Chapter 2: So Many Characters, So Little Time

The first chapter of All Souls was all fine and good, but it really starts to get fun in the second chapter. MacDonald uses the second chapter to gives us an idea of where he was living at the time, introduce new characters, and give us some bizarre anecdotes.

First off, I thought I would keep a running list of characters, mostly because there are so many people that I can’t keep them straight without writing them down.

-Michael MacDonald (Duh)-Author, main character, 7^th child, makes a living playing the accordion

-Ma-Mother of the MacDonald children

-Dave MacDonald-The father 6/9 MacDonald children, violent alcoholic, abandoned family before Michael was born (later in the second chapter we find out that he IS NOT Michael’s father), makes a career out of playing country-western music on the guitar, Korean War veteran

-Nana, Grandpa-Ma’s parents

-Mary, Kathy-Michael’s sisters

-Davey, Frankie, Joe, The Twins, Kevin-Michael’s brothers

-Patrick Michael-Child before Michael, died as an infant due to pneumonia

-Nellie-Ma’s Cousin from Ireland

-Bob King-Ma’s second husband

-Teresa-Ma’s sister/ Michael’s aunt

-Sean and Kathleen-Teresa’s children

Places of interest:

            -Colombia Point is the location of Michael MacDonald’s first home

-Jamaica Plain is the location of Michael MacDonald’s second home

            In this chapter, MacDonald talks about how his brother, Davey, is put into Massachusetts Mental Association (which apparently still exists) for schizophrenia. MacDonald writes about some of what his brother goes through, which includes shock therapy. Now, I’m a huge fan of American Horror Story, so when I read about Davey getting shock therapy I had a flash back. But I’m thinking they exaggerated shock therapy on American Horror Story.

So, there’s a little sum up on the second chapter. I know you’ll all be waiting by your computers waiting to see what happens in the next chapter.