Religion And Literary Analysis

From the tales in the Bible to the myths from Ancient Greece, religion can be found embedded in many works of literature. This key component of storytelling, or the lack thereof, is ingrained within us when we are developing our morals and ideals and it stays with us for life. Even when religion seems to be absent, the lack of faith still influences the art of storytelling. But this influence is not limited only to archaic literature, instead, it can also be observed in modern works, spanning from novels such as Life of Pi, to short stories like A Good Man is Hard to Find, to more concise examinations, to even photos. In such examples, the ties between religion and the literary examples can be seen, but it can also be argued that said ties …show more content…
One such fundamental being religion, the faith that there is something greater out there, that a creator or creators are watching over us. That faith and the stories that it brings about then begin to uncover the unknowns of life. Daniel Taylor illuminates the significance of the stories in The Ethical Implications of Storytelling: “Stories teach us how to live. We are born and raised in stories, and stories answer all the big question in life: who am I? why am I here? what should I do?” (Source D). Taylor’s analysis establishes that stories and storytelling are essential to life as they serve as answers to the existential questions that everyone has at one point or another. And since religion doubles as both stories and a basis for stories to be created, it too helps answer the questions of life, and also supports the relationship between religion and storytelling. Such support debunks the notion of a disconnect between religion and …show more content…
One such tale is A Good Man is Hard to Find, where a questionable family runs across an immoral outlaw. In this piece, the outlaw, known as The Misfit is conversing with the grandmother of the family about Jesus and what he did or didn’t do. Their exchange included whether or not Jesus actually raised the dead, what they would have done and how he threw off the balance. Misfit actually then goes on to say: “If I had been there I would of known and I would not be like I am now” (Source C), referring to Jesus’ and his miracles. Here the Misfit is stating that if he had a solid belief in faith and Christianity, he would not be the immoral criminal he is. This again supports the connection between religion and literature, but in this case, religion directly influences a major character and his actions, as opposed to religion influencing the story itself. Such support rebukes opposition since religion can be found so deeply embedded inside of stories and literature, making a notion that stories exist solely without religion are