Act Three. Page 108. A little bit farther than halfway down the page. Christy is tied up.
Shawn: I'm afeard of him. [To Pegeen] Lift a lighted sod, will you, and scorch his leg.
This epitomizes Shawn. His timid, cowardly side, yet though he is afraid of being hurt himself, he feels no qualms about inflicting pain on another. He seems to be a proper Catholic, but does not observe love thy neighbor as thyself...
Is this why he is so un-heroic??? His inability to forgive, that his greatest strength and trait (his Catholicism) becomes his greatest fault (his inability to follow it completely). He appears to be completely devoted, but does not follow it to the greatest extent in his ability.
So maybe instead of criticizing staunch Catholicism, as I thought yesterday, maybe Synge is criticizing those who claim to be staunch Catholics, but truly aren't. He's criticizing the opposites of what they say and what they actually do.
