The Hammer Of God: Father Brown & His Role In Uncovering The Murderer

Students Name Course Instructor Date The Hammer of God The narrative “The Hammer of God” is part of the collection of short stories published in “The innocence of Father Brown” of 1911. It echoes the story in the bible of Cain and Abel in two brothers of a noble family; Rev. Wilfred Bohun, a member of the clergy of the local Anglican parish and Colonel Norman Bohun, a blasphemous profligate and the local drunk. The story unfolds after the elder brother Norman is brutally murdered outside the church as his head is smashed by a small hammer and investigations get underway with the local police inspector, doctor and assisted with a catholic priest called Father Brown (Chesterton, 51). The essay will analyze the character of Father Brown and how he was significant in uncovering the murderer. Various theories on how the murder could have been committed and suspects were shared. The Black smith was the first suspect and the assumption was that he had killed Norman due to his constant trifling with his wife especially when he was out of town. It was also assumed that he was the only one capable of swinging the hammer with unbelievably strong force to shatter the colonel’s skull with such a mighty blow. Father Brown however disputes and mentions that if indeed the black smith had killed the colonel he would have used a large hammer instead, considering his strength. Suspicions on the black smith were also quickly resolved after his imminent return from the next town which clearly indicated that he was not around when the murder took place. He also had two witnesses that supported his claim. Father Brown though was persistent and relentless in analyzing the hammer. His fascination with the hammer is picked by the doctor who notes “You seem very much interested in that hammer, Father Brown" (Chesterton, 71). The local doctor thought that because of its small size only a person like the black smiths wife with minimal strength would have used it. Father Brown though was quick to interject stating that it would be physically impossible for her to deliver a blow so powerful to shatter Norman’s skull as it was. He states “And I agree that a woman will always pick up a small hammer instead of a big one. But the difficulty is one of physical impossibility. No woman ever born could have smashed a man's skull out flat like that". The Rev. Bohun then gave the notion that the murder was probably committed by a mad man who most likely picked the small hammer randomly and that some mad men had been known to have...