Essay Questions

How does Frank O’Connor apply Nora’s personality to censure religion? - “First Confession”

Frank O’Connor denounces the permeating hypocrisy of Christians through Nora. Jackie elaborates, “Nora's turn came, and I heard the sound of something slamming, and then her voice as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, and then another slam, and out she came. God, the hypocrisy of women! Her eyes were lowered, her head was bowed, and her hands were joined very low down on her stomach, and she walked up the aisle to the side altar looking like a saint. You never saw such an exhibition of devotion; and I remembered the devilish malice with which she had tormented me all the way from our door, and wondered were all religious people like that, really.” Nora transforms herself precipitously to give the impression of a moral girl even though all along she has been belittling her brother for being a greater ‘sinner.’ Nora is archetypal of the two-faced Christians who hold that they are more hallowed than others. Such disingenuous personalities espouse a false piety that disguises their duplicitousness. Frank O’ Connor employs Nora to corroborate that religion programs children by sponsoring hypocrisy which deepens the chances of deceitful adulthoods.

Elaborate upon the ideological communique in “The Drunkard”.

Frank O’Connor illustrates the explicit correlation between parenting and drunkenness. Parents can involuntarily induct their children into alcoholism. Larry falls into alcoholism due to his father’s resolve to go with him in the enticing bar. Ordering Larry lemonade is not satisfactory to daunt him from the blatant peril of inebriation. Larry explicates, “I was still thirsty. I found if I stood on tiptoe I could just reach Father’s glass, and the idea occurred to me that it would be interesting to know what the contents were like. He had his back to it and wouldn’t notice. I took down the glass and sipped cautiously. It was a terrible disappointment… But by the time I had finished the pint, that phase too had passed; I found it hard to put back the glass, the counter seemed to have grown so high. Melancholia was supervening again.” Larry mislays his soberness as a result of his inquisitiveness which leads him to ingesting beer. The succession of happenings that ensue the ingestion, render him an incompetent brake, since he is the one who misplaces his restraint. Mick Delaney is accountable aftermaths since if he had taken his son home after the wrap up of the interment, Larry would not have submitted to the inducement of savoring alcohol.