In "First Confession", Frank O"Connor does an .
excellent job of entertaining the readers not only by .
putting us in a family setting by showing us Jackie's .
relation-ships with his grandmother, mother, father, .
sister, and priest, but also by humoring us with the funny .
things that children do at times.
.
Interestingly enough, Jackie's relationship with his .
grandmother showed to be somewhat uncomfortable for him. .
He seemed to be not only afraid of the old lady, but also .
embarrassed of her around his friends and resentful of the .
relationship between his grandmother and his sister Nora. .
He showed a kind of an attitude when it came to his .
grandmother, almost as if she were his worst enemy.
Secondly, Jackie and Nora were always at loggerheads .
with each other which in a way was a direct result of their .
grandmother's relationship with the two. The grandmother .
seemed to favor Nora over Jackie. The way Nora seemed to .
"suck up" (paragraph 2) to the grandmother and the penny .
that Nora got from her every week seemed to fuel Jackie's .
resentfulness towards his sister as well as his .
grandmother.
Jackie seemed to have a close relationship with his .
mother for she had the same feelings towards the .
grandmother as Jackie's. However, he seemed very heart .
broken because his father was not so understanding of .
Jackie's feelings towards his grandmother. He felt that .
his grandmother was the direct cause of his father not .
talking to him for days. This shows the readers that .
Jackie had somewhat of an uncertain relationship with his .
father.
Furthermore, Jackie's relationships also went beyond .
his family. There was the priest, who Jackie seemed unsure .
of at first. He seemed afraid of giving a full confession .
because it would make him look bad in the priest's or in .
God's eyes. On the other hand, he was afraid if he did not .
tell all his sins that his spirit will be doomed to burn .
in hell for all eternity.
