Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

The famine hit the millions of farm laborers hardest. The hungry days of summer turned into fall. People scavenged whenever and however they could, parents feeling great shame at being unable to provide for their families. As they grew hungrier, the men banded together, walking many miles to find cattle. They would surround a cow, cut a vein in its neck, drain off a quart or two of blood, carry it--rich in iron and protein--home to cook with cabbage leaves or whatever was available. The merchants bought up the available supplies of oats and flour, selling them in small amounts for at least double the price. The Irish poor sold all they had to buy food. When they had nothing left to sell, they borrowed from moneylenders who often charged between 20 and 50 percent interest. Parents began panicking that they would not...