Importance of Games in the Book Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle

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Importance of Games in the Book Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle

In the book Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha written by Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke

is the main character. The author writes the book from Paddy's point

of view in the first person. The book evolves around Paddy and his

life experiences. Paddy is a boy aged ten, who lives with his Da also

known as Patrick, his Ma, his younger brother Sinbad who real name is

Francis and his two younger sisters Deidre and Cathy. Paddy and his

family live in a house on a new estate in Barrytown. Barrytown is

where many memories take place for Paddy.

I think the author makes the games important to the book for many

reasons. Firstly, at the age of ten all children like to play games to

socialise, a method to making new friends and they also reveal the

character and personalities of children. By the games revealing

children's characters it also attracts the attention of the readers

and keeps them attracted to the point where they want to read more.

When children look back on the games they played when they were of a

younger age, they have fond memories of them. Games are what children

remember when they grow up.

I think the games are just as important to Paddy as they are to the

book. Games are a way of coping with life at such a young age, and

this is why Paddy makes every situation a game. We know this because

of the time in the book where Ian McEvoy falls of the sofa and Paddy

says 'he fell. I won' which then follows by 'Champi-on! Champi-on!

Champi-on!'

Although Paddy plays a lot of games with his friends, he does play

some on his own. Paddy has a little den which he goes to and plays. I

think he plays on his own to get away from reality. Paddy's den is

like his own little world where he sometimes escapes to get away from

his Ma and Da arguing.

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