Religion
Course Connections | Outside Connections
Religion, a permeating theme in The Dollmaker,
plays an important part in people's lives both in Kentucky and Detroit.
While the Nevels's family is
still in Kentucky, the difference within the Appalachian region between Christian
fundamentalism and individualistic religion is stressed. In Detroit, a diversity
of religions is introduced including: Catholicism, Judaism and Jehovah's
Witness. It is in Detr
oit that religious discrimination becomes magnified
illustrating a startling trend occurring in United States during the 1940s.
Religion, both within and outside Appalachia, tends to be a complicating
influence within the novel due to a heightened awareness, and fear of “the
other.”
Christian Fundamentalism in Appalachia
Christian fundamentalism, explicitly Protestant, is embodied in the character
of Gertie's mother. She believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible
telling Gertie, "you’re mighty close to bein’ a infidel. You’re bad
as them people Meg writ about in th coal-minen towns.
They’re a claimen
that, come Armiegeddon, this world won’t be destroyed by fire an brimstone
frum heaven like th Bible says" (Arnow 59). This form of religion
stresses the punitiveness of God personified in Gertie's mother condemning
those who "go around a claimen they ain’t no burnen Hell fire, that
our God would never allow it " because "Jesus is kind" (Arnow
56). Instead, Gertie's mother believes in a vengeful God finding evidence
in the Bible when Christ says, "I come not with peace but a sword" (Arnow
58). In the novel, believing God to be punitive is linked to a literal
interpretation of the Bible.
In The Dollmaker, Gertie's mother repeatedly condemns Gertie for "that time [she] danced in th square dances when [her] Pop played his fiddle at Clem Sexton's – close to twenty years ago." Later, after Reuben has returned to Kentucky to live with his grandparents, Gertie's mother blames Gertie for Reuben's sin of going to a party where she thinks he may of drank alcohol and even danced (Arnow 562). In Christian conservativism, the preacher, often seen as the highest religious source, is expected to explicate the meanings of the Bible and God's 'rules' as well as provide religious leadership to his congregation. Clovis, Gertie's husband, explains to Gertie that the problem wasn't so much the dancing as "yer arguen an hunten through the Bible an a quoten what it said about dancen, stid a taken th preacher’s word an asken forgiveness an repenten" (Arnow 31).
Gertie's mother is overwhelmed by her son Henley's
death, fixated on the fact that he is "a flamen there in Hell" because "he
follered that broad road straight to perdition, a dancen his dances an
a drinken his
drop" with never the opportunity to repent his sins (Arnow 57). This
obsession indicates a traditionalist view on the process of repentance and
need for redemption and a literal interpretation of the Bible (i.e. going
to hell for dancing and drinking as well as needing to repent sins to be
able to enter heaven.) Several flaws are apparent in the mother’s thinking,
yet she holds steadfast to her beliefs as she finds justification for them
in religion. First, she does not have the ability of knowing where her son
Henley might be in the afterlife. Secondly, her presumption that Henley is
in hell because he did not repent is unfounded because she has no way of
knowing if he repented before he died; she was not with him at his death.
Gertie's mother believes a 'proper' repentance, as well as other religious
functions and ceremonies, needs a public 
declaration and a traditional building.
Christian fundamentalism, as expressed by Gertie's mother, is a religion
that relies heavily on the physical: to people, buildings, text, and individual’s
actions.
Gertie and Spirituality
Gertie follows an individualistic, spiritual form of religion. She is not
a member of any established and institutional religion although, when asked
if she is a Christian, responds “I recken I try tu be, but” qualifying
her statement with “whether I’m a Christian or not is somethin’ for God
to decide, not me” (Arnow 313). Gertie’s rejection of established religion
began at a young age, always uncomfortable with her mother’s religious
convictions sitting “in sweating misery” with “company in her mother’s
parlor when the preacher came by and they talked of God” as she was “a
stranger to her mother’s Christ the other’s knew so well” (Arnow 251).
Gertie has extensive knowledge of the Bible evidenced
by often quoting passages she finds helpful to a particular si
tuation.
She attempts to instill
this biblical knowledge into her children by having them memorize and explicate
passages themselves. Even after the town’s preacher has “gone to Oak
Ridge an they ain’t enough people left fer Sunday school, that’s no
reason to do without the Bible” (Arnow 39). Gertie shows her deep faith by
saying mass herself on Sundays for her children and continuing their religious
education
herself (Arnow 38-9). Clearly, she finds the Bible to be helpful in guiding
ones life yet recognizes that its meanings will vary with each person.
