A Priest Of The Family

Gallagher provides a detailed narrative on the exertion of power and authority within the Catholic community from the second half of the nineteenth century, and on the development of strategies for the promotion of Catholic interests without instigating a Protestant backlash. His story skates back and forth over the last one hundred years from internal Catholic Church politics in Scotland, through the role of the Catholic press, Church and lay voluntary organisations, to the formation of the Labour Party machine in Glasgow municipal politics and the slowly widening portal of Glasgow University and the professions in the West of Scotland. He has much to say on the

In both short stories, it is evident that aged traditions possess the capability to construct barriers between the strong bonds existent in families. Traditions have the ability to turn

In Stephen Bandy’s article titled “‘One Of My Babies’: The Misfit and the Grandmother”, the author argues that the short story is not based on Christian values, but quite the opposite. While focusing on the two main characters in this story to support his argument, Bandy also points out that the Grandmother and the Misfit have some sort of influence on each other since the beginning of the story. The Grandmother being the motive for the Misfit’s ‘rebellious’ behavior, and the Misfit being the reason why the Grandmother lives such a hypocritical lifestyle, despite her “Christian” lifestyle.” He even continues to

The grandmother’s manipulation, The Misfit’s impenitency, Bailey’s cowardice, June Star and John Wesley’s complaints, and Red Sammy’s gullibility all form the sinful characters in this short story. Despite the evil characters, the grandmother still calls them good as long as their appearance, education, and status are respectable. Although O’Connor titles it “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the grandmother repeatedly tells the obviously sinful Misfit, “I know you’re a good man” because of his polite manners and seemingly respectful family (436). The grandmother’s distorted definition of goodness reveals man’s sinful tendencies and contrasts the true goodness of Jesus. Although the grandmother suggests for The Misfit to pray, she herself cannot ask Him for help even when the tension with The Misfit rises. The grandmother not only doubts the accuracy of the Bible when she says “maybe He didn’t raise the dead,” but also does not see her need for salvation. Both of these demonstrations of unbelief and a misperception of God provide an open opportunity for the light of Christ and His grace to shine

There are a few people in the town who haven’t passed away and even though they claim to be religious, they make no effort to assist those who are suffering, a fundamental teaching of the Catholic Church. As one living resident (whose name is never given) describes: “Nights around here are filled with ghosts.” but “No one likes to see them. There’s so many of them and so few of us that we don’t even make the effort to pray for them anymore, to help them out of their purgatory. We don’t have enough prayers to go around.” (52) The living Catholics and the priest are unable or unwilling to assist their fellow

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, O’Connor tells the story mainly on the emphasis of the grandmothers prospective. The grandmother was never named in the short story, only leaving the reader to guess if this story was how O’Connor portrayed a feeling toward society and religion. In order for the reader to understand the point of view of the story, the reader must look at the back ground of the author. Born in Georgia, where the story takes place, O’Connor was raised a devout Roman Catholic in the largely Protestant South. Due to O’Connor’s Catholic religion and conservative upbringing in the protestant south it is easy to see her obvious disapproval with society and others religious values. O’Conner died at a young age from an illness, an illness that had taken her father’s life when she was just a teenager. During her short time of writing she only published two novels and a collection of stories. The title story of the collection, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” is O’Connor’s most famous. (Larson) O’Connor’s uncanny blend of wicked humor, brutal violence, and religious concepts produced the unmistakable literary voice of one of the most important short story writers of the 20th century. (183)

In 1998, more than 13 million children (19 percent of all children) under age eighteen lived in families with incomes below the official poverty threshold. Although children age eighteen and under represent 26 percent of the United States population, they comprise nearly 40 percent of the poverty population. Despite a steady decrease from 1993 (23%) to 1999 (17%) in the rate of children in poverty, the United States still ranks highest in childhood poverty among all industrialized nations.

The story deals with war and the struggle a person has to go through during and after the wars over. If a person were not treated after the war that person would experience a psychological disorder such as PSTD (Post-traumatic stress disorder), which could lead suicidal thought. No one knows what the person faced in the war, especially if the person experienced his or her friend’s death. That is terrifying. The writer deals with symbols and what is represented in the western society, in the story. The story is noted that they were brought up in a Christian that is how he was able to raise a lot of money, by helping the nuns. Henry and Lyman are really nice Christian, considering the fact, they helped a lady, by giving her a ride back home.

