THE SISTERS- KEY THEMES Flashcards
What are the key themes in The Sisters?
- Death
- Paralysis
- Social judgment
- Religion
- Loss of innocence
How is the idea of physical paralysis explored in ‘The Sisters’?
- The strokes and hand tremors (his physical health deteriorates signfying helplessness)
- His apperance is slovenly and unkept
- His addiction to snuff manifests literally making his apperance grotesque ‘big discoloured teeth’
Key Quote-“constant showers of snuff which gave his ancient priestly garments their green faded look”
- “Constant showers’- creates an image of compulsive, repetitive behaviors indicating addictive habits (subversive)
- “Showers of snuff” slovenly/ frail/lack of control
- ‘Faded garments’ disregard for his sacred clothing (spiritual paralysis/stagnation)
Name 3 ways spirtual paralysis is explored in The Sisters
- Father Flynn’s Scrupulosity highlights his moral perfectionism and obsessive concern with sin, ultimately became a burden, leading to his decline.
- The Broken Chalice- symbolises the fracturing of his spiritual life, and the growing impotence of the Church with its ability to deal with spiritual crisis.
- The young narrator spiritual journey is stunted, and his understanding of sin, redemption, and guilt is confused and incomplete- a result of his proximity with Father Flynn.
What did the broken chalice symbolise?
- Spiritual disintegration- fracturing in spirtual life.
- Corruption of religious ritual and sanctity (rejection)
- Catholic Church’s impotence in providing meanigful spiritual guidancce.
The eucharistic symbol becomes a symbol of father flynns failures
What is the significance of sitting up by himself in the dark in his confession-box, wide-awake and laughing-like softly to himself?”
- Distorted role of the priest- The confession-box becomes a site of irony/dark humour, symbolising a loss of faith or spiritual failure.
- Unattaible redemption- the idea of redemption is literally laughable causing deep instability.
Name 3 ways religion is explored in The Sisters?
- Moral ambiguity of the priest
- Associations of the priest with sin and transgression (the boy’s dream)
- Inaccessible, esoteric knowledge of the Church.
“It murmured, and I understood that it desired to confess something. I felt my soul receding into some pleasant and vicious region”…. “absolve the simoniac of his sins”
- The boys dreams/ memories provide unclear glimpses into the priest’s moral character. (+the boys discomfort around the priest)
- The idea of confession is inextricably linked to guilt, shame and religious transgression.
- Role reversal of the boy absolving the priest- suggests personal wronging (absolute role of church- can no longer provide salvation or comfort)
How is the theme of social judgment explored?
- The silence and avoidance of openly addressing the moral failings of the Church/Father Flynn reflecting spirtual numbness and apathy.
- Instead the offer cryptic assessments of Father Flynns Character
(perhaps refelects their guily as if he was a morally bankrupt figure they failed in safeguarding their community)
“I wouldn’t like children of mine,” he said, “to have too much to say to a man like that.”
- “Man like that” - crypic/engima
- Subverts expectations- as it highlights a sense of distrust towards the church (priests are not trusted instead they’re marginalised members of the community)
How is the theme of lost innocence explored?
- The boy mediates on death.
- The boy feels a sense of freedom from his mentors death- but is conflicted by these feelings
- Anger/bitterness towards the adults in his life demonstrates a growing awareness.
- Drinking of the sherry wine initiates his entrance into the world of adulthood.
I felt even annoyed at discovering
myself in a sensation of freedom as if I had been freed from something by his death.”
- suggest that the narrator was, in a way, metaphorically just as paralyzed by the priest himself.
- suggests that his relationship with the priest prevented him from being free, from growing or learning in the way that he needs to.
