Song for a Raggy Boy

A veteran of the Spanish Civil War arrives at the brutal reform school and asserts a gentler, more humane approach. He carries quiet courage and a belief that the boys deserve more than fear. This marks the beginning of a clash between his ideals and the institution's punitive regime.

Patrick Delaney enters at age 13 and a half, joining a system that numbers each boy. Franklin chooses to call his students by their names, defying the dehumanizing routine. This small act signals the start of a resistance to the school's contemptuous authority.

Delaney becomes the object of Brother Mac’s coercive attention and is raped in the school toilets. The violence exposes the residents' vulnerability under the power of the clergy and staff. A culture of fear and control dominates daily life at St. Judes.

A visiting priest urges silence after Delaney's confession, reinforcing the system’s cover-up mentality. The punishment that follows—immersion under a cold shower with wet clothes left on—shows the brutal immediacy of the abuse. The incident demonstrates how mercy is undermined by institutional power.

Liam Mercier, one of the few literate boys, catches Franklin's eye. Franklin bonds with him and introduces poetry, including works with socialist leanings. The unlikely alliance sparks a dangerous mood of possibility within the walls.

Mercier protests when two brothers are beaten on Christmas Day after crossing the dividing wall to be together. Franklin supports them, halting the whipping in a moment of defiant courage. The act marks a direct challenge to Brother John's regime.

John lures Mercier out of class, then subjects him to a brutal beating in front of Brother Mac. The severity of the punishment reveals the depth of the cruelty ruling the school. The event foreshadows the violent consequences of dissent.

Mercier's body is found after the brutal beating, a crushing validation of the system's control through fear. Franklin carries Mercier's corpse from the room, overwhelmed by the sense that a line has been crossed. The tragedy becomes a catalyst for calling out murder.

In a heated confrontation, Franklin accuses Brother John of murder as Church authorities begin to intervene. The brothers John and Mac are taken from the school, signaling a potential accountability outside the walls. The moment reframes Franklin's relationship to the institution.

At Mercier's funeral, Franklin publicly declares his death a murder and seals the moment with a kiss on the coffin. The tribute becomes a defiant stand against the regime's lies and brutality. The funeral elevates the moral stakes of the conflict.

Delaney recites Eva Gore-Booth's poem Comrades across the playground, reminding the boys of their shared humanity. The moment stirs Franklin and the others toward solidarity. It signals a turning point that tempers the urge to flee with a resolve to stay and protect the boys.

Moved by the recitation and the boys' support, Franklin abandons plans to leave. He drops his bags, and Delaney runs to embrace him as the others gather around in solidarity. The moment marks the birth of a fragile, hopeful resilience within the reform school.