The Power of Institutional Authority

Small Things Like These

The Mother Superior’s control over language, access, and social relations shows how institutional authority can neutralize witnesses and isolate vulnerable girls.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Gate Kept Shut A Gate Kept Shut from "Small Things Like These". A Gate Kept Shut Restricted passage Bill Furlong notices locked doors and walls topped with broken glass at the convent.

A Gate Kept Shut from "Small Things Like These". A Gate Kept Shut Restricted passage Bill Furlong notices locked doors and walls topped with broken glass at the convent.

A Gate Kept Shut Restricted passage Bill Furlong notices locked doors and walls topped with broken glass at the convent. The physical arrangements signal that those inside cannot freely come and go. Authority made architectural The barriers make control visible while the institution remains publicly respectable. They prepare the later discovery that a girl has been confined in a shed.

The Mother Superior Appears The Mother Superior Appears from "Small Things Like These". The Mother Superior Appears A shift in the scene When the Mother Superior arrives, she greets Bill Furlong with courtesy and frames Sarah’s disappearance as a…

The Mother Superior Appears from "Small Things Like These". The Mother Superior Appears A shift in the scene When the Mother Superior arrives, she greets Bill Furlong with courtesy and frames Sarah’s disappearance as a…

The Mother Superior Appears A shift in the scene When the Mother Superior arrives, she greets Bill Furlong with courtesy and frames Sarah’s disappearance as a problem of care. Her manner changes sharply when addressing Sarah. Unequal credibility The adult authority figure controls the conversation while Sarah stands frightened and silent. Politeness does not soften the underlying imbalance of power.

A Story of Nothing A Story of Nothing from "Small Things Like These". A Story of Nothing Reframing the confinement The Mother Superior suggests that Sarah was hidden during a game of hide-and-seek and that her absence was a…

A Story of Nothing from "Small Things Like These". A Story of Nothing Reframing the confinement The Mother Superior suggests that Sarah was hidden during a game of hide-and-seek and that her absence was a…

A Story of Nothing Reframing the confinement The Mother Superior suggests that Sarah was hidden during a game of hide-and-seek and that her absence was a mistake. Sarah is encouraged to say that it was nothing. Reality overridden The explanation conflicts with Sarah’s condition and her earlier account. Authority succeeds in making the incident sound harmless before the witness can fully challenge it.

A Gift and a Warning A Gift and a Warning from "Small Things Like These". A Gift and a Warning Courtesy with leverage The Mother Superior offers Bill Furlong a Christmas envelope and speaks of his family’s future.

A Gift and a Warning from "Small Things Like These". A Gift and a Warning Courtesy with leverage The Mother Superior offers Bill Furlong a Christmas envelope and speaks of his family’s future.

A Gift and a Warning Courtesy with leverage The Mother Superior offers Bill Furlong a Christmas envelope and speaks of his family’s future. Her remarks about his daughters make their education part of the encounter. Influence enters the room The institution does not need to issue an explicit threat. Its reach is understood through patronage, social standing, and opportunities that the family hopes to preserve.

Authority Challenged by Departure

Authority Challenged by Departure A girl leaves the grounds Bill Furlong returns and takes Sarah away from the convent. The departure contests the institution’s control over her movements and story. No final victory guaranteed The narrative offers no account of legal or institutional consequences. The act disrupts authority at a human scale, but its continuing power remains a source of uncertainty.

early December 1985

the Sunday before Christmas before dawn

the Sunday before Christmas that morning

the Sunday before Christmas later that morning

Christmas Eve night