Nora

A cruel sister
A bad person can be distinguished from the good, qualities and actions showing ones character can be identification. Nora as the protagonist in the first confession; is an atrocious human. This story shows Jackie “ always to honest; that was my trouble” (1) being abused by his sister; his grandmothers favorite. In addition his father unconditionally supporting Nora makes the small boys life unbearable. While it may seem Jackie is bratty O’ Connor makes us believe Nora inconsiderate, malicious, and fake to her brother is the cruel person.
Jackie is inconsiderate to her brother, his feelings toward his family, and his upcoming first confessional. A person with characteristics considered good would show sympathy especially to a brother, frightened and “scared to death of confession” (3). But instead, Nora contaminating his mind says, ““ isn’t it a terrible pity you were not a good boy… how will you ever think of all your sins”(3). Normally a sister would show consideration and augment his fear with kind gestures, but Nora clearly does the opposite. As Jackie encounters his embarrassing fall from the confessional "Nora came scampering down the aisle...Before I could even get to my feet to defend myself she bent down and gave me a clip across the ear” (4). These actions confirm even more that Jackie has indeed been a bad person, rather than the considerate well-behaved sister she guises to be.
Nora’s behaviors and actions distinctly classify her as a malicious and cruel sister, always hoping the worst for her brother. Her speech is a clear exhibition to the hardhearted person she really is as she refers to him as a “dirty little caffler” (4). This statement was obviously intended to hurt Jackie after his embarrassing confessional and was far from friendly sibling humor. The biggest indicator of Nora’s insidious self was when the priest himself who is generally considered honorable refers to Nora as a “little vixen” (5), after she hits her brother. This gives us a clear view of who the priest thinks is truly the good person saying “someone will go for her with a bread knife one day” (6). A good person would be exited for their family if their sins were not accompanied by a harsh punishment but as Jackie tells her the penance for his acts were only three hail Mary’s “"All she wanted was to be able to go home and say I'd made a bad confession."(9). Nora claims to be a good person, but her actions say otherwise as her true malicious self is suppressed until she is with Jackie. “Her eyes were lowered, her head was bowed, and her hands were joined very low down on her stomach, and she walked up the aisle to the side altar looking like a saint. You never saw such and exhibition of devotion” moments after this exposition Nora started hitting and yelling at Jackie after he fell out of the confessional as stated before. The most substantial point that validates Nora’s part as a cruel sister, is early on in the book when Jackie himself believes that she Is “my sister, just sucked up to the old women for the penny she got every Friday” (1). Jackie is quite convinced that Nora is a villain, to the largest degree and as the book progresses so are the readers but this opinion plants the idea in our minds. “"Nora let on to be very indignant (she wasn't, of course, but she knew Mother saw through her, so she sided with Gran) and came after me." (1) This thought, equating Jackie’s vision on Nora to his mother, proving he is not alone on his opinion on Jackie, the cruel sister. O’ Connor clearly shows his readers indirectly and directly that Nora indeed; is a bad person. Her actions, words, and taunts show that she is malicious and cruel, not only as a sister but also as person for example her attitude toward her grandmother. As the book ends 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.” (10). Nora, obviously showing her hypo critic nature as she claims to be good when she is nothing but cruel.

Work cited:
O’ Connor, Franks “bc.edu” Web. 14 Sep 2013