What is the main conflict in the novel, Small Things Like These?

Throughout the narrative, Keegan affords the reader direct insights into Furlong's internal life, as he contemplates his domestic dissatisfaction as well as his anxiety about the abuse at the convent. Much of the narrative action occurs not in the external world, but in Furlong’s own mind. He chews over the various events in his life and in New Ross more generally; in this way, Keegan places the reader in Furlong’s position, as both he and reader continually consider the many perspectives and potentialities of each situation. Furlong’s moral confusion—as well as his eventual clarity—emerges as the novella’s main dramatic tension. The question of his morality, integrity, and courage are the main forces of narrative propulsion throughout the story. Through her utilization of the third-person limited perspective, Keegan allows the reader to exist entirely within Furlong’s complex navigation of his own values.