Essay | Sinners or Survivors: An Interpretation of "Deliverance" Through Dante

The characters of Lewis, Ed, and the hillbilly rapists can be examined in terms of the circles of Hell found in Robert Pinsky's translation of "The Inferno of Dante." Each circle of Hell is reserved for a particular type of sinner with very specific punishments. When the characters from James Dickey's "Deliverance" are viewed from the perspective of Dante's nine circles of Hell, their actions seem to be much more sinister then when they are taken in the context of Dickey's novel alone. What could be viewed as justifiable homicide in Dickey's world suddenly places Lewis and Ed in the pits of Hell, right alongside the rapist, murdering hillbillies.

Lewis is one of the most complex characters in Dickey's novel. It is difficult to tell exactly what his motives are or why he feels such a need to be a survivalist....
(read more)