Redemption is arguably one of the main themes throughout the course of Brideshead Revisited. Redemption is when a person receives a kind of grace that helps save them from their downfall. The novel shows that redemption cannot be received without God’s grace, which we, as humans, must freely accept. Almost everyone in the novel receives some kind of redemption which is given to them by God through the interactions with other characters. Julia Flyte is transformed the most throughout the novel as she was a women who had grown up with little faith but comes to find redemption and hope in God’s mercy.
Julia in the beginning of the novel had little faith. It can be said that maybe she even resented her Catholic faith. This was due to the fact …show more content…
After the affair had started and Julia’s brother, Bridey, announced his engagement, she insisted he bring his fiancee to Brideshead. Bridey responds to Julia that “Beryl is a woman of strict Catholic principle... It is a matter of indifference of whether you choose to live in sin with Rex or Charles or both.. But in no way would Beryl consent to be your guest” (Waugh 285). Julia is offended and goes into a fit of hysterics. This was not because of Bridey’s words, but because he called her out on the truth and she feels guilty, telling Charles about “Mummy dying with my sin eating at her more than her own deadly illness. Mummy dying with it, Christ dying with it, nailed hand and foot” (Waugh 288). Julia recalls her own childhood and the crucifix hanging in the nursery and nanny hawkins and her mother teaching Julia her catechism, reminding her of her innocence and how she coming to find God again. Julia breaks up with Charles after seeing her father die with the last rights and he too was having an affair and she realised she could not continue this kind of relationship with Charles. Julia tells him that “The worse I am, the more I need God. I cannot shut myself out from His mercy… if I give up this one thing I want so much, however bad I am, He won’t quite despair of me in the end” (Waugh 340). This shows that Julia does come to find God in the end and has hope in His mercy as she despaired, feeling she was far away from God to be
Julia in the beginning of the novel had little faith. It can be said that maybe she even resented her Catholic faith. This was due to the fact …show more content…
After the affair had started and Julia’s brother, Bridey, announced his engagement, she insisted he bring his fiancee to Brideshead. Bridey responds to Julia that “Beryl is a woman of strict Catholic principle... It is a matter of indifference of whether you choose to live in sin with Rex or Charles or both.. But in no way would Beryl consent to be your guest” (Waugh 285). Julia is offended and goes into a fit of hysterics. This was not because of Bridey’s words, but because he called her out on the truth and she feels guilty, telling Charles about “Mummy dying with my sin eating at her more than her own deadly illness. Mummy dying with it, Christ dying with it, nailed hand and foot” (Waugh 288). Julia recalls her own childhood and the crucifix hanging in the nursery and nanny hawkins and her mother teaching Julia her catechism, reminding her of her innocence and how she coming to find God again. Julia breaks up with Charles after seeing her father die with the last rights and he too was having an affair and she realised she could not continue this kind of relationship with Charles. Julia tells him that “The worse I am, the more I need God. I cannot shut myself out from His mercy… if I give up this one thing I want so much, however bad I am, He won’t quite despair of me in the end” (Waugh 340). This shows that Julia does come to find God in the end and has hope in His mercy as she despaired, feeling she was far away from God to be