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"Sister Imelda": by Edna O'Brien
"Sister Imelda": by Edna O'Brien
By Edna O'Brien
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http://homepage.eircom.net/~jas/sisters.html
Outline
The author Edna OBrien The summary in Sister Imelda Characters in Sister Imelda Symbols in Sister Imelda
- She was born in the village of Tuamgraney, Country Clare, Ireland. - She is an novelist, short story writer, playwright and screenwriter.
http://www.goireland.com/scripts/low/Area.asp?AreaType=C&AreaID=171
Source: http://www.goireland.com/scripts/low/Area.asp?AreaType=C&AreaID=171
The narrator agrees with Sister Imeldas suggestion and advice: to become a nun after accomplishing her studies in the convent. However, the narrator abandons her plan to become a nun after she leaves the convent. The narrator gradually does not communicate with Sister Imelda; she seldom writes to Sister Imelda. Later, the narrator almost forgets the existence of Sister Imelda, and she doesnt remember that Sister Imelda ever plays an important and influential role while she was in the convent. Then, she and Baba take up the worldly solaces of makeup and nylons to attract and draw the attention of men.
Characters
Sister Imelda she was a young nun and teacher in the convent. After she spent the last four years at the university in Dublin then she chose to come back to the convent. She seemed always to keep out so mysterious to her background and life. Narrator a teenage girl and a boarder or student in the convent. Baba a boarder or student in the convent, too. She was narrators best friend. Mother Superior she was rector in the convent.
Baba
Like? Or Envy?
Narrator
Analysis
The narrator seems to imitate Sister Imelda and take Sister Imelda an object of worship. The narrators curiosity makes her approach this special teacher. Afterward, the narrator describes her inner emotions to Sister Imelda but the emotion is still hidden. Therefore, the worship seems to become emotion or even love.
Analysis
Perhaps the emotion only was concern with each other. Maybe that was a kind of emotion between teacher and student. Or the narrator thought Sister Imelda could bring her special concern and made her obtain the love or concern, which her parents may never gave her. Therefore, narrator might think Sister Imelda could bring love as mother does.
Example
About a month later Sister ImeldaI thought how supple she I was happy in my prison bowed to the senile nun. (2749 par 2 About) Narrator started contact with Sister Imelda more familiar and she became happy in the convent as prison and liked to be near Sister Imelda or walk behind her etc. Sister Imelda brought her different feeling in the convent as prison.
I realized that I was getting nervous I was fired by her ardour. (2751 new par line 13 to 2752) Baba could say that powder adhering to me fingers. (2752 par 2) Here expressed narrator and Sister Imelda that their relationship became more familiar than before and even intimate. Sister Imelda treated narrator more special than other students and concerned with narrator especially. Here Sister Imelda was like a mother to comfort and encourage narrator.
I missed you, she said(2753 whole page) I could cry, or I couldbut I could not tell her. (2754 par 1) At Easter Sister Imelda make the sound of a kiss (2756 par 6 bottom) That described the narrators emotion deeply for Sister Imelda. However, the narrator repressed the emotion in her heart of hearts and she could not tell Sister Imelda. Their behavior seemed still to express the different emotion from others and special. That seemed not only general emotion. It seemed to represent most special emotion as love.
Examples
Baba showed her jealousy by putting with Sister Imelda and telling tales (2751 par 9 line 6) From then on she treated me as less Baba was delighted receding in her eyes. (2753 par 10) Two examples expressed Babas reaction to narrators or Sister Imeldas behavior.
Examples
Baba showed her Jealousy by puttingwith Sister Imelda and telling tales (2751 par 9 line 6) From the on she treated me as less Baba was delightedreceding in her eyes. (2753 par 10) The same examples maybe expressed different meaning for Babas reaction to the narrator or Sister Imelda.
Source: http://homepage.eircom.net/~jas/sisters.html
Sore throats
The voicelessness of the girls and the nuns under the convent's regimen.
Most girls had sore throats and were told to suffer this inconvenience to mortify themselves (2748 L2)
Semi-starvation
The semi-starvation of both nuns and girls by a wealthy church forces their bodies into thin and spiritualized shapes that avoid the lush fecundity stereotypically associated with woman as sexual body. Weakened from hunger and other mortifications, the women are to look as undesirable and feel as undesiring as possible.
The tarts
The tarts stand for forbidden sexuality that is tied up with the maternal.
Had we been caught, she, no doubt, would have had to make a massive sacrifice. (2750 L18)
Imelda's gesture
The nuns' pleasure in prostration may come from ceasing to fight their awareness of their inferiority to the ideal wife and mother of God, the Madonna.
Each nun, even the Mother Superior - flung herself in total submission, saying prayers in Latin and offering up the moment to God. It was not difficult to imagine Sister Imelda face downward, arms outstretched, prostrate on the tile floor. (2750 L8 from the bottom)
Works Cited
Map of Clare County. 12 May 2006 <http://www.goireland.com/scripts/low/Area.asp?AreaType=C&AreaID=171>. OBrien, Edna. Sister Imelda. 2746-59. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2000. Shumaker, Jeamette Roberts. Studies in Short Fiction: Sacrificial Women in Short Stories by Mary Lavin and Edna Obrien. Spring, 1995. 12 May 2006 <http://www.looksmartjrhigh.com/p/articles/mi_m2455/is_n2_v32/ai_17268505>. Sister of Mercy in Collooney. 12 May 2006 <http://homepage.eircom.net/~jas/sisters.html>.