“Know and remember all the questions and answers in catechism, became good Catholics, to know the difference between right and wrong, to die for the Faith if called on”
The way in which this quote is recited indicates that while Frank may learn all aspects of religion, he does so without any appreciation or understanding, therefore indicating that it was an obligatory part of life and that few people took an interest in what it represented. Further into the book Frank once again recites the ideas, which he was forced to learn, shown by the quote:
“We have to know the Ten Commandments, the Seven Virtues, Divine and Moral, the Seven Sacraments, the Seven Deadly Sins”
This quote once again reinforces the claim made earlier, indicating that religion was a subject rather than a way of life, and that while people learned and memorized parts of it, few understood it. The way religion is taught is almost a form of indoctrination, as indicated by the following quote:
“He tells us that our First Communion is the holiest moment in our lives”
The word “tells us” indicates that children were dictated to, rather than being allowed to form their own opinions and come to their own conclusions. Once again, religion seems to take on the role of indoctrinating children. This quote specifically relates to an event which in Catholicism is considered to be a rite of passage; First Communion. The difference between what religion teaches and how it is experienced is shown by the following quote:
“First Communion day is the happiest day of your life because of The Collection and James Cagney at the Lyric Cinema”
The quote above is the a different version to the previous quote, giving a different answer to why First Communion is the happiest day in a person’s life. Therefore, it is shown that even though children are taught that First Communion is a holy day, they consider it a happy day for a different, social reason. Frank is given money to signify the holiness of the day, yet he uses the money to see a film, indicating that he does not understand the religious reasons behind the traditions.
The impact of religion on a person’s life is shown to transcend education, and become a way of life that is both worshipped and on some level feared. People in Irish society are seen to be brought up to fear defying any code set out by the church, as shown by the following quote voicing the instructions made to Frank by his master:
“Don’t let that host touch your teeth for if you bite God in two you’ll rot in hell for eternity”
This quote shows the ignorance of people like Frank’s master and grandmother when it comes to the supposed power of religion in life. It portrays the common sentiments of many of the characters in the book, indicating that they believe religion and the church to hold an enormous amount of power. Another quote resembling this sentiment is the following:
“God is watching every move and the slightest disobedience will send us straight to hell”
This quote shows the fear, which the church put into people, thus using religion as a tool by which society could control and manipulate the decisions and actions of the people. The quote, said by Frank’s father, shows that fear of God and the Church was not only put into children at school, through their masters, but also at home, through their parents. The basic sentiment shown by both quotes is that a person could be sent to “rot in hell” for any mistake, regardless of its severity. An element of superstition is shown by the quote, yet its impact on the people, and on Frank is tremendous.
However, regardless of the fact that Frank and other characters in the book are taught how to behave, they defy the rules of the church. The following quote sets out the quota referring to sexual behaviour, as found in the Bible:
“Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, which means impure thoughts, impure words, impure deeds, and that’s what adultery is, Dirty Things in General”
Yet Frank defied this “code of conduct” by ‘interfering’ with himself and committing the act of ‘excitement’. His reaction to sleeping with Theresa, willingly and knowingly, is:
“She’s crying and I’m crying for I don’t know what’s happening. I’m riding to heaven I’m falling off a cliff and if this is a sin I don’t give a fiddler’s fart”
This is an example of where the ideas put forward by religion are not obeyed in practice, indicating that while religion seemed to be a major part of life, people still defied it.
The second expectation of the church is put forward by the quote, said to Frank’s mother by his father in order to pressure her into sleeping with him when she refused:
“The good Catholic woman must perform her wifely duties and submit to her husband or face eternal damnation”
This quote is an example of emotional blackmail used by a man in order to control a woman, threatening her with “eternal damnation” which as taught by the church, as something all people should fear. This quote is an example of blackmail because it gives the woman a choice, represented by the word “or”, yet the choice to defy her husband may lead the woman to face consequences far worse than obeying him. This is an example of religion being used as a tool by which people could be controlled in society. However, much like in the case of Frank, his mother replies to the above quote with:
“As long as there are no more children eternal damnation sounds attractive enough to me”
This quote shows the resilience of the people to the negative influences of the church and resistance to an element of blackmail. The difference in belief is shown here, and the difference in impact a quote such as the one above would have on people, depending on their beliefs.
