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Community, Isolation, and Gender
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Grace Quotes
Two gentleman who were in the lavatory at the time tried to lift him up: but he was quite helpless. He lay curled up at the foot of the stairs down which he had fallen…. His hat had rolled a few yards away and his clothes were smeared with the filth and ooze of the floor on which he had lain, face downwards.
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This passage occurs at the very beginning of the story, while Tom Kernan lies bloodied, dirty, and drunk after having fallen down a flight of stairs in a bar in Dublin. Two unnamed men step in to help him up, but he is too disoriented to move. The story begins in medias res, meaning that the reader enters right into the middle of the action without any explanation or preamble. In this case, the jarring beginning imitates the sudden shock of Kernan’s fall down the stairs. No names are given in the scene: it seems these three men do not Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. E
Mr Power, a much younger man, was employed in the Royal Irish Constabulary Office in Dublin Castle. The arc of his social rise intersected the arc of his friend’s decline but Mr Kernan’s decline was mitigated by the fact that certain of those friends who had known him at his highest point of success still esteemed him as a character.
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In this passage, the reader learns more about the character Jack Power, who has rescued Mr. Kernan from his drunken misdemeanors and potential imprisonment. It becomes evident that Power’s professional successes are directly inverse to Kernan’s professional decline, but that Kernan’s former success means that he still maintains the respect of his friends. At the same time, because Power is significantly younger than Kernan, the extent of Kernan’s fall becomes clear: though he has had less time with which to build his career, Power has already overtaken Kernan. This passage also testifies to the importance of friendship and community throughout Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Com
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With this statement, Jack Power declares his intent to intervene in the professional and social descent of his friend Mr. Kernan. He assures Kernan’s wife, Mrs. Kernan, that he and another friend, Martin Cunningham, will put Kernan on the path of redemption. In intervening so purposefully in Kernan’s life and incorporating other friends in that intervention, Power demonstrates his unwavering commitment to his friendship and the way that communities of friends can support each other. He also makes it clear that that commitment is unconditional: even though Kernan’s status in Dublin society has significantly fallen, Power puts his time and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus
She believed steadily in the Sacred Heart as the most generally useful of all Catholic devotions and approved of the sacraments. Her faith was bounded by the kitchen but, if she was put to it, she could believe also in the banshee and in the Holy Ghost.
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This passage describes the religious convictions of Mrs. Kernan, wife of the protagonist Mr. Kernan. Mrs. Kernan is a lifelong Catholic—in fact, Mr. Kernan converted from Protestantism in order to marry her. Mrs. Kernan is still a devout Catholic in many ways, since she “believed steadily in the Sacred Heart” (a specifically Catholic devotion) and “approved of the sacraments.” But she also believes in “the banshee,” a fairy-like creature from Irish folklore whose wails were said to predict the death of a loved one. By believing in the banshee, Mrs. Kernan is committing the cardinal sin of idolatry, or having Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia solu
--Yes, that’s it, said Mr Cunningham, Jack and I and M’Coy here – we’re all going to wash the pot.
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In this quotation, Mr. Cunningham makes the first direct reference to the retreat he, Power, and M’Coy intend to use to set Kernan back on the right track, where they will all confess their sins and start anew. The metaphor that Cunningham uses to describe confessing one’s sins—to wash the pot—is an unusual one, likely derived from Dublin slang. By using this specific metaphor, Cunningham likens sin and misdoings to remnants of food that must be disposed of—washed away—if the soul is to be “clean.” The metaphor also draws on imagery of everyday work and labor: rather than going immediately Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. H
Every other order of the Church has to be reformed at some time or other but the Jesuit Order was never once reformed. It never fell away.
