Dubliners

The Sisters

The Sisters: Summary

"The Sisters" is the opening story in Joyce's  "Dubliners," published in 1914.

The story is about the death of a catholic priest named Father Flynn. The narrating child observes the reactions and discussion surrounding his death, and remembers his interactions with the deceased priest. The priest's decline and death are seemingly associated with a broken chalice event.

Below is a curated list of books and introductory articles on "The Sisters" for further reading and deeper understanding.

Overview

"The Sisters" is a coming-of-age story set in Dublin, which revolves around mortality, corruption, and a loss of innocence.

The main character is an unnamed boy who is trying to come to terms with the death of his mentor, Father Flynn. The boy grapples with the information about Father Flynn's loneliness and declining mental health before his demise. Old Cotter, a family friend, insinuates that the dead priest's behaviours were supposedly 'uncanny', while Flynn's sisters believed that his paranoia stemmed from an accident with a chalice.

The boy finds himself conflicted between Old Cotter's suspicions, the sisters' faith in the late priest, and his experiences with Flynn.

The story is wrought with allusions to paralysis and death symbolizing a moral and spiritual stagnation, a common theme in James Joyce's "Dubliners" collection. Characters skirt around discussing the implications of these subjects, thus exhibiting their inability to clearly express harsh realities and truths. The resolution arrives subtly, leaving readers with an unnerving perspective on the characters' denial and avoidance.

Characters

Analysis

In "The Sisters," James Joyce explores themes of paralysis, death, religion, and the loss of innocence. Death is depicted beyond physical demise; it symbolizes stagnation and moral decay, an idea bolstered by the imagery of paralysis. Father Flynn's death seems to free the boy from a potentially corruptive influence, hinting at the disillusionment with the Catholic church that's central to many of Joyce's works.

The young narrator's constant grappling with Father Flynn's death and the fragmented information he receives reflects his loss of innocence. It's through these conversations, innuendos and partial reflections that we glimpse the darker undertones of Dublin society, such as secrecy, stagnation, and paralysis.

The central epiphany comes to the boy as he grapples with Flynn's death, feeling a "sensation of freedom" while struggling with guilt, apprehension, and confusion. His view on death also comes into sharper focus, as does his emerging scepticism towards the institution of the Church that Flynn represented while alive. The story thus serves as an eloquent exploration of shifts in perspective triggered by confrontations with mortality and fallibility.

Check out my essays on the Dubliners: Essays page, where I have a closer look on the theme of paralysis and the relationship between Father Flynn and the boy.

asking me questions

What is the short story "The Sisters" about?

"The Sisters" is about a young boy's reflections on the death of a parish priest, Father Flynn, and his interactions with the priest's two sisters. It explores themes of mortality and spiritual paralysis.

What is the main theme of "The Sisters"?

James Joyce centred the story around the mysteries of life, death, and the complexities of human relationships. It examines how characters in the story are trapped in various forms of paralysis, reflecting the broader theme of stagnation in Dublin society. In particular, it also explores the theme of spiritual paralysis of the priest and the awakening of the protagonist to the realities of adulthood.

What is the epiphany in "The Sisters"?

The epiphany in "The Sisters" is the moment when the young boy, the story's narrator, begins to understand the complexities of life and death. It represents a sudden realization or awakening, a common motif in Joyce's works.