First Confessions

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First Confessions

• By Frank OConnor
• Project Presented by
• Mollie Traugott
• Rochelle Madhere

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Summary

• Jackie is a young boy who is due for his first
  confession before receiving his first Holy
  Communion. He lives with his mother, father,
  sister, and grandmother. The grandmother is an
  embarrassment to Jackie she walks around
  barefoot and carries a jug of porter around with
  her most of the time. Jackies sister, Nora, is
  awfully rude to him, and gets a penny from the
  horrible old woman every week. Jackie feels
  guilty about hating both his sister and his
  grandmother, so he does not want to confess his
  sins. He is sure that they will send him straight
  to damnation. Jackie fakes a toothache to get out
  of confession, but then his teacher arranges for
  him to have another. Nora walks him to the
  church, taunting him. Then he goes in to confess,
  and confesses to attempting to kill his sister
  and Grandmother. To his surprise, the priest
  doesnt damn him eternally, but instead agrees
  with Jackie that his sister and grandmother are
  horrible. But he explains to Jackie that killing
  his grandmother would not be worth it. Then he
  walks Jackie out into the church yard where Nora
  is waiting for him. She asks about his penance,
  and he only had to say three Hail Marys. Also, to
  Noras displeasure, she finds that the priest has
  given Jackie candy.

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Characters

• Jackie- young boy who hates his sister and
  grandmother and is afraid for his first
  confession
• Nora- mean older sister, gets a penny from Gran
  every week
• Gran- Jackies grandmother who walks around in
  bare feet and carries porter she is a lousy cook
  and favors Nora over Jackie
• Ryan- old woman who prepares children for their
  First Communion
• Priest- hears Jackies first confession and takes
  pity on him

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Critical Questions

• The significance of the title First Confessions
  is that this is Jackies first confession. Even
  though he is scared and has committed terrible
  sins, he learns that confessing is not so
  terrible.
• The story is told by Jackie, probably to rally
  sympathy for Jackie from the readers. The tone of
  Jackies language is mournful so the reader does
  feel his fear over confession. The narrator is
  not very reliable children will always blame
  someone else for their wrongdoings, like Jackie
  blaming Nora for being so mean.

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Critical Questions

• 3. The opening of the story focuses on how much
  Jackie hates his grandmother because she
  embarrasses him and favors Nora. The end of the
  story focuses on how Nora is suddenly jealous of
  Jackies small penance and candy he received from
  the priest. These two characters that Jackie
  loathes begin and end the story to win over the
  audience to Jackies cause.

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Critical Questions

• 4 The main character Jackie transform form a
  naïve young boy who is scared of confession to
  someone who is more understanding of sins and the
  process of confessions.
• 5 The major theme of the story confession isnt
  as bad as it seems the minor theme every human
  has sinful thoughts but we must learn to deal
  with them sensible

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Critical Questions

• 6 Are there any allusions? Mrs. Ryan, the Sunday
  school teacher made reference to the fiery pits
  of hell to demonstrate to the students what will
  happen to them if they did not go to confess
  their sins.
• 7 What were some symbols you found in the story?
  The candle with the burning flame Mrs. Ryan uses
  represents hell and the finger of the children
  represents the souls of humans burning for all
  eternity in hell.

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CriticalQuestions

• 8 What is the authors goal or purpose in writing
  this story? OConnor is trying to make the reader
  aware that its okay to sin as long as you make
  the effort to repent for your wrong doings and
  even the biggest sins can be forgiven through
  confessionals.
• 9 What is your reaction to this story, how does
  your reaction influence your reading? While
  reading I believed to be more tolerable of Jackie
  vs. Nora even though Jackie's sins were greater.
  Which in the end made me more sympathetic toward
  Jackie and dislike Nora his older sister.

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The End!