lillies of the field

In “The Lilies of the Field” by William E. Barrett, the two main characters, Mother Maria and Homer Smith, share personalities in many ways. An example of this is how both Mother Maria and Homer wanted to be in charge. When Homer was building the chapel, Mother Maria kept arguing that Homer was doing it wrong. Homer and Mother were both very unshakable about what they thought and did not give in easily. When Homer was trying to get consent to buy food for the nuns, Mother kept saying no. Homer displayed his stubbornness when Mother tried to convince Homer to go to Mass with them. Also, both of them were not respected by the townspeople. The townspeople looked down on Homer because he was black and the people thought that the nuns were crazy for what they were doing. Although they do not understand it, Mother Maria and Homer care for each other. When Homer left for the city, both realized that they were missing something. Despite these similarities Mother Maria and Homer also had their differences. From the very beginning, Mother Maria and Homer did not see eye to eye on many things. When Homer first arrived at the convent, Mother Maria said that God had sent him, but Homer thought that it was just a coincidence. Another difference between Mother Maria and Homer was their faith. When Homer was fretting over how he was going to get bricks for the chapel, Mother Maria said that God would provide, and Homer thought that the idea was ridiculous. Homer was easygoing, but Mother was more dedicated and cautious. On Homer’s first day, Mother was agitated that he had slept in late because she wanted to have everyone awake and working as early as possible. A distinct difference between the two was that Mother Maria was a Catholic and Homer was a Baptist. When Mother asked him to go to mass with the sisters, he refused. Despite their differences and flaws, by the conclusion of the book, Mother Maria and Homer were friends. “Lilies of the Field” is a perfect example that