Dorothy Day
Doubtlessly, Dorothy Day’s life was one of transformation and self-realization. As a young supporter of Communism, she was rebellious and eager to show her thoughts and feelings to the world. She went about spreading ideas such as women’s rights to jump-start change in the community around her. Although, a series of poor choices would bring life as she knew it to an abrupt end. A failed relationship, unexpected pregnancy and abortion, and a sense of hopelessness led Dorothy to flee from her questionable way of living. It is on Staten Island where she takes her first steps towards a life committed to God.
In conjunction with Dorothy’s new way of living comes a willingness to reach out and pray to God. She quickly finds pursuing the will of God quite an undertaking. During her times of difficulty, Dorothy never hesitates to stop and ask God what is in store for her. Out of all her sessions of prayer, there seemed to be times that held greater meaning which corresponded with the style in which she prayed. It seems that God was more willing to answer Dorothy’s prayers when they were selfless and somehow asked for a guiding hand in her daily life. As a response to Dorothy’s pleas for assistance, God sends various people into her life in order to assist her in her journey.
One of the first and most influential people to enter Dorothy’s life is her close friend, Maggie Bowen. Dorothy and Maggie meet for the first time during a brawl at a women’s rights campaign. The two instantly become friends and share many experiences together. Maggie hints at the unwise path she is taking when she says “I am an atheist, and I still feel empty”. The most crucial involvement with Maggie is when Dorothy catches her trying to steal the rent money to pay for alcohol. Maggie loses all control and begins to hurt Dorothy. Despite the chaos, Dorothy tries to handle the situation as calmly as possible and finally subdues Maggie. After the trouble is over, Dorothy is finally able to see others how God sees them rather than just as unfortunate people.
Another important person that Dorothy encounters is Forster Batterham. During her early isolation on Staten Island, she encounters Forster while out searching for clams. Since Dorothy is still feeling insecure about her last relationship, she is at first very leery about getting involved with another man. Over time, the two become closer and eventually have a child together. After Dorothy proposes the possibility of a marriage, the relationship begins to fall apart. This time, she does not feel as if the world is going to end even though the relationship came to a close. She goes on to improve her life and raise her child. Forester plays the incredible role of getting Dorothy back on her feet and helps her to be able to grasp the major changes that were waiting in her future.
Yet another influential person who played a key role in Dorothy’s involvement with the Church was Sister Aloysius. While out near the market with Forster, Dorothy runs into Sister Aloysius near the church. Her curiosity brings her back to visit the Sister and see all the poor working at the church. It is this vital meeting with Sister Aloysius that steers Dorothy to adopting a life of Service to God and to the poor of her community.
Without Dorothy’s use of prayer, she would not have turned out to be the person she was in the end. She prayed to ask God for assistance in her deeds and was blessed with various people that would guide her life in the correct direction. Earlier in the story, she had stated that she was restless, did not have enough going on in her life, and wanted to live life to the fullest. God lead her to live a fulfilling life and in the conclusion of the story grants her the ability to see other people how God sees them, which is put to use through her perpetual, charitable nature.