Stories don’t just happen, they are created. There are no stories in the everyday course of events; they are only the ingredients for stories in the most dramatic of happenings or in the simplest of acts. A dozen people may watch a man standing on a fifth floor ledge or a small child crying. There is no story involved in either case unless one of the dozen chooses to make one up to surround the isolated event with a beginning and and end, thereby giving what we call a meaning human action. In other words, there has to be a story maker if there is to be a story. The story maker is in complete control of all the details of his story. He has control over who the characters are what they do,and what they do it. He also has control over how the story is to be told, and who is going to tell it. He can adopt one of a number of points of view, each of which will give aquite different total story.
In a first-person narrative the story is relayed by a who is also a within the story, so that the narrator reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character as "I" (or, when plural, "we"). Oftentimes, the first-person narrative is used as a way to directly convey the deeply internal, otherwise unspoken thoughts of the narrator. Frequently, the narrator's story revolves around him-/herself as the and allows this protagonist/narrator character's inner thoughts to be conveyed openly to the audience, even if not to any of the other characters.
Third-person narration provides the greatest flexibility to the author and thus is the most commonly used narrative mode in literature. In the third-person narrative mode, each and every character is referred to by the narrator as "he", "she", "it", or "they", but never as "I" or "we" (), or "you" (). In third-person narrative, it is necessary that the narrator be merely an unspecified or uninvolved person that conveys the story, but not a character of any kind within the story being told. Third-person singular (he/she) is overwhelmingly the most common type of third-person narrative, although there have been successful uses of the third-person plural (they), as in 's short story "Flower Children". Even more common, however, is to see singular and plural used together in one story, at different times, depending upon the number of people being referred to at a given moment in the plot. Sometimes in third-person narratives, a character would refer to himself in the third-person e.g., "(Character name) would like to come with you".
C. Analysis of “First Confession”
The tone of this short story/Jackie’s language is mournful so the reader does feel his fear about the confession, it expressed when he led by his sister to the church ”Leave me go!” he said, digging his heels into the pavement. “I don’t want to go. I want to go home.” (paragraph 2, page 1). Surely that he won’t go to the church for the confession.
The narrator is not very reliable; children will always blame someone else for their wrong doings, like Jackie blaming Nora for being so mean. The tone of the language is of a scared resentful seven years old boy.
The theme of the story is hypocrisy and honesty. The perfect example of such a person is Nora in "First Confession" by Frank O'Connor. Nora's hypocrisy is shown in her actions, her speech, and in the way her brother Jackie thinks of her.
Her strongest display of hypocrisy in speech comes in the last couple of sentences of the story. Nora says, "Some people have all the luck! 'Tis no advantage to anybody trying to be good. I might just as well be a sinner like you." This is both ironic and hypocritical because she has already shown by her actions and words that she is a sinner like anyone else, yet she has the nerve to claim she is trying to be good.”(last paragraph, page 7).
And the next theme is honesty. Jackie is honest to the priest, understanding how “the truth will set you free”
The plot of this short story is forward.
Beginning situation, when Nora and Jackie were in the street. But Jackie firstly ignorance her. It expressed, A small boy whose face looked as though it had been but newly scrubbed was being led by the hand by his sister through a crowded street. The little boy showed a marked reluctance to proceed; he affected to be very interested in the shop-windows. Equally, his sister seemed to pay no attention to them. She tried to hurry him; he resisted. (paragraph 1, page 1)
Rising action, when Jackie was in the confession box, and he tell his first confession and the priest response him. It expressed, At the same moment the slide was pushed back and a dim light streamed into the little box. There was an uncomfortable silence, and then an alarmed voice asked, “Who’s there?”Jackie found it almost impossible to speak into the grille which was on a level with his knees, but he got a firm grip of the molding above it, bent his head down and sideways, and as though he were hanging by his feet like a monkey found himself looking almost upside down at the priest. But the priest was looking sideways at him, and Jackie, whose knees were being tortured by this new position, felt it was queer way to hear confession. (paragraph 5, page 3)
Climax, when Jackie tell the priest about a reason to kill his grandmother and he really wanted to be forgiven. It expressed, “She’s a horrible woman, father,” said Jackie with sudden earnestness. “She takes porter. And she ates the potatoes off the table with her hands. And me mother do be out working most days, and since that one came ‘tis she gives us our dinner and I can’t ate the dinner.” He found himself sniffling.”And she gives pinnies to Nora and she doesn’t give no pinnies to me because she knows I can’t stand her. And me father sides with her, father, and he bates me, and me heart is broken and wan night in bed I made it up the way I’d kill her.” (paragraph 6, page 5)
Falling action, when the priest tried to change Jackie’s behavior. It expressd, “And weren’t you afraid?”
“Ah, no,” said Jackie half-heartedly. “Only a bit.”
“You have terrible courage,” said the priest. “There’s a lot of people I want to get rid of, but I’m not like you. I’d never have the courage. And hanging is an awful death!”
