Kernan's Fall and the Retreat

Dubliners

This flow follows Tom Kernan from a drunken accident through friends' intervention toward a proposed Catholic retreat.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Fall in the Bar A Fall in the Bar from "Dubliners". A Public Collapse The accident Tom Kernan lies injured at the foot of a bar stairway, his mouth bleeding.

A Fall in the Bar from "Dubliners". A Public Collapse The accident Tom Kernan lies injured at the foot of a bar stairway, his mouth bleeding.

A Public Collapse The accident Tom Kernan lies injured at the foot of a bar stairway, his mouth bleeding. The people around him cannot identify him or his companions. Reputation exposed He minimizes the fall and resists questions about his address. His physical helplessness reveals the cost of his drinking more clearly than his words do.

Taken Home Taken Home from "Dubliners". Friends Intervene Power's assistance Mr Power recognizes Kernan and takes him home.

Friends Intervene Power's assistance Mr Power recognizes Kernan and takes him home. Kernan's injured tongue and muddled speech make his dependence unmistakable. A household's routine Mrs Kernan explains that her husband has been drinking for days. She empties his pockets after Power leaves, showing practical familiarity with his repeated excess.

The Friends' Plan The Friends' Plan from "Dubliners". A Scheme for Reform Concern among companions Mr Power, Martin Cunningham, and Mr M'Coy visit Kernan and discuss what to do.

The Friends' Plan from "Dubliners". A Scheme for Reform Concern among companions Mr Power, Martin Cunningham, and Mr M'Coy visit Kernan and discuss what to do.

A Scheme for Reform Concern among companions Mr Power, Martin Cunningham, and Mr M'Coy visit Kernan and discuss what to do. They have already consulted Mrs Kernan about their plan. Religion as intervention They intend to bring Kernan to a retreat, hoping a religious experience may alter his habits. Their concern is genuine but mixed with social persuasion and banter.

A Debate About the Church A Debate About the Church from "Dubliners". Building Consent Familiar arguments The men talk about Jesuits, priests, and Church history.

A Debate About the Church from "Dubliners". Building Consent Familiar arguments The men talk about Jesuits, priests, and Church history.

Building Consent Familiar arguments The men talk about Jesuits, priests, and Church history. Kernan joins in, recalling sermons and admiring the Jesuits as educated men. Persuasion through fellowship The conversation makes the retreat sound like a manageable gathering of business acquaintances rather than a severe spiritual trial. Kernan becomes more receptive.

The Invitation Accepted The Invitation Accepted from "Dubliners". A Qualified Agreement The retreat proposed Kernan learns that Father Purdon will conduct a retreat for business men.

The Invitation Accepted from "Dubliners". A Qualified Agreement The retreat proposed Kernan learns that Father Purdon will conduct a retreat for business men.

A Qualified Agreement The retreat proposed Kernan learns that Father Purdon will conduct a retreat for business men. He agrees to go, though he jokes that he will not carry a candle. Reform left uncertain His companions secure an apparent yes, not a transformation. The story ends before the retreat occurs, leaving his recovery as a promise rather than a result.

One evening, before half past nine

Later that night, on the journey to Glasnevin

Two nights after the fall

During the sickroom conversation

Near the end of the sickroom visit