This Again?!?

The scene where Fr. Dolan pandies Stephen and then the later scene when he tells the rector about the incident could be used as a representation of a wider Ireland. Stephen and the other children feel Fr. Dolan was wrong to pandy Stephen. The children convince Stephen to tell the rector so that Fr. Dolan will be reprimanded and the senseless beatings will stop. Instead of condemning his actions, the rector dismisses Fr. Dolan’s actions as simply a misunderstanding and does not put to much stock into the incident. Stephen pushes on and the rector finally agrees to talk to Fr. Dolan, and the other children see this as a great victory. To me the rector's response "Will that do now?" seems to me to be him pandering to Stephen, which makes it unclear if the rector really has any intention of talking to Fr. Dolan or if he is only saying he will to get Stephen to leave his office.

This scene may be pointing to the fact that the Church is everywhere. Fr. Dolan here could be seen as representing the Church and the pandying as an injustice committed by the Church. Where can someone turn to report the injustice? In Stephen’s case he turns to the rector, but the rector is also part of the Church and pushes the problem aside calling it a misunderstanding. It does not make much sense to complain to the thing one is complaining about, but seems to be the case here. Joyce could be commenting on the power of the Church and how its power is so great, criticisms are simply pushed off. In this type of system nothing can improve and nothing can change.