Female subservience in the Catholic Church

Dillon’s portrayal of nuns shows that female subservience is not just incidental in the Catholic Church, but a deliberate choice. The story first shows the women of Mercy House living independent, self-contained lives. They are making a difference together, helping one another, without the need for somebody lording over them, demanding they do good. That image is then thrown into sharp relief in Evelyn’s flashbacks to her repeated assaults by Hawkins. She is shown being victimized by Hawkins while she is performing church duties. It is her requirement to perform these duties at specific times and places, and that allows him to target her. She tries to avoid him after the first assault, “but he knew where to find her” (59). While the church may not be structured for the purpose of victimizing people, it certainly makes victimization easier.

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