Analysis Of Anne Goodwin's Four Hail Marys

“Four Hail Marys” is a short story by Anne Goodwin, in the beginning of the story the reader meets Mary the protagonist, as that major have an importance to her. The title of the story “Four Hail Marys” alerts the reader know that the setting of the story takes place in a Roman Catholic Church. The reader also meets Graham the antagonist, as he is the person who causes Mary to change her direction, thus contributing to the development of the story. He unintentionally made Mary to go church running away from him. Mary running away for Graham forms part of the physical conflict. As part of the setting, the time Mary arrives at the church it is quarter to one, weekday. Mary has not been coming to church for quite a long time, the narrator used the word “but the fact that there is anything is almost enough to restore her faith in God” and for this reason she was creeping when she entered at church. After that the narrator exposes the reader to

Mary believed that she could not; on her own ask for forgiveness of sins from the priest because she lacked adult vocabulary. She had committed a cardinal sin by having an affair with Graham she stole her happiness and killed her conscience by not coming to church for forgiveness of adultery. Mary as the rising action reaches its end goes through major changes in her life. She challenged Bernie’s advice which was that it was good decision for her to commit adultery, in response to Nick`s deeds. Mary’s decision to be against her friend’s advice forms part of physical conflict. She is developing by noting what she said “Two wrongs don`t make a right”. The narrator states that Mary that does not feel good for the fact that her husband can judge her. And that she does need a shoulder to cry on. She must leave sin because it will kill her “Her sin is growing cancerous inside