A. Analysis of First Confession by O’Connor

Name                         : Aliya Izet Begovic Yahya

Semester/Class      : PBI 4/A

NIM                             : 123221022

Lecturer                    : Mrs. Yustin Sartika, S.S, M.A

Subject                     : Introduction to Prose

A.   Analysis of First Confession by O’Connor

1.    Characters

a.    Jackie in the story he is the protagonist. He has dynamic character because he learn in the  first of story he has had unordinary thoughts for child of killing his grandmother and sister, but in the end he knows that it is not necessary to do that. Jackie is a young boy who hates his grandmother and sister, Nora. He was afraid for his first confession to admit his mistake. In other word Jackie has two personalities, whether it is good or not. He tried to kill the grandmother and he has a mistake because he also want to kill her sister with bread-knife, but he was also afraid about that. In the end he was more understanding of sins and the process of confessions

b.    Nora in the story is an antagonist. Nora just has one character it is static/flat character because she has against character from Jackie, she always likes her grandmother and got a penny every Friday from her grand mother. She is Jackie’s old sister, she forces Jackie to go to his first confession.

c.    Grand mother in the story is static/flat character, because she  just tell by the author as an old woman who make the Jackie’s family relationship was strain.

d.    Ryan in the story was an old woman who prepared children for their first communion before they go to first confession in the church. She also has static/flat character. Ryan just try to keep a rule and her experience without pay attention the psychology of Jackie who never go to first confession.

e.    Priest in the story also has a static/flat character but he is protagonist because he has same way and idea with Jackie. He just does his job, he was hears Jackie’s first confession and listen all Jackie’s mistakes. He is a kind priest because he gives a pity to Jackie. He never makes people to be scared but he always give a solution and motivation.

2.    Plot

a.    Exposition:

In the first story is tells about a Jackie a young boy who his grandfather died. He must live with his grandmother, her father’s mother in one house. This condition was made his family relationship was strain and made him uncomfortable. He also has bad thinking to her grandmother. Her grandmother has a habit at dinner that she always drank a jug of porter and a pot of potatoes mixed with salt-fish.

Jacky also was had jealously when his sister Nora always got penny from her grandmother while Jacky has never had it even little. Jacky hated her and it was shown by his attitude when Nora made him food, Jacky even put a bread-knife and hid under the dining table. Finally, Nora complained to his father about what Jacky did. So, his father gave him a flaking and he didn’t speak to him for days.

b.    Rising Action:

The rising action has started in the third paragraph which the conflict continued when he met Mrs.Ryan and she explained about hell, the tortures, and its inhabitants. He gave a simple example about hell with put his finger to the fire for five minutes, that example makes Jackie scared and not dare to do that. In other sides the grandmother told him that the inhabitants of hell are the people who do badness or evil. If he died, and yet do penance then one day he would be tortured in hell. After that Jacky remembered what he did to Nora with bread-knife. He was scared to death of confession. 

Firstly, he doesn’t want to admit, because of her grand mother asks him to confession on Saturday at a church, he went to there with Nora because his mother could go with him. He unlike go with Nora and he tried to refuse go to confession. Nora said if he not go there the priest will find him at home, after that he went to church with her.

c.    Climax:

In the church, Jackie repents all his sin. He felt very sorry because of his mistakes that he wants to kill her grandmother and threat to Nora. He really wants to admit and atone his sin. He prayed to get forgiveness of God, and then the priest came. He asked Jackie what he was doing in that place, Jackie told him everything about his mistakes. However he stopped for a moment because Nora came and bent down to give Jackie a clip across the ear roughly. Because of her action the priest scold her and call her as “little vixen”. Nora then cried and when the priest turned to the other patients she denounced Jackie from behind with his word and stuck out her tongue.

d.    Falling Action:

Falling action started when the priest invited Jackie to the box of confession and asked him about the name and also what the problems he had. Jackie said that he want to kill his grandmother because he hate her and thought her grandmother is evil. Her grandmother liked to take a porter which according to Jacky it was a great sin.  Jackie also told about her sister who always gets the money from the grandmother every Friday while he didn’t get it. Also, his sister always got the protection from the father, but Jackie should be in a flank. That’s reason which makes him was felling heart-scalded. 

After he listen his problems, the priest understood the psychological condition of Jackie that he really felt so pressured by his family. The priest gave him the motivation that killing in a religion way is unsatisfactory. The best thing is to be hanging. Jackie liked him, because he is the interesting character in the religious line. After he talked with for ten minutes he left him with light’s face. 

e.    Resolution:
            After talking with the priest, Jackie became free and understand that killing someone it means nothing. He also knew that he will not die in the night after he went to a confession. The opening of the story tell how much Jackie hates his grandmother because she embarrasses him and just kind to Nora. In the end of the story tell how Nora was suddenly jealous of Jackie’s small penance and candy he received from the priest. Nora also confused why because of all Jackie sin, the priest just gave three Hail Mary’s.

