Faith

The theme of faith is one that appears frequently with regard to varying characters, and speaks to the larger notion of how various characters interact with the world in the novel, particularly in times of grief or tribulation. The novel is rife with difficult situations often bordering on the hopeless, and thus faith is an important character trait in how it manifests. For some characters, their faith is in a religious entity, while for others, it is in institutions, other characters, or even abstract concepts such as love. In general, however, the theme of faith not only highlights the difficulties in the lives of the characters in the novel but questions their coping mechanisms as well as the placement of their faith in the first place.

One of the most immediately apparent instances of the theme is Angelo's position as a priest int he Catholic Church...