▁to ▁help . ▁His ▁strict ▁Catholic ▁up br ing ing ▁pre ys ▁on ▁his ▁imag in ative ▁nature ▁and ▁thoughts ▁on ▁whether ▁he ▁will ▁be ▁going ▁to ▁hell ▁pl ague ▁on ▁his ▁mind . ▁Frank ie ▁must ▁balance ▁his ▁Catholic ▁belief s ▁against ▁a ▁church ▁which ▁frequently ▁reject s ▁him ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁pover ty ▁and ▁family , ▁his ▁Irish ▁up br ing ing ▁against ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁America ▁once ▁he ' s ▁grown , ▁and ▁his ▁desire ▁for ▁his ▁father ' s ▁attention ▁against ▁his ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁his ▁mother . ▁Str angers ▁often ▁prefer ▁his ▁more ▁attract ive ▁and ▁out going ▁sib lings , ▁but ▁Frank ie ▁wins ▁over ▁a ▁few ▁champions , ▁mainly ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁his ▁school ▁teachers ▁and ▁the ▁various ▁adult s ▁who ▁h ire ▁him ▁for ▁odd ▁jobs . ▁ ▁Frank ▁develop s ▁ty ph oid ▁fe ver ▁and ▁is ▁taken ▁to ▁a ▁Catholic ▁hospital , ▁where ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁he ▁has ▁ade qu ate ▁food , ▁warm th , ▁and ▁access ▁to ▁limit less ▁books , ▁and ▁the ▁time ▁to ▁read ▁them , ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁his ▁lif el ong ▁love ▁of ▁literature . ▁Frank ie ▁addition ally ▁contract s ▁chron ic ▁conj unct iv itis , ▁which ▁does ▁little ▁to ▁improve ▁his ▁looks ▁or ▁perce ived , ▁sar cast ic ▁de mean or . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁many ▁L imer ick ▁men ▁find ▁work ▁at ▁a ▁defence ▁plant ▁in ▁Cov entry , ▁England ,