Sister McCandless the Saintly?

                In James Baldwin’s short story, The Rockpile, Sister McCandless suggests that she is fully aware about the abuse and fear that is present in the lives of those living in the apartment but she does nothing about it.  “I bet he’s going to raise cain.” (156). Sister McCandless not only knows about the abuse but encourages it. “your Daddy’ll make you tell the truth.” (156).  Roy, Elizabeth and John dread the time when their father will be home. “He wished to delay until the last possible moment any contact with his father.” (157). The family seems to be too afraid to defy Gabriel, and do not wish to upset him at all.  As an outsider to the family, McCandless has the opportunity to stop the violence.  The actions of Sister McCandless seem to be the opposite of what would be expected from someone so heavily involved in a religion that preaches against acting that way.

                Sister McCandless is very involved in the personal affairs of this family and thinks that she has the authority to make decisions and instigate problems.  McCandless states that she may “drop in later tonight,” (156) which says she wants to come back to find out what happened within the family after Gabriel had arrived home. She also shares Gabriel’s general dislike for John and tends to view Roy in a more positive light.  “She paused for a moment to look sharply at John.” (156).  Sister McCandless follows the example set by Reverend Gabriel and is not a very loving religious figure.  The religious hypocrisy of both McCandless and Gabriel shows they are not the most trustworthy of characters.

                Elizabeth watches Sister McCandless and Gabriel talk from outside the window and wonders what they are saying (157).  Gabriel enters the apartment tense and angry, so McCandless clearly didn’t say anything to calm him down or to help the situation, there is even a possibility that she instigated him to be angrier.  While in most stories, the nun would be one of the more moral characters in the story, McCandless shows that she is not looking out for the family that is suffering under the fear of Gabriel’s hand.  The character of McCandless allows the audience to see how hopeless the family is.  If one of the family's closest friends is not going to speak up for them, then who would? The Rockpile displays that the most dangerous things in our lives may not be the world outside but the people and the environment of our own homes.