The narrator of "First Confession" is a young person who has a grandmother who has recently come to live with her son and daughter-in-law. Rather than honor or appreciate his grandmother, the narrator is quite ashamed of her, unwilling to allow his playmates to witness her behavior because she is too much of the old country. Her actions reflect a woman who was raised during the hardest times in Ireland and whose current

Using O’Connor’s Catholic faith as an inspiration, the main protagonist, the grandmother, act as the epitome of a civilized Southern lady, utilizing her faith as a distraction from the material world, and vice versa. Unlike her seemingly secular family members, O’Connor develops the grandmother to ultimately act as the beacon of grace in a cruel, unforgiving world, but acting as the victim, she inevitably succumbs to worldly vices. Plainly put by Susan Larson in her analysis of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” the grandmother is possessed by “pride, pettiness, and self-centeredness” (1). Despite her efforts as a Christian woman, the grandmother places the utmost importance of the betterment of herself, passing off the basic Christian virtue of humility. When facing ordinary life, the grandmother performs no

The theme of immoral characters becomes quite disturbing when people who claimed to be devoted to the Lord are partaking in such dishonorable acts. Dishonorable acts such as their treatment of women show how they neglect their priesthood and are not truly men of God. The priests within the Miller and Summoner's Tales disregard their vows of chastity and pursue women in order to fulfill their desires of sex. Absolon, the incense swinger at the church vows for the love a young married women, Alison. Absolon is fully aware of Alison's marriage, but is still very persistent in his attempts to try and woo her. One of his schemes to make Alison think fondly of him involved him sending her, "honey-wine, mead and spiced.....and as she [lived] in town, he [proffered] cash" (The Millers Tale 88). With his expensive gifts of food and cash leads readers to believe that he is breaking another vow, poverty. His lust for this one woman drives him to spend essentially the church's money since priests are supposed to take vows of poverty and refrain from living gluttonously. His desires for Alison portray him as a clear contrast to what priests are expected to act like and in a sense, morally corrupt. The Friar within the Summoner's Tale approaches is women is quite different to that of Absolom. The Friar, upon meeting Thomas's wife, hugs and kisses her and says, "Today I didn't see

The conclusion of this story suggests the ultimate loneliness for a devout Catholic, the absence of God; the impact of this event should have been further scrutinized and explored to convey understanding of its implications. In the section of the text dedicated to stylistic exploration, the author provides a competent analysis of the diction and methods used in the story that show understanding of the text. Blake describes the effect of the stream-of-conscience technique in this writing by equating the reader’s experience to one who is able “to enter Granny Weatherall’s mind, to share her memories, and to experience the pain of her rejection” (3). Analysis that is also of interest is Blake’s point of view on the use of floating images that are replaced by images of falling towards the end of the story. Granny goes from “float[ing] around in her skin” to being “curled down within herself” (Porter). Furthermore, his insight into this aspect of Porter’s writing and its effect on the conveyance of the story’s message are illuminating and well-supported. Overall, this article is well written and insightful in reference to stylistic analysis, showing understanding of the text, but lacks perspicacity into the the theme as it relates to the end of the

(Shanley 1773). From these statement Sister Aloysius guesses that Father Flynn has sexually assaulted the child. She sets up a meeting to confront Father Flynn instead of going to the Monsignor like a nun in Catholic church is supposed to. Sister Aloysius breaks Catholic rules to prove that Father Flynn is an evil

The “General Prologue” provides us with no evidence as to the character of the Nun’s Priest. Only in the prologue to his tale do we finally get a glimpse of who he might be, albeit rather obtusely. As Harry Bailey rather disparagingly remarks: “Telle us swich thyng as may oure hertes glade./Be blithe, though thou ryde upon a jade” (p.235, ll2811-2812). I say this cautiously because much criticism has surrounded the supposed character of the Nun’s Priest, his role in the tale, and his relationship to the Canterbury Tales as a whole. One example, in my opinion, of an unsatisfactory reading is exemplified by Arthur Broes’s 1963 article “Chaucer’s Disgruntled Cleric: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.” Broes argues that the Nun’s Priest is an “erudite

“Please pardon our absence Henry and Clara.Our buggy’s wheel popped off,” I said smoothing out the folds in my dress. “Oh it’s quite alright,” Henry said waving off my comment. “What A lovely dress you have Mary,” Clara said goggling my finery. “Thank You Clara,” I said curtly. “Shall we sit down my dear?” My husband asked gesturing to our seats. “ Yes of course,” I said fingering the fine red material on the back of the chair. I neatly arranged my dress so it wouldn’t wrinkle, sat straight up, and and folded my hands in front of me. Actors rushed across the stage to begin the quirky tale.Smiling I turned to my husband and asked “What was the name of this exquisite play?” It’s called “Our American......,” He said slumping in his chair. I looked to the right and saw John Booth standing there, smoke coming out of his gun. Brave Henry jumped out of his seat and charged at the man. Henry was fast but John was faster. He stabbed Henry in the shoulder and jumped out of the box and onto the stage below. I could hear his bone snap but still he proceeded to continue to the middle of the stage. “Henry are you okay?” Clara said rushing to his side. I then looked back at my husband. Blood soaked his shirt, staining it red. So much I thought, so much blood. “ Honey can you move for me?” I squeaked. He did nothing except struggle to breath. In the background I heard John yell “Sic semper tyrannis!” but I didn’t care. I just opened my mouth and screamed. Everyone went into a panic,