Given the misogyny, morality, and economics that informed the public debate of the time — when a pregnancy out of wedlock could threaten a family’s plans for land inheritance, and even confer dishonor upon a local pastor — imagine that naïve young woman from the country: impregnated by a man, sometimes a relative, who would assume little of the shame and none of the responsibility.
This speaks to some of the social and political systems at play that were root causes for what occurred here.
The truth will out.
Secrets never stay secret. The truth does come out, but it takes the work and perseverance of people like Catherine to bring these stories to light.
a statue of the Blessed Virgin
foreshadowing and irony.
“That she was ashamed to tell us…”
Shame and guilt are ever present in the stories told throughout the piece.
Her mother had been conceived out of wedlock.
Catherine's personal motivation.
there remained the hint of sulfur about them.
Reference to demons. The children were vilified and dehumanized by society.
Magdalen Laundries
These stories are harrowing! Tatamount to prison labor and peonage. Click this link!
Everyone laughs, nearly. This moment will stay with Catherine forever.
Catherine is driven by guilt. Parallel to the young mothers or different?
glass-fanged walls
This image is repeated throughout the essay. It takes on a symbolic meaning.
In Ireland, the departed stay present.
The strong connection to death and the reverence for death, dying and the dead is another ironic turn in the piece. It further emphasizes the wrong that was done to the young children who died at the home and didn't receive a proper burial.
The fallen.
The religious connotation is strong here as well. "The fallen" correlates the women and children to sinners. They are identified as sinners. They are worthy of our scorn and their status as castoffs. The author uses this term to identify how they were treated by the nuns and society so that we can see the injustice in their treatment.
Behold a child.
The beginning reminds me of a description of baby Jesus. Considering the role that the Catholic Church plays throughout the story and the victimization of the "home babies", this creates a strong sense of irony throughout the piece.
The cattle on the higher slopes were becoming shaggy and rough-coated.
That signifies that winter is arriving because the animals have long coats. Winter=coldness, death
it sat like a lid
This is an interesting simile. What imagery does it evoke?
a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with.
Why is her dress covered?
flamed
Great verb! Maybe an allusion to fire?
The air was cold and tender.
This seems paradoxical.
a closed pot.
The metaphor of the "closed pot" relates back to the "lid of fog" simile. Overall, what feeling is conveyed?
December.
Based on the imagery of the pastoral calendar, what does December (winter) symbolize?
high grey-flannel fog of winter
What do you think the implications are of characterizing the fog as "high" and "grey" and "flannel"?