Grace

• Religion
• Alcoholism
• Alienation
• Epiphany

• After an embarrasing fall Mr. Tom Kernan is convinced by his friends to attend a catholic retreat.
• The men hope that it will help him reform his problematic, alcoholic lifestyle.
• At the service the presiding priest preaches about the need for admission of sins and the abillity of all people to attain for forgiveness through god's grace.

• The story opens 'in medias res' (in the middle of the action) - this adds to the vagueness of the situatuion. Reasers must make assumptions.

• Story consists of a typical 3 part structure:

1. The Fall

2. Friends persuade

3.Mr. Kernan goes to church

• End of story finishes in the middle of action - vague

• Irony: when talking about people and religion, this reflects his open attitude towards religion - he is very bitter.

• At the end kernan is ommited from the text: This could be to show that he has reached opiphany and that he now has passed to the hands of god.

• Extended Metaphor: The whole story is a general metaphor of rising to grace. Starting in hell (the dirty underground lavatory) when an angel reaches to him (Mr Power) who takes him to pergatory (His own home) to wait to be accepted into heaven (church acceptance and forgiveness.
• Ambiguity: We never know if mr kernan redeems himself