Frank O'Connor, "First Confession," Traveller's Samples (1951)
Glossary
porter:
flaking: beating
heart-scalded: disgusted
half-crown: a coin worth two shillings and sixpence; no longer used
caffler:
biretta: a stiff, square cap with three or four upright projecting ridges
begor: short for begorrah; wow; Irish form of the English exclamation begad, or "by God"
bullseyes: round, hard candy
Review Sheet
Characters
Jackie
7 years old ("a fellow confessing after seven years" 4)
lives in a town in Ireland ("a new half-crown" 2; )
has at least one sister named Nora ()
both parents are living ()
living paternal grandmother ()
paternal grandfather is dead (1)
has a friend named Bill Connell, son of the sergeant-major (1)
Nora
> 7 years old ()
has younger brother named Jackie ("I can't leave you out of my sight for one minute" 4)
gets a penny from grandmother every Friday ()
Grandmother - also called Gran
walks barefoot in the house (1)
eats with her hands ("using her fingers by way of a fork" 1)
comes from the country (1)
likes porter, potatoes, salt fish ()
uses snuff (5)
Mrs. Ryan
old ("about the one age with Gran" 1)
rich ("she was well-to-do"; "lived in a big house on Montenotte" 1)
teaches bible studies to elementary school children (1)
Priest
young ("the astonished face of a young priest looking up at me" 4)
Mother
does not like Gran ("to mother's great indignation, went round the house in bare feet" 1)
often sides with Jackie
cooks (1)
works outside home (1)
Father - also called Dadda
sides with Nora
Setting
Plot
Discussion
point of view
voice
character
foil
personality
direct presentation of character
indirect presentation of character
show v. tell
consistency in character behavior
motivation
plausibility of character: is the character credible? convincing?
flat character
round character, multidimensional character
static character
developing character
direct methods of revealing character:
characterization through the use of names
characterization through physical appearance
characterization through editorial comments by the author, interrupts narrative to provide information
characterization through dialog: what is said, who says it, under what circumstances, who is listening, how the conversation flows, how the speaker speaks (ex. tone, stress, dialect, diction/word choice)
characterization through action
plot
beginning, middle, end
scene
chance, coincidence
double plot
subplot, underplot
deus ex machina
disclosure, discovery
story
conflict, internal conflict, external conflict, clash of actions, clash of ideas, clash of desires, clash of wills
man v. self
man v. man
man v. society
man v. nature
protagonist
antagonist
suspense
mystery
dilemma
surprise
ending
happy ending
unhappy ending
indeterminate ending
artistic unity
time sequence
exposition
complication
rising action, falling action
crisis
climax
conclusion
resolution
denouement
flashback, retrospect
foreshadowing
Frank O'Connor |
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Other books by O'Connor at Chula Library:
My Father's Son. New York: Knopf, 1969. (CL 92 O18M)
A Short History of Irish Literature: A Backward Look. New York: Putnam, 1967. (Arts PB1306 O18S)
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Last updated July 20, 2007