Individuality In Richard's Quest For Meaning

The novel endorses moving away from tradition in order to achieve individuality when Richard outrightly denounces Christianity to his parents, which are symbolic gatekeepers of tradition. When arguing with his father about his future, Richard proposes that if marriage means “not really living or having anything to live for” then he will not choose that path and as his father claims that it is God’s will to follow that path Richard claims that “[t]hen there is something wrong with God” (Villarreal 131). In this moment, Richard’s father attempts to impose traditional notions of marriage on his son, but Richard, who has grown as an individual, does not accept this fate for himself. Richard’s distaste for following tradition displays his desire to be an individual and decide his own …show more content…
His rejection of God in this scene differs from his previous rejection because he no longer expresses guilt or regret for going against religion, indicating his growth as an individual who has blazed their own trail away from tradition. In order to further the idea of Richard asserting his individuality, the novel pits him against his mother in an argument near the end of the narrative. He adamantly states that he “no longer [believes] in God” and the text notes that he felt that “at last he was really free” after stating this feeling (Villarreal 172). Seeing his mother as a protector of traditional values, Richard undermines her power by believing the complete opposite of what she has taught him to believe. The text mentions Richard’s sense of freedom he feels in order to convey the sense that these traditional values bound an individual up from expressing their individuality. The word free implies a previous state of imprisonment, which can be viewed to mean the religion his parents imposed on him throughout his life imprisoned him and his freedom to