The real issues in the damnation of Theron ware are not issues of religion, but
rather cultural issues. Although the book is outwardly a novel about religion,
the question becomes not whether god exists, but how we should live. Theron
becomes damned in the novel because of what he is. Theron cannot be anymore than
what he is, a simple Methodist minister, yet when he is shown another way of
life, he wants to enter. The problems that Theron is having in the novel reflect
questions that people were having on religious issues at the time. There is at
this point, a conflict between traditional beliefs, such as Methodism, and new
ideas. Each of the old beliefs and new ideas take form in this novel through on
of the characters, and it is through character development, especially
Theron’s, that we see the conflict being argued out and solved. Though Theron
is the minister, throughout the book he is shown as wanting something more. Even
in the first scene in which we meet him, he is wishing that he had received a
better position in the church, perhaps a better appointment in a city, rather
than a rural town. It appears to me that the conflict within Theron is a
conflict of the old ways verses a modern life. The city symbolizes the new and
the free, while the rural town, in which Theron is stuck, symbolizes the
traditional beliefs. Just as, for most of the novel, Theron is stuck in the
rural town, he is also stuck within his beliefs. Though he wants more, it is
impossible. Theron tries to enter another way of life, which is shown to him by
Celia, father Forbes, and dr. Ledsmar, but when he attempts to enter this world
that they exist in, he is considered a “bore.” In other words, Theron would
appear to be in a no-win situation. Just as Theron is stuck in this no-win
situation, it would appear that the Methodist church is stuck in it, as well. It
is apparent that some of the younger members of the church would like change,
however, they are unable, for various reasons, to affect it. Although culture
seems to be moving ahead at full force, the church seems to be stuck in the
past. The differences between the catholic and the Methodist church can reveal
this. The Catholic Church has organ music, has play, and has drinking, as is
seen at the catholic picnic being held at the same time as the Methodist camp.
Theron, like society, however, does not want to five up his religion to enter a
new life, but instead he wants to incorporate the two. This eventually leads to
Theron’s breakdown and near death experience at the end of the novel. At the
opposite pole of Theron stand Dr. Ledsmar and father Forbes. These two men seem
to represent a new society, advanced science and religion that reflect the
changing and advancing world in which they live. While the Methodist church
focuses on non-intellectual issues, morality, externals and appearances, the
Catholic Church seems to be focused more in the real world. In father Forbes, we
see that it is possible for religion and knowledge to merge, but at the same
time are faced with the fact that if unchecked, science could very possibly wipe
out religion. Although father Forbes is a priest, he is no longer preaching, and
seems to have almost entirely let go of religion, instead pursuing science and
learning and fulfilling only a perfunctory role in the church. This seems to
reflect the growing change in the role of the church in people’s lives. In a
world that is striving to become more equal, the methodist church seems to be
very concerned about money. It is mentioned several times that the pews in the
methodist church are sold or rented to the highest bidder, and in the church,
money is clout, as is eveidenced by the control that the wealthy church members
hold in any debate about changing the church. On the other hand, father forbes
is a wealthy man, yet within his glamorous church, it would seem that no one is
turned away. In fact, father forbes is introduced to us while visiting a very
poor man on his deathbed. This fact is even more important when we consider that
the catholic church has a reputaion of following rules of hierarchy, while the
methodist church, in appying the names “brother” and “sister,” imply
that everyone is equal. It is truly this “new society” that is represented
by Dr. Ledsmar and Father Forbes that is the downfall and the damnation of
theron. Although Celia plays a part in this downfall, it is not his love for her
that damns him, it is the society that hse rempresents. Celia is just one more
facet of the other world that Theron can’t have. In many ways, celia is an
enigma. She lives seemingly without a care, doing what she wishes without fear
of harm or repercussion. It is this freedom that draws Theron to her. When he
sees her at the deathbead of the irishman, it is as if she is an apparition, or
an angel, it is so striking the fact that she does not belong there.
