"The Sister's," by James Joyce, is a story about a young boy who begins to see the larger picture in life following the death of a good friend. The boy starts to see the many different perspectives of adults in the way that they talk about death.
The story opens with the narrator, a young boy, describing the possible death of someone that has had a third stroke. He is scared that this person may die, but is also fascinated by the thought. .
In the next scene, the boy comes downstairs for dinner and sees his neighbor, Old Cotter, sitting by the fire smoking his pipe. Also in the room are his aunt and uncle whom he lives with. He comes down the stairs just as Old Cotter begins telling his opinion about the priest Father Flynn. However, before Old cotter can say much, the boy's uncle catches him staring at Old Cotter. His uncle informs him that his friend, Father Flynn, had passed away. He thinks that everyone in the room will be watching his reaction, so he just continues eating as if the news does not affect him. The boy's uncle tells Old cotter about the great friendship between his nephew and Father Flynn. Old Cotter says that a young boy should play and associate with children his own age and that a man like Father Flynn could have too much negative influence on a young child's mind. The boy is angered by all this talk about his friend and just shoves food in his mouth as to not let out some mean comment towards Old Cotter.
That night, the boy went to sleep fairly late. He is still angered by the fact that Old Cotter had labeled him as a child. In the dark of his room, the boy imagines that he sees the face of Father Flynn. The boy gets scared and pulls his blankets over his head in an attempt to shut it out. The face follows him. The boy thinks that the face has something to confess to him.
The next day, after breakfast, the boy goes to Father Flynn's home. On the door he sees a bouquet tied to the door knocker.