Tragedy and Evil

Because the book is thematically centered around personal reactions to tragedy, the novel becomes heavily involved in examining tragedy and evil defined as all forces inimical to human decency and comfort. The novel presents tragedy and evil as forces and effects that can originate from both human and non-human sources, but regardless of origin, they invariably present challenges to people’s views of themselves and of life in general. For example, years prior to the main narrative, Angela had to confront the tragedy of the accidental drowning of her twin sister, Faith. The novel’s presents the possible aftermath of this event as separated into a specific binary: Angela could either forsake all hope and happiness, or she could maintain her hope for goodness in the world. Grant says that this tragedy “brought [Angela] closer to God” (249) and gave her the strength to confront...