Florence can perhaps be best described as thwarted. She has suffered disappointment and frustration that she has been unable to overcome and put behind her. Her familiarity with defeat has resulted in her a deep sense of helplessness and a desire for power. The first and most devastating blow came […]
Read more Character Analysis FlorenceCharacter Analysis Elizabeth
Elizabeth has suffered many heartaches. These heartaches, more than the joy in her life, have shaped who she is. First, she is taken from her loving father by her maternal aunt after Elizabeth’s mother died. Then her lover — and the father of her unborn child — kills himself. The […]
Read more Character Analysis ElizabethCharacter Analysis Gabriel
At first glance, Gabriel is easy to dislike and easier yet to misinterpret. When the reader is introduced to Gabriel, he remains unnamed through the descriptive perspectives of his children, John, Roy, and Sara, and his wife, Elizabeth. We discover that Gabriel apparently endorses the popular, biblical notion of family […]
Read more Character Analysis GabrielCharacter Analysis John
John is the major character in the primary action (plot) of the story that spans about a 24-hour period from the time he awakens on a Saturday morning in March, 1935 — his 14th birthday — to about dawn Sunday morning after he has “been saved.” John is going through […]
Read more Character Analysis JohnSummary and Analysis Part 3: The Threshing Floor
Summary Without knowing how it happens, John finds that he is lying on the floor of the church, and he feels something foreign possess his body. He is filled with a bitter anguish, and an evil voice tells him to rise and leave the church forever, but John finds that […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 3: The Threshing FloorSummary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — Three – Elizabeth’s Prayer
Summary While Elisha is speaking in tongues, Elizabeth fears that God is speaking to her, condemning her for her sins and warning her of trials yet to come. When Elisha rises and seats himself at the piano, the song he plays reminds Elizabeth of her aunt and how Elizabeth had […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — Three – Elizabeth’s PrayerSummary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — Two – Gabriel’s Prayer
Summary Florence’s cry meets Gabriel’s ears not as his sisters voice, but as the voice of any number of sinners, including his own, when crying out for God’s mercy. In the silence following her cry, Gabriel is transported back to the days before he was saved. Gabriel’s mother refused to […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — Two – Gabriel’s PrayerSummary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — One – Florence’s Prayer
Summary Kneeling before the altar, Florence recalls her mother and remembers that it was she who first taught her how to pray, how to humble herself before the Lord. Now, however, Florence feels more bitter than humble because she knows that she is dying. She remembers all the people who […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: The Prayers of the Saints — One – Florence’s PrayerSummary and Analysis Part 1: The Seventh Day
Summary The novel begins in New York City on the 14th birthday of the central character in the plot, John Grimes. The reader is told immediately that the people in John’s life all expect him to become a preacher when he comes of age, just as his father did. John’s […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 1: The Seventh DayCharacter List
John Grimes The novel’s main character. The novel tells of his personal struggles and his coming of age in a strict, religious atmosphere. Gabriel Grimes John’s stepfather. Much of the novel centers on John’s struggle with Gabriel and their mutual lack of understanding. Elizabeth Grimes John’s mother and Gabriel’s wife. […]
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