DIS+14

DIS 14

Respond to this prompt from the end of Chapter 29:

"Do you mean never to come to see her again?" she asked, with some sharpness.

"Oh, no, I shall come again; but what is the use of dragging it out? I have been four times since she came back, and it's terribly awkward work. I can't keep itup indefinitely; she oughtn't to expect that, you know. A woman should never keep a man dangling," he added, finely.

Keep in mind these words from writer Andrew Greeley: " The Catholic "classics" assume a God who is present in the world, disclosing Himself in and through creation. The world and all its events, objects, and people tend to be somewhat like God. The Protestant classics, on the other hand, assume a God who is radically absent from the world, and who discloses (Himself) only on rare occasions (especially in Jesus Christ and Him crucified). The world and all its events, objects, and people tend to be radically different from God."

BK: I'm going to be honest, I am having a pretty hard time trying to find how this novel so far relates to the major themes we've been discussing in this class. I am aware that it is a very different style from Flannery's humor-filled short stories that proclaim messages God's grace present in the world around us, which also contrasts greatly from the dark, drab, dull style of Diary of a Country Priest. I've gotten used to reading literature for this class and not expecting some great proclamation about religion and God's presence in our lives, but with this novel, I'm still struggling to even try to relate anything we've covered. I feel like this above excerpt between the young Morris and Lavinia really shows the aunt's devotion to Catherine's relationship with this man, which perhaps is more intense than either Morris or Catherine's love for the other. Lavinia really seems to live vicariously through these two young "forbidden" lovers, as she is excited by anything that concerns this tragic romance. Right after Morris's above statement, Lavinia's first reaction is that this "goodbye" is bound to be just as dramatic and promising as the actual romance itself. I think that God to the four main characters in this novel so far is not one that seems to be directly involved, or at least He is not recognized by these characters. Perhaps he is there in Catherine's seemingly doomed life, but she does not realize it, and for that matter, neither do I. It is my personal belief and prediction that Dr. Sloper, despite his harsh appearance, is correct in more or less everything that he is claiming, so perhaps he can been seen as a sort of God presence in his daughter's life, even though he is the last person she would look to to witness God's grace. I'm looking forward to discussing how God's grace is revealed in this story in class, as I am individually struggling to have a definite answer to this prompt. GG: Do read Greeley again. Note the "Protestant" sense that God is "radically absent from the world, and who discloses (Himself) only on occasions...THe world and all its events, objects, and people tend to be radically different from God."

EM: I agree with Breanna. I have yet to discover how this story parallels with the Christian themes we have been studying in this class. Breanna has a nice point about Lavinia and how invested she is in this relationship, but as I read this excerpt from the book I can almost see, hear, and feel her deviousness and the malicious tone in her voice and air that plagues her intentions and actions. This was really a pivotal point in the novel, as we can see plainly before us Morris' lack of investment in his relationship with Catherine, selfish expectations, and lack of true love for Catherine. It is always an intriguing moment when characters reveal them true selves to us, and in this novel we are especially intrigued by decoding Morris' true character because of the varying views that are held of him by several characters. In this selection of chapters especially there are so many secretive meetings going on behind Catherine's back that we have a hard time connecting with Morris and Lavinia, for as readers we are aware of Catherine's love and respect for Morris, and also her foolish expectations of him. The relationship that develops between Morris and Lavinia reveals a great deal about Morris--at times he is polite towards her, but he also treats her as though he is disgusted by her. As readers we become increasingly aware of his two sidedness. Perhaps this is a way in which we can draw connections to Christian themes. The Protestants believe that God discloses himself only on rare occasions, and in a way this is similar to Morris himself. In terms of this novel, I uphold the Protestant belief that people and things are indeed radically different from God. These characters, like all of mankind, struggle to attain inherent goodness. For the most part they are out for themselves, and their pursuit of intangible gratification plagues their overall integrity and character. One could look at life as a teetering balance between good and evil, or between Catholic and Protestant beliefs. At times God is absent from our lives, at others he is wholly present. There is a possibility for both, but it is up to us to choose which we would rather have. In this novel God does not seem to hold a great presence in the characters' lives, but again, there is possibility that he will. I look forward to reading on and hopefully beginning to draw more connections between this novel and the themes we have studied this semester. More importantly, I look forward to reading on and discovering whether or not God emerges in the lives of these corrupted characters. GG: Morris is an opportunist. He needs to find some source of income to continue his lifestyle.Your comments about the two sides - on the mark, once again!

LD:

I feel bad for Lavinia. I agree with Elle and Breanna that she definitely meddles and, at times, her input is entirely unnecessary, I do feel that her love for Morris and Catherine’s relationship is genuine. She definitely lives vicariously through them, but in comparison to Catherine’s other family members, I do believe Lavinia’s heart was in the right place when it came to their relationship and that she really did want to make Catherine happy.

I hate that Morris said this! This passage really does show Morris’s true self and reveals that his relationship with Catherine was almost fully for her inheritance. I hated how he blamed his mistakes on her and made it seem that she was the cause of the fall of their relationship.

I am not entirely sure how this novel fits into Christian Themes in Literature, but I do think it represents the reality of religion. I agree with Elle that I think both the Catholic perception of God, as well as the Protestant view of God, are represented in this novel. Sometimes I fell that God is present in Catherine’s life, while other times I agree with the Protestants that God seems rather absent. This novel shows God in Catherine’s character development, in how she overcame her self to be closer with God. GG: The challenge is to see if the novel fits. I had intended to show a world where God is distant if not invisible. He is replaced by money and the desire to control one's destiny.

JR: I have to agree with Breanna and Eleanor, the book does seem a bit distant from what we have been learning about in class. However, I am sure that there is a point to this novel. The quote from the prompt does seem to embody the Protestant “classics.” The two brief lines demonstrate Morris’ shallow nature and vanity as well as lack of respect for Catherine or the pain he will inflict upon her. I agree with Breanna, Lavinia does seem quite invested in the relationship but I think that she is trying to not only be the busy-body in the story but act as the mother Catherine never had- in her own meddlesome and obnoxious way. It is difficult to see God represented in these quotations because of the devious nature and malicious intent behind the words, but it is quite easy to see how unholy and opposite these remarks are from God and his divine nature. As we have journeyed through the book and seen characters “reveal their true selves” as Eleanor said, we can see hints of God in the intentions of some of the characters but also the sinfulness and hellish nature of others (like Morris.) Even people we encounter every day have a duplicitous nature but it does not mean necessarily that God is represented any less in those people. God is everywhere and in everyone, like God’s grace, it is up to people to find it and embrace it.

GG: It is good that you are responding to the various prompts. You are correct. The book does not really fit into the course, per se - at least as we have so defined it. But, if we reflect upon Greeley's definition of a Catholic literature and imagination, then this book does represent a world where God is very remote, very hidden, very unaccessible -- if even existing.