3.    Conflict

In this story the is two kind of conflict such as:

Ø  Character vs character

In this story there is a young boy, Jackie who hates his grandmother because she has a habit at dinner that she always drank a jug of porter and a pot of potatoes mixed with salt-fish. He also hates his sister Nora because his sister Nora always got penny from her grandmother while Jackie has never had it even little. Jacky hated her and it was shown by his attitude when Nora made him food, Jacky even put a knife and hid under the dining table. Finally, Nora complained to his father about what Jacky did. So, his father gave him a flaking, he didn’t speak to him for days.

Ø  Character vs self

In this story Jackie who had mistakes want to admit his sin to the confession, but in other word he afraid to his first confession because of Mrs.Ryan story of hell and also he scared to death of confession.

4. Setting

a. Setting of time

·                     Friday, after lesson, Saturday Morning, dark.

v    (I thought of the way I felt about the penny that Nora got every Friday.)

v    “The day the whole class went, I let on to have a toothache, hoping my absence wouldn't be noticed, but at three o'clock”,

v    The day after Friday. “The door with the coloured-glass panels swung shut behind me, the sunlight went out and gave place to deep shadow, and the wind whistled outside so that the silence within seemed to crackle like ice under my feet”.

v    “It was pitch-dark and I couldn't see priest or anything else.”

b. Setting of Place

·                     Jackie’s homeland in Ireland, Jackie’s School, Church, Confession box, in front of the church.

v    “Relations in the one house are a strain at the best of times, but, to make matters worse, my grandmother was a real old countrywoman and quite unsuited to the life in town.”

v    ”The day the whole class went, I let on to have a toothache, hoping my absence wouldn't be noticed.”

v    "There you are ! "she said with a yelp of triumph, hurling me through the church door.”

v    Nora sat in front of me by the confession box./”A slide was slammed back; a little light entered the box, and a man's voice said "Who's there?"

c. Setting of social condition

·                     The enharmonic family relationship

v    Relations in the one house are a strain at the best of times, but, to make matters worse, my grandmother was a real old countrywoman and quite unsuited to the life in town

·                     The superstitious trust citizen

v    We can know that from Jackie’s grandmother and Mrs.Ryan story.

v    “She lit a candle, took out a new half-crown, and offered it to the first boy who would hold one finger, only one finger! - in the flame for five minutes by the school clock.”

·                     Christian citizen

v    In the story we can know that the member of cristiani have to confession if they have a mistakes.

v    But sure, you'll have to go to confession, Jackie! she replied in the same regretful tone. "Sure, if you didn't, the parish priest would be up to the house, looking for you. 'Tisn't, God knows, that I'm not sorry for you. Do you remember the time you tried to kill me with the bread-knife under the table? And the language you used to me? I don't know what he'll do with you at all, Jackie. He might have to send you up to the bishop."

5.    Theme

            The theme of the first confession short story is about an honestly. Everyone has a sinful. We must admit our mistake although hurtful. Confession is not bad activity that we must do it, we have to learn allowed our mistake and say sorry to another.

6.    Point of View

The point of view used First person point of view as observant. The author didn’t tell about himself in the story. He just observes the story and knows not all of the characters.

7.    Moral Value

v  Everyone has mistake, we must say sorry and ask forgiveness to our God.

v  Don’t judge the people from their mistakes, because everyone surely has a kindles.

B. Questions

1)    According to Jackie, who is responsible for all of the trouble in his household?

Answer : According to Jackie his grandmother, his father’s mother who most responsible because of she have came to his life and live in one house. Jackie thought that she makes relationship in one house strain, between Jackie with her old sister and his father.

2)    Why does the priest spend more time with Jackie than the other parishioners?

Answer : The priest gives more time to Jackie, because Jackie is a young boy who wants to do his first confession. It means that he had sin in all his life. Jackie also had bad problems and big sins that want he tells to the priest.

3)    How does Jackie feel about making his confession?

Answer : Firstly he felt afraid to make first confession, because he would make a bad confession and then die in the night and be continually coming back and burning people’s furniture, according to Mrs.Ryan story. Later after he made confession he relived and understands about his mistake. He also very happy because he met interesting person in religious line who gave him motivation and also got a penny it’s sweet candy.

4)    What do you think the author’s attitude is about children and confession?

Answer : I think the author thought that children are plain and easy to be influenced by adult who can believe and forces to make confession. The author thought the confession is sacred agenda which everyone as Christian has to do that. It makes people can relieve and know their mistakes as the shaped of loyalty to God.

5)    How does the reader supposed to feel concerning Nora in the end of the story?

Answer : The reader supposed that the story focuses on how Nora was suddenly jealous of Jackie’s small penance and candy he received from the priest. She also jealous because he just got three Hail Mary’s in Jackie first confession although he had a lot of sin to her and his grandmother.