Tony's
passionate interest in religion continues. He is concerned about the
salvation of the soul, and worries that his atheist friend Florence will
go to hell. Tony and his friends attend the ritual of the Stations of
the Cross. They get through the final week of catechism lessons and take
a test. The boys quarrel following a mock-confession in which Tony
acts as priest. Florence and Tony get beaten up by Horse. Over Easter,
Tony is taken to church for his first confession.
Analysis
The
saga of the education of a young Catholic continues. It is perhaps not
surprising that the ultra-serious, priest-in-the-making Tony should be
mercilessly teased by his less religious friends. The presence of Horse,
Bones, and the others, who behave like normal boys do, is necessary for
the novel, which otherwise would become weighed down by the seriousness
of its themes.
