The Thorn Birds

Meggie returns to Drogheda with Justine, and her mood quickly improves: “For Drogheda was home, and here was her heart, for always” (428). Despite an initially lukewarm reception from Fee, she adjusts to being home again, and she awaits the birth of her second child. Justine is 16 months old when Meggie delivers a son; immediately, she notices her baby’s resemblance to Ralph, as “he had Ralph’s hands, Ralph’s nose and mouth, even Ralph’s feet” (432). She names him Dane.

Meanwhile, Ralph visits the Vatican, wishing to confess to Cardinal Vittorio that he has broken his vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He tells the Cardinal of his fears that God will not forgive him for his sins and that he cannot forgive himself. The Cardinal suggests to Ralph that he be less hard on himself. They discuss the possibility of war: Ralph has seen black shirts in Rome. Cardinal Vittorio explains that these are the cohorts of Mussolini. Cardinal Vittorio keeps Ralph in Rome, needing an inscrutable diplomat, and he disregards Ralph’s sins in light of a much more pressing concern: the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe.