First Confession essays

First Confession essays Seven years, being able to live for yourself, not answering to anyone for the wrong you have done, keeping everything to yourself. Then one day, after much anticipation, you have to do it. You must tell someone of all the bad things that you have done in your life. This person you have to tell isnt just any ole person, though; no, it is the priest; a holy man of the Almighty God! Could you imagine what a mortifying experience that would be? Well, that is what little Jackie was facing in Frank OConnors story First Confession found in An Introduction to Fiction on page 719. In the story, little Jackie, a seven-year-old boy, begins telling us of his evil grandmother that moved in due to the death of her husband. He describes to us the hatred he has for her and the way that Nora, his older sister, brown-noses to her to receive a penny every week, and this makes Jackie envious. He tells us of a time when he hid under the dinner table when Gran made dinner and of how he lunged at Nora with a knife when she tried to get him. He continues by describing another woman, Ryan, who is teaching the children ...about Hell...the first place in her heart (OConnor 720) and of the many horrible things she did and said. He decides that because of his horrible behavior, he would skip the day of his first confession, instead of make a bad confession, only to be instructed to go on a different day by himself. The day arrived and Nora brought him to the church. The way there, she told him ...my heart bleeds for you!(O Connor 721) She also reminded him of some of the bad things he did that he needed to confess. When they arrived at the church, Nora turned back into ...the malicious devil she was. (OConnor 721) When it was his turn to enter the confessional, Jackie made many mistakes, such as climbing on the elbow rest, loosing his grip and tumbl...