The symbol of the broken chalice is one of the most important symbols in the story because it symbolizes the corruptive behavior of the priest. Senile and raving institution, with a dark past that that has yet to be answered for. The mad priest has symbolic resonance, suggesting that the church itself become a. He has followed the rules of the church, he has tried to "educate" young boys (the narrator tells that the priest had taught him a great deal as Latin, the different ceremonies of the Mass etc) he has sat listening to confessions, he has handled the chalice " he had explained to me the meaning of the different ceremonies of the Mass-(3). The Church is symbolized by the priest because he stands for all the clergy of the Catholic Church. One of the first symbols in the story is in the Father Flynn character (he is a priest). While reading "The Sisters" carefully and looking "between the lines" for things (with symbolic meaning) that are only hinted at and not said openly we can discover many interesting things that can bee seen only by understanding the symbols' meanings. They play a very important part in the story because the symbolism accomplishes the story (by giving new meanings to things/behaviors) and most important-helps us understand it better. James Joyce's "The Sisters" is full of Christian symbolisms.
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