Review Questions: Chapter 8

 

1.         At the beginning of this chapter, Father Andrew sits quietly in his rectory, thinking about the duties he performs as a priest and wondering about the effect that his efforts may or may not be having on his parishioners.  Later, after the Mayor has come and gone, Andrew's thoughts return to the sermon he delivered earlier that day.  How are Andrew's thoughts, both before and after the Mayor's visit, related?  Why would Andrew hear the words of his sermon return to him "from what seemed a great distance"?

 

2.         During the course of his conversation with the Mayor, Andrew seems to equate the Mayor himself with the government he represents, telling the Mayor that his ambitions have grown too large and that he is forsaking his true responsibilities.  Do you agree with his assessment?  What do you think of the Mayor's reply that the people expect him to take action on certain moral and religious issues?

 

3.         To what extent, at this point, can the characters in the novel be seen as embodiments of their professions?  Does Andrew seem to speak fairly for the Catholic Church?  Does the Mayor accurately reflect the role of government?  What about Doctor Wheelan, or Officer Caldwell, or the Mayor's daughter Rachel?  Does a story change (either for the better or for the worse) if you view its characters primarily as representatives of larger groups instead of as unique individuals?

 

4.         Consider the epigram given at the beginning of Part I.  Aside from being the central Biblical quotation used in Andrew's sermon, how else might it relate to the story so far?

 

 

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