Religion

The central theme of the novel is Religion. The novel explores whether religion’s influence on society and on specific individuals is positive and negative and whether religion is a useful place for people to search for the meaning of life. The author goes to great lengths to articulate the arguments of the religious characters – most notably the arguments put forward by the Henry family about their opposition to blood transfusion – but ultimately the novel takes a firm anti-religious stance.

The religious characters in the novel are consistently portrayed as being less educated than the non-religious characters, implying that the devout practice of religion occurs only amongst people who lack the knowledge and experience to view the world in a different more open-minded way. In the first religious case which Fiona casts judgement on – the case of the orthodox Jews the Bernsteins – the case is presented...