The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah is a narrative within a narrative about Frank Skeffington, an old Irish-American political boss. He begins his fifth and most likely last campaign for mayor of a New England city. It shows the good and evil inherent in politics and all the things that go into an election. A "man of the people," Skeffington attends funerals, hands out money, and kisses babies. Skeffington invites his journalist nephew, Adam Caulfield, to "see the campaign up close." Skeffington narrates the Skeffington family history to Caufield. Caufield narrates Skeffington's political history. Caufield is a columnist for a long-standing anti-Skeffington newspaper. Caufield married into an anti-Skeffington family.Skeffington is a fighter from the cradle, with lots of enemies, yet as he appro
Skeffington's battles uphill to stay in office against political machinery that preys on ethnic hatred and old-time money. Skeffington has a worthless playboy son, and substitutes the passing of the family history legacy from his son to his nephew. Caufield accompanies Skeffington to a wake and observes the dual nature of the politician by shamelessly working the crowd for support and later pressuring the greedy undertaker into reducing the exorbitant funeral costs. The feelings for the passing of a tradition, of a way of life, remain unclear, generalized, detached. The film looks like a family wake, as the familiar faces glide past, most are at or near the end of their careers. Upon hearing that some bankers have reneged on providing a loan for a slum clearance project, Skeffington bursts into their elitist private club and gives them hell. His real work is getting the cooperation of the old establishment who keep him as an outsider by any means that they can. He blackmails the hostile banker Cass into clearing a large loan for a project in an Irish ward by threatening to appoint Cass' idiot son Fire Commissioner, then abandon him to make a fool of himself and embarrass the family. Skeffington's Irish immigrant mother worked as a maid for the wealthy Boston Force family who fired her for stealing food. Through his endearing charm and personal style, Skeffington rose to prominence in local politics. Tensions between the city's traditional Protestant ruling class and the blue-collar Irish have faded with time, and television introduces new glitziness to politics. The mayor's team seems confident they can defeat him easily, but Skeffington is not so sure. Skeffington is a champion of the poor and downtrodden, especially if they happen to be Irish.
Common topics in this essay:
Fire Commissioner,
Boston Force,
Fifties Tensions,
Skeffington Skeffington's,
Caufield Caufield,
Skeffington Irish-American,
Adam Caulfield,
,
Skeffington's Irish,
history caufield,
family history,
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Acceptance Essays
