The Sisters

1. What is old Cotters opinion of Father Flynn?

Cotter thinks that it is bad for kids to hang out with the preist. Their minds are so impressionable he
says.

2. What was the boys relationship to Father Flynn?
Father Flynn is the boy's mentor and friend.

3. What is the boys reaction to the news of the priests death and old Cotters scrutiny?
The boy doesn't like the fact that Old Cotter is saying things about Father Flynn while he is dead. The
boy is angry when he heard of Father Flynn's death, but doesn't show it at the dinner table.

4. What are old Cotters and the uncles views on the benefits of the boys relationship with the priest?
Old Cotter thinks that one benefit that the boy's reltionship with the father is that he will learn
valuable life lessons.

5. What is the boys opinion of old Cotter? How has it changed?
The boy's oppinion of Old Cotter was that he used to be interesting but then he soon got boring and
his stories became dull.

6. What did the priest die from? Describe the physical aspects of his illness.
The priest died from his third stroke.

7. When he realizes that Father Flynn is dead, what is the boys reaction?
The boy can't believe that Father Flynn is dead. He has the need to go visit him just to make sure he
was dreaming his death.

8. What lessons did the priest teach the boy?
Life lessons, and helped with his school work.

9. Who took care of the details of Father Flynns lying in state?
Father O'Rourke brought candelsticks and flowers for Father Flynn's ceremony.

10. What was the beginning of Father Flynns ill health?
They say that the beggining of Father Flynn's illness was when he broke the chalice.

11. What happened to let everyone know that Father Flynn had become mentally unbalanced?
When Father Flynn started sleep walking and was found in the late night at the chapel in the
confession box laughing to himself, that is when they figured out that he had gone crazy.
An Encounter
1. Why does Joe Dillon always prove victorious in the mock Indian battles? Why is this ironic in light
of his chosen future?
~He is older and more rough than the other boys. His chosen future is that of peace as a priest.

2. Why do the pulp magazines appeal to the narrator?
~They give him the sense of adventure that he yearns.

3. What does the narrator plan to break up the weariness of school-life? What is ironic about Leo
not showing up?
~By planning a trip to go and play the wild west by attacking the bird cage thing. Leo is usually the
big bad kid and he had already paid his money to go.

4. What does the ragged troop calling them swaddlers tell you about the religious make up
of Dublin?
~They are mostly Christian I suppose. They believe darker skinned people are not the same religion.

5. What is the lure of the docks to the boys?
~The boys think of staying on the ships and hiding on them so they can live on the sea.

6. What do the narrators ideas about sailors with green eyes tell us about his education?
~He thinks all Norwegians have green eyes. He is not very well educated.

7. How does the man try to ingratiate himself to the boys? How do their answers demonstrate
differences in their personalities?
~He talks about having sweethearts. The boys don't have sweethearts; they are more focused on
having fun and conniving.

8. The man talks in circles around a few subjects. What do his speech patterns and the subjects he
dwells on tell you about him?
~He may have somewhat of Alzheimers, and he may be trying really hard to be understood by the
small kids.

9. Do you think the narrators fear of him is justified? Why or why not?
~Yes. I would be somewhat afraid if an old man came up to me and started talking about how he
would love to whip a unruly boy or a boy without a sweetheart after telling us we should have
sweethearts.