“Is it?” asked Jackie, responding to the brightness of a new theme. “Did you ever see a fellow hanged?”
“Dozen of them and they all died roaring.” (paragraph 4, page 6)
Resolution, when the priest gave Jackie an advice. It expressed, “So, if I were you I’d take my time and think about it. In my opinion ‘tisn’t worth it, not even to get rid of a grandmother. I asked dozens of fellows like you that killed their grandmothers about it, and they all said, no, ‘twasn’t worth it…” (paragraph 7, page7)
The first setting that appears in the short story is the street in the afternoon, it expressed, it was Saturday afternoon in early spring. A small boy whose face looked as thorugh it had been but newly scrubbed was being led by the hand by his sister through a crowded street. The little boy showed a marked reluctance to proceed; he affected to be very interested in the shops-windows. (first paragraph, page 1).
The setting, which changes, is a very influential factor in the development of this story's internal conflict. As Jackie heads to the church, his view of his surroundings is colored by his thoughts and emotions. Within the old church there was no stained glass; it was cold and dark and desolate, and in the silence, the trees in the yard knocked hollowly at the tall windows. He allowed himself to be led through the vaulted silence, the intense and magical silence which seemed to have frozen within the ancient walls, buttressing them and shouldering the high wooden roof. (paragraph 2, page 2)
Then when Jackie entered the confession box, he in pitch darkness. He could see no priest nor anything. And anything he had heard of confession got all mudlled up in his mind. (paragraph 5, page 2)
When he leaves the church, he straight to the yard while Nora has been waiting for him, Nora was waiting in the yard. The sunlight struck down on her across the high wall and its brightness made his eyes dazzle. (paragraph 9, page 7)
The story is told in limited omniscient point of view, it gives a quick description of the boy and his sister. and gives a short but detailed description of the setting. It is written in such a manner that you can almost see the boy being dragged through the crowded streets by his sister. . A small boy whose face looked as thorugh it had been but newly scrubbed was being led by the hand by his sister through a crowded street. The little boy showed a marked reluctance to proceed; he affected to be very interested in the shops-windows. (first paragraph, page 1).
Even though it is brief, the description is vivid and lifelike. The bickering conversation between the boy and his sister brings more reality to the story. This leads up to the confessional scene.
D. Conclusion
Setting is the literally the location where the actions take place, it can be artificially construction or natural. Setting in this story taken on the street, church, confession box, and yard of the church. Theme cannot be understood in isolation from the story which embodies it, but as with the other elements in a short story we have to talk about it as if it could be, the theme of the story is hypocrisy and honesty. Tone may be defined as the writers of speakers attitude towards his subject, his audience, or himself. It’s the emotional coloring, or the emotional meaning, or the work and is an extremely important part of the full meaning, the tone of this short story/Jackie’s language is mournful so the reader does feel his fear about the confession.
Plot, then, refers to a series of interrelated events, during which some conflict or problems is resolved. Plot can be looked at for purposes of discussion as if isolated from the people concerned with those events and that conflict, the plot of “First Confession” begins when Jackie and his sister is on the street. Rising action, when Jackie was in the confession box, and he tell his first confession and the priest response him. Climax, when Jackie tell the priest about a reason to kill his grandmother. Falling action, when the priest tried to change Jackie’s behavior. Resolution, when the priest gave Jackie an advice.The story is told in limited omniscient point of view.
Bibliography
Boynton, Robert W. Mack, Maynard. Introduction To The Short Story 4nd Edition. Portsmouth:Boynton Cook Publishers. P. 235-239
Hayward, Susan. Key Concept in Cinema Studies. London: Routledge, 1996. p. 313.
Bordwell, David. 1993. op. cit. p. 149.
Pickering, James. 1981. op. cit. p. 66.
Delisle, Harold. Parker, Robert. Ridlon, Harold. The Personal Response to Literature.Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1971. P. 477.
MacMillan Literary Heritage, the American Experience. New York: 1968. p. 10.
Boynton, Robert W. Mack, Maynard. Introduction To The Short Story 2nd Edition. New Jersey:Hayden Book Company, 1972. P. 13.
Susan Hayward. Key Concept in Cinema Studies,( London: Routledge, 1996). p. 313.
David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson, (1993). op. cit. p. 149.
James Pickering & Hoeper Jeffrey, (1981). op. cit. p. 66.
Harold Delisle, Robert Parker & Harold Ridlon. The Personal Response to Literature, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1971). P. 477.
MacMillan Literary Heritage, the American Experience, (New York: 1968). p. 10.
Robert W.Boynton & Maynard Mack. Introduction To The Short Story 2nd Edition.(New Jersey:Hayden Book Company, 1972). P. 13.
Robert W.Boynton & Maynard Mack. Introduction To The Short Story 2nd Edition.(New Jersey:Hayden Book Company, 1972). P. 13.
