SISTER IMELDAJordan McKinneyJosh SaffronMaria HouserSarah Clark

Edna O’Brien (b. December 15th, 1930)

o Born in Tuamgraney, County Clare, Ireland

o Inspired to write by T.S. Eliot

o Much of her writing deals with women

o Won many awards

Settingo Convent school in Dublin, Ireland in the

1940so These schools were created to educate

girls in a religious environmento Lived there throughout the school yearo Upon graduation, they would have the

option of joining the religious order as nuns

O’Brien and “Sister Imelda”

o O’Brien attended a convent school when she was growing up

o She often focuses on internal feelings and how women get along with society

Convent Of Mercy Loughrea

Typical Catholic Convent School

Main Characterso Sister Imelda- Young nun, teacher

in the convent; spent four years at the university in Dublin and came back to the convent; mysterious about passed

o Narrator- teenage girl; student in the convent

o Baba- student in the convent; narrator’s best friend

o Mother Superior- director of the convent

Summary

o Narrator is teenage girl in a convent school

o Falls in love with her teacher, a young nun named Sister Imelda

o Hidden affection because of Sister Imelda’s devotion to God

o Sister Imelda urges narrator to become a nun

Connections to Our Liveso Favorite teachero School (decision making)o Indecisiveness on life choiceso Friends influence decisionso Rumors and gossip

What makes this story good?

o Relatableo Style of writing is

easy to reado Not girly, passionate

Works CitedO'Brien, Edna. "Sister Imelda." A Fanatic Heart:

Selected Stories of Edna O'Brien. New York:

Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1984. Print.