Dublin around 1900. People long to break out of their rut, but fail because of their fears. Even more than religion or nationality in Ireland at the turn of the century, material constraints determine life. When the Reverend Flynn dies after his third stroke, the child narrator remembers him with a mixture of admiration and disgust. Flynn was indeed his spiritual and intellectual mentor; nevertheless, he feels a sense of release after his death. During a visit to the funeral home, he gazes into the grim face of the deceased at his deathbed. The priest was in the end a somewhat disappointed, broken man: since he had broken a chalice, he suffered from mental confusion; one night he was even found alone in his confessional, laughing softly. Gröls Classics - English Edition