Douglas Owens
Julie Ostrowski
ENG 112
16 April 2015
First Confession
I was once a Catholic, then I was for it, but now I am against it. Frank O’Connor’s short story, “The First Confession’, was an interesting read. The story is brief, told by a seven year old boy named Jackie, about to make his first confession, in order to make the sacrament of Holy Communion. The story is set in Ireland, around the first quarter of the 20th Century. Priests, at this time, “became their communities moral policemen, and they played a major role throughout society.”
For most people, family is a sense of great joy. Jackie is a dynamic character, and is the protagonist of the story. We learn that he hates his grandmother and sister, and is afraid of his first confession. Jackie is out of sorts because his grandmother has moved from the country to live with his family. He is quite disgusted with her love of porter beer, bare footed, and eating potatoes with her hands at dinner. Jackie considers his grandmother a lousy cook, who does not wash her hand before she prepares supper.
Nora is Jackie’s older sister, and cajoles her grandmother into giving her a penny every Friday from her pension; something Jackie could not do. Nora- the antagonist.
The family relationships in this story are interesting. The relationships in Jackie’s family, at first seem unusual, as every family has its special dynamics. Jackie sees his grandmother as a woman that has invaded his home, and strained the family’s lifestyle. Jackie is embarrassed by his grandmother’s lack of manners and “country-like” demeanor. Jackie resents his grandmother and has thoughts of wanting to kill her. Nora is favored by the children’s grandmother, and Nora is given money, praise, and attention. Nora is manipulative and cruel; she provokes Jackie all day long. While Nora is helping prepare dinner, Jackie hides under the table, refusing to eat his grandmother’s cooking. Jackie attempts to stab Nora with a butter knife; in turn Nora taunts Jackie, claiming he will make a poor confession, and seems pleased with the prospect.
Ryan, the elderly women who is teaching penance preparation, enhances Jackie’s uneasiness of first confession; reminding him that a bad confession results in a bad life, burning in hell. So much pressure for a young boy; so many struggles.
The climax of Jackie’s predicament comes to a head as Jackie is dragged to confession by Nora. In confession, he tells the priest of his evil thoughts of killing his sister and grandmother. Listening, the priest empathizes with Jackie’s situation and his mental state. The pressure of the family dynamics were too much for Jackie, and his coping skills too immature. His thoughts of killing his grandmother and sister were mere thoughts of a young boy, one who family provides little comfort or support.
From a moral approach, Jackie’s family relationships could be considered “ordinary”. The author, O’Connor, who grew up in Ireland, depicts a fairly typical Irish Catholic family. Families accepted grandparents into their home, and multigenerational living situations were not uncommon. The morally correct idea of “family first”, promoted this, and along with it strain on members of the family. While grandmother’s unsophisticated habits would be considered embarrassing, “respect your elders” held a higher moral standard. The story centers on Jackie’s apprehension of his first confession. The family, seemingly “good” Catholics, contributes little to help Jackie prepare to make his first penance. Instead, O’Connor describes the ramifications of a “bad” confession, and Nora assures Jackie he will fail. While Jackie is only seven years old, he feels guilty for his thoughts of wanting to hurt member of his family. By telling the priest in confession he takes responsibility; he is truthful, and honorable. The priest recognizes this, and ministers guidance and support. The story gives a glimpse of what a Catholic families ideals and the expectation of how a “good Catholic” acts and the importance of a “good” confession.