The following article contains spoilers for Little things like that.
The ending for Little things like that It is both comforting and distressing. Adapted from Claire Keegan’s historical fiction novel, Cillian Murphy’s new film casts him as coal miner Bill Furlong, a quiet, soft-spoken insomniac with a wife and five daughters. Delivering one of Cillian Murphy’s best performances Little things like that sees his character’s life change when he comes across a Madalena laundry hidden in a convent that abuses young girls and embarks on a plan to provide help.
Bill becomes involved in the dilemma of a girl named Sarah and tries to protect her from the corrupt Mother Mary. She subtly threatens and bribes Bill to keep silent about everything she saw. Word spreads around town about Bill’s interaction with Mother Mary, and the characters in Little things like that advise Bill to remain silent. But ultimately, Bill’s morality wins out in the end, resulting in an ending where Sarah is promised a better future.
Why does Bill return to save Sarah in little things like the end of this
He needed to do something because his choice was stolen
When Bill first meets Sarah, the nuns at the convent embarrass her, saying that some girls at the convent left her in the shed after playing hide and seek, in direct contrast to the obvious that the nuns are forcing Sarah to sleep outside. in the shed as punishment for her unholy pregnancy. When Bill enters to discuss the matter with Mother Mary, it becomes clear that Sarah is very afraid of her. It’s also clear from their interaction that even Bill is nervous about Mother Mary. Despite this, Bill offers help to one of the girls and eventually helps Sarah.
Bill is a kind and soft-hearted person who finally shows the moral courage he has been searching for throughout the film. Your act of kindness is what Bill and Sarah need.
Throughout the film, Bill looks for something to do as soon as he learns of the laundry’s abuse, though he has trouble knowing how to help. Bill is a kind and soft-hearted person who finally shows the moral courage he has been searching for throughout the film. Your act of kindness is what Bill and Sarah need.
In the film it is clear that Bill’s mother was a servant to a rich woman. Bill’s mother couldn’t provide much for him, which frustrated him due to her lack of options. When she tragically died, Bill felt guilty and never forgave himself for her death. This baggage strongly influenced Bill’s irresistible desire to help Little things like that.
What Bill Saving Sarah Means to His Family
They will likely be ostracized and excluded
Mother Mary made this clear before bribing Bill to obtain her immense power. She asked Bill about his daughters and noted that it is increasingly difficult for girls to get into church school. Bill’s wife and townspeople like Mrs. Kehoe pressured Bill to remain silent. It is clear that the city will not respond well to Bill’s actions. Even your family will be shocked by your actions. The film even shows this at the end. Although Bill’s family was not involved in his choice, they will feel the impact of his actions. It will be difficult for them as they would probably disagree with his choice, especially his wife, Eileen.
When Bill and Sarah cross the bridge back into town, everyone on the streets, Bill and Sarah have sharp eyes, but he continues to help Sarah get back to her home. Once the pair arrive at his home and ensure Sarah’s safety, he introduces her to his family. They were having fun in another room when Bill and Sarah entered. The room is silent. Then the screen goes black. Their shock could be felt through the screen.
Was Bill responsible for exposing the Madalena laundry scandal?
No one else would help those girls
Bill Furlong is a character whose heart needs mending. He struggles with his past youth and his mother’s traumatic death. The responsibility grows for Bill as the story progresses. He first notices a distressed girl heading to the asylum, then speaks to abused girls inside the asylum. When Bill finally meets Sarah, the responsibility he feels growing within him manifests itself into action. It took some time, but when Bill realized he was overwhelmed with the task of saving Sarah, his conscience led him to act.
The impact the convent has has caused people to remain silent on this issue, while others claim that the troubled girls at the Madalena laundry are not their responsibility. Bill’s warm heart leads him to perform small acts of kindness that others might question. The difference is that he knows he is making the morally correct decision.
What happened to the convent after little things like these?
Based on the true story the story is based on, the convent would eventually close
Little things like that the abrupt ending prevents us from seeing the repercussions of Bill’s decision to save Sarah. The film fades to black with a dedication to all the victims and survivors of these Magdalene laundries in Ireland, from the early 1900s to the 1990s. These infamous asylums depicted in Little things like that were the subject of inquiries, reparations and scandals. Eventually, the Irish government closed all of these sites, and a mass grave of women from one of these laundries was discovered in 1993.
Regarding the film, Bill’s rescue of Sarah would probably provoke some negative reaction, even among the provisional Catholic community of New Ross, Ireland. More likely, it would have repercussions at a more national level, creating divisive and polarizing reactions around the dialogue between religion and Catholics in Ireland. Eventually the convent would be forced to close due to scandal and government sometime in the next decade.
The true meaning of little things like these
Get involved if something seems wrong
Little things like that is the story of a distant, soft-spoken person with a heart that wants to do good in a Catholic community where her convent runs a Madalena laundry that abuses young girls. People in the city know this, but they leave the matter aside. It takes a character like Bill, who is struggling with his demons and past traumas, to realize that putting this issue aside after witnessing it firsthand is the morally wrong thing to do.
The sudden, ambiguous ending tells us that any repercussions of Bill’s actions don’t matter to him. The only thing that mattered was doing the right thing, which was saving Sarah. This was his redemption and the final step in Bill’s forgiveness of his younger self, traumatized by his mother’s death. After Bill got over his past trauma, he could save Sarah without fear.
Bill Furlong takes it upon himself to perform small acts of kindness even though he suffers from his traumatic youth and insomnia throughout the story, which later culminates in a huge act of kindness that will anger everyone in New Ross, Ireland. Little things like that tries to tell its audience that even in the most challenging circumstances, people are capable of performing a great act of kindness, even with the simplest means possible.