Literature is constantly showing its readers aspects of people and societies that would not
             normally be shown to the public. The various aspects of society that writers choose to
             focus on are done for a reason. Whether or not it is a positive or negative aspect of
             society doesn't hold any significance. The only thing that matters in society is why writers
             choose to focus on the subjects that they do. Most writers are trying to push their readers
             further by challenging them with an aspect that the reader may overlook in everyday
             situations. In his Dubliners, James Joyce uses the function of religion in society to show
             how corruption has overtaken the Irish. Joyce portrays the immoral and corrupt role of
             the priests in society to show the hypocrisy behind the Irish Catholic Church, and all that
             Joyce's symbolism of the physical features and sexual connotations of the priests
             in "The Sisters", "Ivy Day in the Committee Room", and in "Grace", provides readers
             with an example of how deceiving these "honorable" religious figures truly are. In "The
             Sisters", Joyce describes the physical features of Father Flynn to show how other
             characters felt uncomfortable in his presence. It seems that Father Flynn's company are
             almost repelled to him: "When he smiled he used to uncover his big discoloured teeth and
             let his tongue lie upon his lower lip a habit which had made me feel uneasy in the
             beginning of our acquaintance before I knew him well" (13). This quote shows the
             awkwardness of Father Flynn's physical appearance. The "discoloured teeth" shows that
             the priest wasn't hygienic, when in reality priests are supposed to be purified and
             cleansed. The teeth show that corruption exists in Father Flynn, because he hasn't
             followed the regulations of priesthood.
             Another unexpected characteristic of an Irish
             priest is seen in Father Keon. He is described as being almost seductive with other men
             and women o...