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LET ME DIE IN IRELAND  /  Chapter 2: From Master to Slave  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
Patrick vows revenge—“I’ll get even”—while Sid responds calmly and tries to steady him; what vision of God (justice, mercy, timing, sovereignty) would have to be true for Sid’s kind of steadiness to be possible, and what vision of God seems to fuel Patrick’s fury?
Another way to ask: Patrick wants revenge, but Sid stays calm and steadies him. What would Sid have to believe about God (justice, mercy, timing, control) to be that steady, and what beliefs seem to be driving Patrick’s anger?

Direct Answer Sid’s steadiness seems rooted in trustful acceptance—he “makes the best of it” and speaks gently—suggesting a belief that God’s providence and grace still operate even in slavery. Patrick’s fury, by contrast, sounds like he sees deliverance as something he must seize or demand, and his anger turns outward into vows of payback.

Support from Transcript:

  • Patrick explodes: “I’ll get even with every one of you miserable beasts as soon as I get free!”
  • When bought, he panics and cries, “God, help me! Help me!” showing desperation rather than settled trust.
  • Sid calms him: “Easy there, lad… No one’s going to hurt you,” and patiently leads him.
  • Sid frames his survival story in God’s providence: “Through God’s grace, my little boat was finally washed ashore.”
  • Sid explains his posture: he was “pretty upset” at first, but realized “being gloomy wasn’t going to change… so I just had to make the best of it.”
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript doesn’t explicitly outline Sid’s doctrine of justice, but his calm implies he isn’t taking vengeance into his own hands. When you’re wronged, do you fantasize about “getting even,” or about enduring faithfully while trusting God to judge?

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