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This quotation occurs during a long, detailed discussion between Kernan, Power, M’Coy, Cunningham, and eventually Fogarty that takes up much of the story. In the conversation, the men discuss various pieces of Catholic Church history and theology as they try to convince Kernan to attend a Catholic retreat with them. In this quotation, Martin Cunningham claims that the Jesuit Order, a Catholic religious order well-regarded in Ireland, has never been changed throughout the history of the Church. However, Cunningham’s remark is illogical. The Jesuits were founded in 1534, making them relatively young in terms of Church history: widespread religious reform Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur ma
--But, of course, said Mr Cunningham quietly and effectively, our religion is the religion, the old, original faith.
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Following Kernan’s happy recollection of once going to see Father Tom Burke, a popular Catholic preacher, with his Protestant friend Crofton, Kernan and his friends ponder the often violent division between Protestants and Catholics in Irish society. Power, M’Coy, and Kernan wonder if the two religious sects have more in common than either side acknowledges, but Cunningham quickly puts an end to the conversation with this statement, unequivocally declaring Catholicism the superior faith. All of the main characters in “Grace” are Catholics, though with varying degrees of faith; Cunningham is relatively devout (even if he makes mistakes about Church doctrine), Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. An
--Allow me, said Mr Cunningham positively, it was Lux upon Lux. And Pius IX. his predecessor’s motto was Crux upon Crux that is, Cross upon Cross – to show the difference between their two pontificates.
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This quotation is part of a long, complex conversation shared between Kernan, Power, M’Coy, Cunningham, and to a lesser extent, Fogarty, in which the five men discuss Church history and theology and subtly try to one-up each other with their knowledge. Here, Cunningham intervenes in a discussion about papal mottos, definitively claiming that the motto of Pope Leo XIII was “Lux upon Lux” and his predecessor Pius IX’s was “Crux upon Crux.” Both of these mottos are linguistic absurdity. “Lux” and “Crux” are Latin words—meaning “light” and “cross” respectively—while “upon” is an English word. To combine them both in one Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corpor
--No, damn it all, said Mr Kernan sensibly, I draw the line there. I’ll do the job right enough. I’ll do the retreat business and confession, and…all that business. But…no candles! No, damn it all, I bar the candles!
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After agreeing to attend a Catholic retreat with his friends, Kernan almost backs out at the last second; as demonstrated in this quotation, he objects to the use of candles in the Catholic liturgy of the retreat. Candles, for Kernan, symbolize how the Catholic Church takes a more mystical approach to religion than the Protestantism he grew up with. His narrow attitude toward religious difference almost stops him from attending the retreat and experiencing its potentially redemptive spiritual cleansing. Kernan’s hesitation concerning the candles suggests that, for everyday people, ceremonial or ritualistic differences between Catholicism and Protestantism are the primary Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placea
If he might use the metaphor, he said, he was their spiritual accountant; and he wished each and every one of his hearers to open his books, the books of his spiritual life, and see if they tallied accurately with conscience.
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In this statement, Father Purdon lays out the foundational metaphor to his sermon at the retreat: that he is like a spiritual accountant to his congregation, whose sins and good deeds are equivalent to debts and credits. Unlike what one might expect from a religious speech, there is little spirituality in Purdon’s sermon. Instead, he embraces the soulless business metaphors quoted above. These metaphors present the Catholic Church as a bank where one “deposits” sin and “withdraws” redemption, rather than a place of spiritual growth and care. Banking metaphors also further color the the Catholic Church as a hypocritical institution: Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto volup
--Well, I have looked into my accounts. I find this wrong and this wrong. But, with God’s grace, I will rectify this and this. I will set right my accounts.
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This passage marks both the end of Father Purdon’s sermon and the end of the story itself. In it, Purdon encourages the businessmen congregated at his church retreat to confess their sins, redeem themselves, and thereby “set right [their] accounts.” Building on the banking metaphor he introduced earlier in his sermon, Purdon frames sin as a kind of debt that can be settled if one confesses. This simplistic “financial” exchange, in which confession automatically absolves one of all misdeeds, does not however imply any long-term moral or lifestyle change. By framing his sermon in such facile terms, Purdon does not Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sin
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