Additionally, though she is just a girl, she seems to have rule over the entire
household, keeping her own space, schedual, and activities, which others are not
allowed to question. It seems that theron admires her for this, and more and
more patterns his own actions after her own. He wanders about the town whenever
he wants, though he is upsetting his wife and failing to fulfill his duties as
the minister. Interestingly, though, it seems that his desire to be as free as
celia makes him more indecisive and unable to do what he wants rather than less
so. He falls in love with celia as an idea. While most men who cheat onthier
wives would say that they want their wife to be more like the mistress, it is
theron that wants to be like celia. He has no interest in alice becoming more
like celia. He does not want the lve, but he wants the freedom, the way of life
that celia is able to command. It is when he is refused this way of life, when
he is in new york, that sends him into the downward spiral that ends with him at
the door of the soulsby’s. celia says goodbye to theron, but it it the
combination of the rejection by celia, father Forbes, and dr. ledsmar that kills
theron’s dreams. Although both alice and celia play roles in influencing the
character of others in the novel, they also have distinct roles that are
important to the changing society as well. celia is the virgin mother. It is
theron’s simplistic thought that brings out this fact most clearly to us. We
see him compare her likeness to the virgin mary in a stained glass window in the
catholic church, and later, at the catholic picnic, we see him lay his head on
celia’s skirt, as if she is his mother. As well, she performs the motherly
duties in taking care of first theron, and then her brother michael, when they
are ill. However, to theron it might be consdiered blasphemous to consider celia
as the virgin mary. After all, she is not the image of purity that the
traditional virgin mother is supposed to portray. As the times change, though,
celia is seen as the ideal, the free woman rather than the pure virgin. In
celia’s music room, these two images are merged perfectly, with the paintings
of the virgin mother combined with the nude sculptures. As well, celia seems to
be worsipped in the same manner as the virgin throughout the whole town.
Although everyone in the twon knows who she is and admires her, there is not a
single person in the twon, save, perhaps, Father Forbes and her brother Michael,
that would consider her a firend. This is what Theron wants more than her love,
he wants her approval as a friend. Nonetheless, celia and theron are of
different worlds, and he cannot be her friend. By trying so hard to be like
celia, theron is ignoring alice. Just as theron sees celia as the epitomy of
woman, theron does not seem to see his wife as a woman at all. He lives with
her, and sleeps in the same bed with her, jet, as we see in a dialouge with
celia, seems to believe that love is the penultamate result of marriage, not the
other way around. Alice may be the simplest character in the book, yet she is
also the only character that seems to believe in god. The entire book centers
around religion, but the characters get so tied up in how they should live their
lives that they forget religion and god altogether. Though alice has a husband
that doesn’t tell her where he goes or when he will be back, she still love
him, waits for him, and goes about thinking that what he says is right. It is a
simle goodness in her that allows her to do this. Perhaps her supple nature is
what allows her to be married to theron at all. It is interesting to me that it
seems that all theron wants is to be accepted, yet he turns from his wife, who
worships the ground that he walks on, and turns to celia for love. It is
alice’s simpleness that allows her to believe in god, throughout the changing
times. It is theis same simpleness that allows her to believe in her husband.
Just as theron loves to listen to Father Forbes speak, alice says the same thing
about her husband. She hangs on his every word, deeming him to be very
intelegent. Theron and alice seem to represent the two opposite sides of the
methodist church. Alice believes in the church, believes in god, and believes in
people in general. As well, she is not concerned with money or with trends,
which is what allows her to belong to the church and yet not become corrupted.
On the other hand, theron has forgotten about god, and is concerned with the
physical church. He worries about the money, he worries about the trends, and he
worries about what others think of him. Essencially, it is alice’s
steadfastness that allows her to stay afloat in society, and it is theron’s
rejection of his wife, and also god, that forces him to sink. Alice seems to
have the best position in the novel. Although alice is living in a simple world,
alice does not really have any problems. She believes wholeheartedly in her
church and in her god. Theron, on the other hand, cannot. By discovering the
world of new ideas that exists, he can no longer be satisfied with the methodist
church. Yet, it is because he is a member of the church that he can not become a
member of this new world. In effect, it is seattle that saves theron’s life.
No one can live in the conflict of two worlds, as theron was trying to do.
Seattle offered an oportunity to escape. Seattle, and the west, represent
freedom, and the chance to start over. By moving to the west, theron and alice
were not only starting a new life, but a new marriage as well. yet theron does
not see the second chance he is getting in the west. Instead, he thinks of
becoming a congressman, where he will have the chance to return to the east
coast, to washington. It is alice the recognizes the finality of the move. It is
she who says that she will have to amuse herself if seattle if theron comes back
east, full knowing that he cannot stay there. Despite the fact that seattle
represents a place of no return, it represents the chance for theron to remain
alive and sane. And perhaps alice will be able to wear roses in her bonnet
there, as well.