away a red shorthorn, which is a breed of cow, suggesting he is unreliable in supporting his family and income.
- He has so many children that one needs to be fostered for the summer, suggesting that he is not capable of managing his family life.
- He accepts the rhubarb from Mrs Kinsella, but when he drops a stalk, he is unwilling to pick it up and stares at her, expecting her to pick it up for him. This incident reveals a lot about his character, and his selfish and chauvinistic attitude.
- He lies about having cut the grass and stored the hay. He boasts that his hay barn is full to the rafters, yet his daughter clocks this as a lie straight away.Â
- He does not bring any clothing or personal possessions for his daughter, and makes a joke about her trying not to fall into the fire. His cold manner with his daughter suggests that he is not an affectionate or kind man. Leaving the girl with no clothes suggests neglect as a parent.
He has made the decision to take the girl to stay with relatives, indicating that he is able to seek help when it is needed, although the abrupt departure raises questions about his character.
Character analysis: Mr Kinsella
- Greets Dan by addressing him by name, establishing a police tone.
- ‘Tightens’ on first meeting Dan, suggesting that Mr Kinsella has to steady himself for this interaction, or suggesting his desire to hide his dislike of Dan.
- Chats about the weather, the farm and the E.E.C., reflecting a very typical example of Irish small-talk. This also reflects his farming knowledge, a very large feature of his life.
- Sets the table and seems very comfortable helping out in the kitchen, revealing a kind and positive relationship with his wife, and a more progressive mindset than many rural Irish men of the time.
- Mr Kinsella stoops to pick up the rhubarb, sensing that this will avoid a conflict between his wife and Dan, neither of whom is willing to pick it up. Mr Kinsella seems to keep the peace here, and shows politeness to Dan which he does not deserve.
- Seems keen to put everyone at their ease, and to ensure the girl does not feel like a burden, for her own sake. He offers to get clothes and belongings for the girl who has been left with nothing, and he makes clear that she will not have to work for her keep, except to help a little in the house.
- Supports his wife’s statement about keeping the girl, echoing, “We’ll keep the child gladly. She’s welcome here,” revealing a united front between the couple.
Character analysis: Mrs Kinsella
- She is a welcoming presence – greets the girl warmly from the car, kisses her and shows she is happy to have the girl to stay. She invites the girl in, ‘Come on in, a leanbh’ using the Irish spelling of ‘love’ to emphasise the setting of the story and the rural, friendly nature of this family home.
- Breaks the ice with the girl by chatting about the girl’s life and familiar people, such as her mother.
- Keeps a clean home, evident by the smell of disinfectant.
- Feeds her visitors well, preparing food in advance, including a rhubarb tart. This reflects Mrs Kinsella’s domesticity, showing her as highly capable in the home.
- Not shy – she is able to join in the conversation about cattle and the weather with the men.
- She does not seem to like Dan, the girl’s father. She says in name ‘in a different voice’ from the warm one she uses for her husband and the girl. She turns away from him and stares at her kitchen clock when he comes into the kitchen, as if counting down the time until he leaves.
- Stubborn – when Dan drops a rhubarb stem and stares at her, expecting her to pick it up for him, she stares him out. The stand-off is broken by Mr Kinsella who picks it up. This interaction is very revealing about her character, in that she has a no-nonsense approach, showing that while she is capable in the kitchen, she is certainly not a servant to anyone, and she refuses to be demeaned by Dan.
- Nonetheless, she is kind and generous, offering the rhubarb out of her own supply.
- She shows concern for the girl’s discomfort at the end of the chapter, offering to bathe her and ensuring the girl feels as much at home as possible.
- Comforts the girl, wiping something off her face with a softer thumb than the narrator’s mother’s, displaying a gentle and comforting touch.
Teaching Foster: lesson ideas and activities
- Explore the context: using class iPads or ICT classroom, ask students to research Ireland in the 1980s, focusing on the Hunger Strikes and the EU, as these are specifically referred to in the novella. Students could also research life in the 1980s in rural Ireland and compare it to their own lives, presenting information in written format, or as a presentation to the class, or as part of a group discussion.
- Character analysis: assign students to create character profiles for key figures like the girl, Dan, Mrs. Kinsella and Mr. Kinsella. Analyse the characters’ traits, motivations, and relationships within the context of the story.
- Symbolism exploration: identify and analyse symbols in the text, such as the weeping willow trees and the rhubarb. Discuss how these symbols contribute to the themes and overall meaning of the story. Students could have an initial practice of analysis in the form of PEE paragraphs, or analytical paragraphs to explore these symbols.
- Creative writing: give students a range of creative responses to the opening chapter, for example, write the girl’s diary entry for the night before her arrival, or the night after she arrives. Students could write a dialogue between Mr and Mrs Kinsella after the girl has gone to bed that first night, discussing the events of the day and giving their thoughts on Dan and the girl.
- Speaking and listening group discussions: have students work in groups to explore the main themes of the novella, prioritising the themes by importance, or exploring why they thing Claire Keegan includes those themes in Foster.
- Comparative analysis: compare “Foster” with another text or film that explores similar themes or historical contexts, for example Down Down Deeper and Down by Eamon Sweeney, which is set in a similar context of time and place, but is a very grim and dark contrast to the withheld positivity and sunshine of Foster. Discuss the similarities and differences in narrative approaches, character development, and impact.
- Vocabulary and imagery analysis: examine the author’s use of vocabulary and imagery in selected passages. Give students an extract to explore by word level, sentence level and paragraph level, identifying the language devices and tone of the narrative. Discuss how language contributes to the atmosphere, tone, and overall impact of the narrative.
- Role-play and dramatisation: divide students into groups to act out selected scenes from the novella. Encourage them to focus on character interactions, emotions, and the overall mood of the scenes.
- Comprehension questions to explore the narrative in more detail, and to ensure students have a great working knowledge and understanding of Chapter 1.
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