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Timothy Morrow
13
December 2017
Religious Literature and Its Importance in the Classroom
When studying American Literature, one may come across literature that
contains some religious undertones within it. Religiously themed literature can
become problematic in a classroom where a teacher must work with the text as
strategically and diplomatically as possible in order to not upset parents and
students who disagree with religion. The issue arises as how to approach
teaching American Literature while keeping the religious allusions and
references in the editions. While some teachers may feel the need to eliminate
and remove literature that contains religious elements from their curriculum, by
examining the role these religious references impact on the texts
Life of
Fredrick Douglass,
The Lamplighter,
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and “The House
Divided Speech,” it helps explain their purpose and necessity for instructing
literary movements and rhetoric.
One example of the importance of religious reference in the American
Renaissance is in the book Life of
Fredrick Douglass. At the end of chapter five in the text, Douglass is
reflecting on leaving Colonel Lloyd's plantation and its impact on his life. He
mentions his faith as a contributing factor in his survival of slavery, stating,
“in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and
spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to
cheer me through the gloom. This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer
thanksgiving and praise” (Douglass). At face value, this quote can be seen as
overtly religious and preachy, but there is more value to the religious overtone
than simply assumed spiritual propaganda. Examining Douglass’ words show the use
of the Gothic genre in his writing. While
The Life of Fredrick Douglass is primarily an autobiographical work, there
seems to be familiarity in literary attributes found in the gothic genre. The
words “darkest” and “gloom” are contrasted by “hope,” “faith,’ and “spirit.”
This conflict is a consistent theme in the gothic genre, which depicts a
constant battling between the two. While one may feel the need to exclude
literature from the classroom that contains religious imagery, the exclusion
will cause a lack of interaction with complex diction, such as Douglass’, which
takes gothic elements in order to elevate his literary narrative.
Another example of the importance of religious allusion in the American
Renaissance is in Maria Susanna Cummins’ book
The Lamplighter. This sentimental
novel helped reinforce the domestic genre with the coming of age story of the
female protagonist, Gerty. After being locked in an attic for the evening, Gerty
falls asleep exhausted from being beaten and lectured. In this disheartening
moment, the author comments on the condition of her protagonist, stating, “Poor
little, untaught, benighted soul! Who shall enlighten thee? Thou art God's
child, little one! Christ died for thee. Will he not send man or angel to light
up the darkness within, to kindle a light that shall never go out, the light
that shall shine through all eternity!” (Cummins). The narrator self-inserts a
sentimental message to the protagonist with this phrase, which, considering its
contents, could upset readers and parents who disagree with the religious
literature being taught. While there are some distinct and obvious religious
phrases being used in the narrator’s insertion, these elements can be studied
for their intertwining with literary elements and genres while leading the
reader through the narrative. Not only
is the light and darkness element of the gothic present in this passage, but
also the words “God’s child” reveals the Romantic element of viewing children as
“innocent” or “pure.” The narrator’s insertion acts on multiple levels and can
be analyzed by students in the classroom. When learning the American
Renaissance, passages like these allows conductive conversations and innovative
instruction. While being respectful of students’ and parents’ beliefs or
non-beliefs and respecting how they wish to be educated is important, there also
should be an understanding of what those religious texts are actually doing for
the overall narrative and studying that can be very educational.
Religion in literature can used to amplify and elevate narratives by
interworking with literary elements, but can equally be studied as tools in for
rhetorical persuasion as is the case in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s
Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In chapter nine of
the book, John and Mary are having an argument about the new law that condemns
abolitionists for housing runaway slaves. After much discussion, Mary states,
“Now, John, I don't know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and
there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the
desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow"’ (Stowe). Mary’s dependence on the
Bible can be viewed as something presented as morally admirable and in essence
problematic for readers who do not subscribe to Christianity. While Mary’s
character is depicted as overtly Christian, the rhetoric that she is expressing
has value to be examined in a classroom. The study of the multiple facets of
rhetorical persuasion is imperative in English curriculum. Mary’s appeal to
authority, or ethos, is instructive to understand and educate to students. When
presented with the authority of the state as the moral indicator, she outplays
John by bringing Christian morality, their holy scripture into the argument.
Even though passages like this might make student and parents uncomfortable
because of their religious nature, that very nature can be further instruction
in the classroom on multiple English rhetorical appeals.
Another example of religious references in literature acting as a tool
for rhetorical persuasion is in Abraham Lincoln’s “A House Divided Speech.” When
addressing the Republican State Convention of 1858, Lincoln uses a metaphor from
the Bible to represent the United States. He states, “’A house divided against
itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure permanently half
slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect
the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become
all one thing, or all the other” (Lincoln). One may question why this passage, a
religious one as well as a historical one, should be studied in school in an
English course. Yet the way in which Lincoln is applying the scripture to his
speech is remarkable and should be examined for literary value.
Not only is Lincoln taking the Biblical metaphor and extending it with
the “house to fall” phrase, but much like Mary from
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Lincoln is arguing
his vision of America with an appeal to Biblical authority, something very
familiar to those listening to his speech. When considering and instructing
rhetorical persuasion in the classroom, it is important to reflect on works that
have successfully influenced individuals with their words, such as Lincoln’s “A
House Divided Speech.” While students and parents might be concerned by
literature that contains religious references, by analyzing the way Lincoln uses
the religious allusion to effectively persuade while extending the metaphor, it
is clear that the passage has multiple aspects to examine in an English course.
By looking above, it is clear that while many of the works in the
American Renaissance have religious references within its texts, they should not
be excluded from school curriculum, but instead analyzed in the classroom for
literary merit past the convention of religious allusion. Fredrick Douglass,
rather than simply retelling his life story in the autobiographical sense, uses
religious values to contrast against darkness, playing with the gothic genre
aspect of light versus dark. The
Lamplighter by Maria Susanna Cummins contains a self-insertion which, while
on the surface sounds a bit preachy, reflects a Romantic theme of child’s
innocence in the narrative. Comparably, Stowe in
Uncle Tom’s Cabin uses religion in a
way to appeal to authority in Mary’s argument, displaying impressive rhetorical
persuasion. Lincoln similarly uses Biblical reference as rhetorical tool
appealing to authority, but then extends the metaphor to entice his listeners.
While classrooms may feel the need to exclude literature with religious
references out of their curriculum, there should be noted the literary and
rhetorical value written within the works and their instructive properties for
English courses.
