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Reverend Richard Misner
Mary Magna, who Connie calls “Mother,” is a nun who takes a young Connie off the streets of Brazil and raises her as her own. Though the book describes Mary Magna’s adoption of Connie as a kidnapping, Connie is so unused to attention and care that she becomes entirely devoted to Mary Magna. Connie considers Mary Magna the first and last great love of her life. When Mary Magna is assigned to work at a residential school for Native American girls, she brings Connie with her, and the two remain at this Convent together after the school shuts down. Connie repeatedly uses her healing power of “stepping in” to keep the elderly Mary Magna alive, which causes Mary Magna to glow with white light.
Mother/Mary Magna Quotes in Paradise
The Paradise quotes below are all either spoken by Mother/Mary Magna or refer to Mother/Mary Magna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Consolata
Quotes
At first she tried it out of the weakness of devotion turned to panic––nothing seemed to relive the sick woman––then, angered by helplessness, she assumed an attitude of command. Stepping in to find the pinpoint of light. Manipulating it, widening it, strengthening it. Reviving, even raising, her from time to time. And so intense were the steppings in, Mary Magna glowed like a lamp till her very last breath in Consolata’s arms. So she had practiced, and although it was for the benefit of the woman she loved, she knew it was anathema, that Mary Magna would have recoiled in disgust and fury knowing her life was prolonged by evil.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Mother/Mary Magna Quotes in Paradise
The Paradise quotes below are all either spoken by Mother/Mary Magna or refer to Mother/Mary Magna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Consolata
Quotes
At first she tried it out of the weakness of devotion turned to panic––nothing seemed to relive the sick woman––then, angered by helplessness, she assumed an attitude of command. Stepping in to find the pinpoint of light. Manipulating it, widening it, strengthening it. Reviving, even raising, her from time to time. And so intense were the steppings in, Mary Magna glowed like a lamp till her very last breath in Consolata’s arms. So she had practiced, and although it was for the benefit of the woman she loved, she knew it was anathema, that Mary Magna would have recoiled in disgust and fury knowing her life was prolonged by evil.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
