Throughout his childhood, Frank McCourt is burdened with the feeling of guilt for his own sinfulness of his uncontrollable sexual thoughts and behavior. He is frequently talking of his worries that he is condemned or that he may damn other people. However, the root of his worries stems mostly from the Catholicism in which he was raised. Although sexual feelings are natural and occur in every person with hormones, he sees himself as being dirty for even toying with any sexual idea—this because of the control the church has had over his mind. “I know about the excitement and I know it’s a sin but how can it be a sin

if it comes to me in a dream…It’s a sin when you’re wide awake and going at yourself…Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, which means impure thoughts, impure words, impure deeds, and that’s what adultery is, Dirty Things in General” (McCourt 291-292).

Women, who were much more restricted as matrons and mothers, also became sexually repressed in Irish literature due to the strong Catholic religion running through their blood. “Clay” portrays Maria, a matron, as a woman with a heart of gold, a peacemaker. Her strong Irish Catholic beliefs are shown in her past hatred for Protestants, who were impure, and incorporation of the Bible in a Halloween game. “Maria would enter a convent before the year was out because she had got the prayer-book” (221). She constantly refers to Joe and Alphy, their greatness, and her undeniable love for them and almost lives vicariously through the families. “She was very fond of that purse because Joe had brought it to her five years before when he and Alphy had gone to Belfast…Joe was a good fellow…soon everything was merry again. Maria was delighted to see the children so merry and Joe and his wife in such good spirits” (216-220). She symbolizes clay, the lowest form on earth, but the basic essence of life and religious purity. She represses her feelings of wanting to be with a man because of her obligation

Some topics in this essay:
Joe Alphy, James Joyce’s, Frank McCourt, Virgin Mary, Irish Irish, Church Irish, Catholic Church, Catholic Church’s, Church God, Short Stories, irish literature, catholic church, power catholic church, sex sin, church god, sexually repressed, natural feelings, virgin mary, catholic beliefs, power catholic, catholic religion,