Religion played drastically different roles in the lives of Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Benton Sage, a character in Where Things Come Back. Guardians of each character introduced religion to them, but the way they responded to the concept separates them. Religion did not play a prominent role in Huck’s life. His introduction to two views of God, Miss Watson’s and the Widow Douglas's, neither of which he committed to follow portrays his indifference toward religion. Benton is the polar opposite of Huck. From a young age, he devoted his life to worshipping God, with the underlying motive of making his father proud of him. Though both characters held differing views on the role of religion, the
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One scene shows the reader that Benton’s extreme faith arose from his one ultimate goal, making his father proud. His tiring quest for his father’s acceptance was shown when the narrator said, “He also learned from as a young boy that doing this required a strict and sometimes exhausting devotion to religion” (Whaley 65). To get in his father’s good graces, he would read scripture before meals, which in turn would protect himself from the abuse that his sisters received. Though Benton did make his father proud with his actions like remembering scripture, he was not safe from his father’s wrath. Since he confused two words while reading before the congregation on Easter Sunday, he knew he was going to be in trouble, so Benton thought of running away so that he would never be punished. He knew he could not leave his family behind to receive the anger of “Reverend Rambo.”Benton appeared to have a deep passion for worshipping God, but, in fact, he had a stronger devotion to his own god, his father. His strong religious ties originated from his perpetual objective of pleasing his father. The sole reason he read scripture before dinner, remembered scripture, and read before the congregation on Easter was to one day impress his father. He was not devoted to God because of his love for God, but rather, he was devoted to God because his father was. Benton learned the easiest way to reach his ultimate goal was to follow the beliefs …show more content…
Religion was introduced to both characters early in their lives. Their caretakers greatly influenced the beliefs that they formed. Huck learned from Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas, and Benton learned from his father. Huck and Benton learned about religion and God by listening to what they were told every day. The difference between the two is seen by how they responded to the religious ideas that they were taught. Huck never established a vision of God, but only used other people’s descriptions of God to guide him in his religious life. He questioned what was taught to him, and he continued to search for an explanation about the real God and how He was present in the real world. Unlike Huck, Benton established a God, but it was not a religious one. Benton took the religious beliefs that he learned to heart because they were taught to him by his father, whom he worked his whole life to satisfy. By eternally trying to please his father, Benton put him before everything else making him a false god. Many look to religion to fulfill needs like peace, but religion leaves both boys with voids, Huck without a clear definition of God and Benton never impressing his
One scene shows the reader that Benton’s extreme faith arose from his one ultimate goal, making his father proud. His tiring quest for his father’s acceptance was shown when the narrator said, “He also learned from as a young boy that doing this required a strict and sometimes exhausting devotion to religion” (Whaley 65). To get in his father’s good graces, he would read scripture before meals, which in turn would protect himself from the abuse that his sisters received. Though Benton did make his father proud with his actions like remembering scripture, he was not safe from his father’s wrath. Since he confused two words while reading before the congregation on Easter Sunday, he knew he was going to be in trouble, so Benton thought of running away so that he would never be punished. He knew he could not leave his family behind to receive the anger of “Reverend Rambo.”Benton appeared to have a deep passion for worshipping God, but, in fact, he had a stronger devotion to his own god, his father. His strong religious ties originated from his perpetual objective of pleasing his father. The sole reason he read scripture before dinner, remembered scripture, and read before the congregation on Easter was to one day impress his father. He was not devoted to God because of his love for God, but rather, he was devoted to God because his father was. Benton learned the easiest way to reach his ultimate goal was to follow the beliefs …show more content…
Religion was introduced to both characters early in their lives. Their caretakers greatly influenced the beliefs that they formed. Huck learned from Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas, and Benton learned from his father. Huck and Benton learned about religion and God by listening to what they were told every day. The difference between the two is seen by how they responded to the religious ideas that they were taught. Huck never established a vision of God, but only used other people’s descriptions of God to guide him in his religious life. He questioned what was taught to him, and he continued to search for an explanation about the real God and how He was present in the real world. Unlike Huck, Benton established a God, but it was not a religious one. Benton took the religious beliefs that he learned to heart because they were taught to him by his father, whom he worked his whole life to satisfy. By eternally trying to please his father, Benton put him before everything else making him a false god. Many look to religion to fulfill needs like peace, but religion leaves both boys with voids, Huck without a clear definition of God and Benton never impressing his