Monday, May 25, 2009
Role of Religion in Waiting for Snow in Havana
As I continue reading this Cuban- centralized novel, I begin o notice the tremendous role that religion takes throughout the book. Beginning with his nightmares which include Jesus entering his bedroom, bloody cross and everything, Carlos's life is completely surrounded with religion. One way this is true is because young children hear myths of Cuba's paradise in their homes saying that "the Garden of Eden was here in Cuba, and that Adam and Eve were not only the first humans, but also the first Cuban, and that the entire human race is Cuban" (25). In addition, "The Christian Brothers ran several school in Cuba," (26), demonstrating the power that the church has over the country, for once you rule over the education you gain an incredible amount of control over the entire nation. Another comment made by Carlos, showing his sense of religious background is: "Original sin had us by the throat," (29). In conclusion, we can say that the influence of the Christian religion in Cuba, specifically Havana, was tremendous all throughout the late 1950's and 1960's.
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The role of religion in "Waiting for Snow in Havana" is a major theme as we see how a person's view on religion changes when they are placed in certain situations. I really like how you interpretated religion in the novel and this is one of the only posts that I have seen that discusses this topic!
ReplyDeleteI agree that there must have been a tremendous religious influence on children's schooling in Cuban society. This influence must have had a big impact on Carlos' life because he went on to be a professor of religious studies at Yale university. It is interesting to see what leads a person to choose a certain profession. He may have chosen religious studies because of events that occurred during his childhood such as when he repeatedly saw the bloody Jesus outside his house.
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