Faith

Faith is an important theme in the novel “The Mermaid’s Sister” by Carrie Anne Noble. In the novel, faith plays a crucial role as the plot unfolds and Clara and O’Neill struggle save Maren’s life by bringing her to the ocean. Faith in the novel includes faith in God, in miracles and magic, and faith in a better future in that things will turn out alright. By far, the largest progenitor of faith in the novel is O’Neill.

As a baby, O’Neill is found in a churchyard cemetery by a priest. The lowly but faithful origins of O’Neill’s life predispose him to faith and hope, both in God and in a better future. When O’Neill learns that Maren is being transformed into a mermaid, he promises Clara that he will find a way to reverse the process during...