Family In Frank O Connor's First Confession

There is no doubt that family or a form of a family is important to a person. Whether it be a family that is the textbook example or one that is slightly dysfunctional, there are still things to be learned from both cases. Frank O’Connor gives us a peek into the life of a young boy, Jackie, whose family is more towards the dysfunctional side in “First Confession.” Jackie’s family believes he is a troublemaker who needs more than just discipline to help him, so he is brought to church for confession. However, O’Connor does more than just tell a story about a boy who goes to church. In fact, O’Connor gives the reader very clear insight about what is happening within Jackie’s family – and does this with the use of details which seem negligible to a reader who does not look too …show more content…
This is made obvious when he tells the priest about his personal life. Besides Nora hitting Jackie and her overall duplicity, his family matters in general are not very good. The blatant example would be that Jackie said he “made it up to kill me grandmother” (239). He says his grandmother “gives pinnies to Nora and she doesn’t give no pinnies to me because she knows I can’t stand her” (239). These are both results of Jackie’s disgust for his grandmother. He cannot that she eats potatoes with her hands and walks with her bare feet. Jackie also tells the priest “me father sides with her, father, and he bates [beats] me” (239). Only when all the information about his family disagreement is put together does it begin to make sense that Jackie isn’t as naughty as he first appears. His behavior can even be considered in the realm of typical, as wild fantasies and ideas are common among children of his presumed age. When this is all understood, Jackie is simply a young child whose family alienates and beats him for lack of understanding for his way of