The church is presented as a tool by which the people of Ireland, and the characters in the book, are intimidated into following a Catholic way of life, even though many of them do not appreciate what this entails. A much more sinister aspect of the church and religion is also shown in the book however, appearing more selfish and cruel than previously expected; acting in a judgemental and intolerant manner. For example, the rejection of Frank by the Christian Brothers due to his unfavourable position in society; his poverty and lack of education, is an example of the church acting contrary to the beliefs preached by the religion. The following quote shows the rejection:
“We don’t have any room for him, and closes the door”
Frank’s reaction and hostility towards the church is shown as a consequence of this by the following quote, said to Frank by his mother when the Church once again disappoints him and refuses to offer him the help he needs:
“That’s the second time a door was slammed in your face by the Church”
The merciless and harsh act of the church signifies the little pity the church had for people in the Irish society presented by the book. The slamming of “ a door” symbolises the opportunities to a better life, which Frank is being denied by the Church. What is also shown in the book is that this religious institution is prejudiced and unforgiving, the first shown by the following comment, made by Frank:
“The Priests of Limerick have no patience with the likes of me”
And the latter is shown by the attitude portrayed by Frank’s grandmother towards un-baptized babies, as shown by the following quote:
“All bastards are doomed. They’re like babies that weren’t baptized. They’re sent to Limbo for eternity and there’s no way out…”
Both quotes sum up the arrogance and hypocritical attitude exhibited by the church on occasion, thus showing the negative aspects usually not associated with religion. This hypocrisy is presented by the fact that the priests refuse to help Frank, even though their perceived duty is to help people in need, and treat everybody with equal respect.
The second quote, about innocent babies being “sent to Limbo for eternity” shows the cruel attitude to anyone and anything who did not obey the church and follow its traditions. The cruelty is shown by the fact that even innocent babies are judged and considered doomed if they are not entered into the Catholic Church; a baptism being perceived by people of the Catholic religion as a prerequisite to enter heaven. This indicates the great power religion was believed by Catholic people, such as the grandmother, to have.
With the fear associated with religion and the church, there is also an element of protection associated with the church and religion, as shown by the following quote made by Frank.
“I ran into St. Joseph’s Church where no one can follow you if you’re a criminal, not even if you killed your own mother”
The quote symbolises the power the church was considered to have, and therefore the protection and comfort religion could offer to people. The quote portrays the church as being powerful, and even above the law. The message which comes through the strongest in the book is that while religion may be responsible for much of the fear the people have of the church and much of the ignorance in Irish society, it also offered people comfort, portrayed by the comment made by Nurse O’Halloran to Frank’s mother:
“Pray to St. Jude, patron saint of desperate cases”
This quote portrays the trust people had in religion and the confidence they had in the church, even though they were let down by it many times. This therefore indicates that religion was considered powerful and important, yet it was not fully comprehended by most people.
Through the novel, it becomes clear that religion transcended from a belief into a strict way of life, and that things which were believed to be rites of passage, such as Communion and Confirmation, were viewed as important by the children because they gave them an opportunity to eat and to enjoy themselves, rather than take part in a holy occasion. The father, the grandmother and even the schoolmaster use religion as a threat in the novel. In each occasion where a person is threatened their actions are given a significant consequence, such as “rotting in hell” and “facing eternal damnation”, all serious consequences to often minor mistakes. This indicates that it was often too easy to sin in the Catholic religion, and that almost anything a person did, even impure thoughts, could be considered sins. Frank makes a comment about being “an official sinner” after his First Communion, indicating that he considers sinning to be a natural part of life, and that being an “official” sinner allows him to confess, and therefore gain forgiveness from the Church.
Religion has been presented through threats made to force people into doing something often against their will. It has been presented as inspiring fear in people and therefore directing their lives. Overall, many characters, including Frank, have shown only a superficial belief in Catholicism, although through the fear they have they live their lives in accordance with the church, yet often defying its basic principles, such as sex before marriage, theft and adultery.