The Dubliners- The sisters

Publication: The Irish Homestead, 13th August 1904

First person narrative- the first half of this story is set in the home of the boy-narrator, who lives with his aunt and uncle.

Characterisation- The story is chiefly about the relationship between the boy and an old priest, James Flynn, who dies from a stroke. --> Also concerns the boy's aunt and uncle, the priests two sisters, Eliza and Nannie, in whose house Father Flynn dies, and old cotter, a friend of the boys uncle.

The story begins with the boy pondering the impending death of the priest. When he arrives home he is told that the priest has died, and the boy's uncle old Cotter of the relationship between Father Flynn and the boy. This conversation contains some veiled criticisms and suspicions of the priest, and of his influence on the boy, such as Old Cotter telling the boy's uncle: 'I wouldnt like children of mine... to have too much to say to a man like that' (p.8) (He is in theory taking away the purity and good name of the priest suggesting he could be a untrustworthy despite his religious nature- its to present Dublin is corrupt)

The second half of the sotry is set in the home of Flynn's two sisters in Great Britain Street, where the corpse is laid out awaiting the burial ceremony. The boy and his aunt go to the house to pay their respect to the two sisters and to pray over the corpse. There follows a conversation between the boy's aunt and Eliza, in which Eliza is portrayed in a come what comic role.

Her language is often made up of malapropism (a mistaken…