First Confession

It may be difficult for a contemporary reader to understand how deeply the Irish culture of the mid-20th century was shaped by religion. In many ways, Irish culture depended on the Catholic Church to provide the country with its identity and was a source of deep pride. Without understanding the pivotal role the Catholic Church played in defining the identity of Ireland, a story that so savagely denounces the Irish Catholic Church would lose much of its meaning.

Until the young priest reassures Jackie that his sins are not as grievous as he believes, the Church is represented in the story by two dark and unsettling forces: 1) Mrs. Ryan, Jackie’s catechism teacher, who uses visions of hell to intimidate and manipulate children, and 2) Jackie’s sister who uses religion to inflate her ego and intimidate her younger brother.

The catechism teacher, perpetually dressed in black, draws a vivid picture of hell to her charges. “All eternity! Just think of it!” she says. “A whole lifetime goes by and it’s nothing, not even a drop in the ocean of your sufferings” (Paragraph 5). Rather than inspire the children through images of a loving God or the radiant expanses of heaven, she offers them a penny to hold a finger over an open flame for even five minutes.