Gertie does not find her religious beliefs in preachers like “Battle John
Brand, stampeding the souls of his flock to Christ with his twin whips
of hell and God” (Arnow, 60). Instead, she prefers preachers like Samuel
who “amoung all the preachers she had known seemed closet to God. He worked
with his hands like Jesus, but better yet she’d never heard him try to
scare the souls of the people loose and herd them up to God like driving
a stampeded sheep into a locked barn” (Arnow 98). Gertie, contrasted to
her mother’s punitive God, believes God to be loving and caring. She believes
in a ‘living faith’ and sees qualities of God in all of those around her.
Gertie’s belief in a ‘living faith’ allows her to be one of the only tolerant characters in the novel. She attempts to instill this tolerance in her
children as seen when she explains to Clytie “that when you think th Bible’s
on your side it’s mebbe on th other feller’s too” (Arnow 124).
The most permeating religious imagery in the novel
is Gertie’s block of wood. She wants to carve Christ’s face out of this
wood but never finds a
face, as she cannot see God as one entity but instead as existing in everything
and everyone. Several times throughout the novel she finds herself seeing
Judas in the wood. Gertie’s fascination with Judas is particularly interesting
as it shows the very essence of her religious convictions. She can see God
in even Judas, ‘the ultimate betrayer.’ Recognizing that he was “foreordained
to sin” (Arnow 61), Gertie respects that he regretted his actions and gave
away the money he earned for his betrayal. “They’s many a one does meanness
for money – like Judas… but they’s not many like hi
m gives th money away
an feels sorry onct hey’ve got it” (Arnow, 18). The person Gertie sees in
the wood, her perception of God and Christ, “understood that the dancing,
the never joining the church, had been less sinful than the pretending that
she believed” (Arnow 585). Gertie’s concept of God is that of understanding,
loving, giving, and living within everyone.
Religious Pluralism and Discrimination in Detroit
Once the Nevels’s family moves to Detroit a plurality of religions are introduced
including: Catholicism, Judaism, and Jehovah’s Witness. A large degree
of dissension exists between these religions due to ignorance, stereotypes,
and zealous leadership. Religions, to a certain extent, help to determine
one’s social standing as evidenced by the Anderson’s joining of a particular
Church to fit in with the higher echelons of society.
"Homer [Anderson] had decided they should select the church of [Mrs. Anderson’s]
maternal grandparents, a splendid old faith he had said. She had agreed that
it was perhaps better than either of their childhood churches – of course,
the fact that Mr. McKeckeran was a deacon in the church hadn’t a thing to
do with it" (Arnow 587). The qualifying statement that it had nothing to
do with Mr. McKeckeran, an important man in Detroit’s steel industry, is
untrue and in fact it had everything to do with the Anderson’s attending
a church at all. This ‘conversion’ is
just another evidence of the Anderson’s attempts at elevating themselves
into a higher society pointing to the significance religion holds in Detroit
during World War II and the importance of religion
in evaluating the character of others.
A great deal of intolerance is exhibited towards
Jehovah’s Witnesses. While still in Kentucky, Gertie’s mother tells stories
of the goings on in coal
camps and how some Jehovah’s Witness’ “got put in jail fer not saluten th
flag, claimen it was a graven image” (Arnow 59). Mrs. Daly throws “Roman
Cleanser” in the face of Mrs. Bales, a Jehovah’s Witness attempting to ‘spread
the word,’ telling her if “good people like Father Moneyhan had th say-so
in this country, yu’d git worse’n scrub water. Hitler knows how t’handle
u likes a youse along wit u Jews” (Arnow 218). A great deal of disdain for
Jews exists as evidenced when Mrs. A
nderson talks about her husband’s boss,
Mr. Turbi who “is in trouble – very great trouble” because “ a Jew has dared,
actually dared,” to move into his neighborhood (Arnow 303).
Catholics are portrayed as being the most discriminating group
in The Dollmaker. Catholic children, as portrayed by the Daly’s,
are taught at a young age
of their supposed superiority over others hence the reason for their parochial
schools. A Daly child taunts Enoch saying, “go to yu public
school, yu hillbilly
heathen, youse. We don’t have to go to school with niggers and Jews an hillbillies”
(Arnow 187). The Daly’s challenge Enoch, asserting that “hillbillies worship
rattlesnakes” and “all Protestant preachers ain’t no good, and that [Catholic]
priests never does bad” (Arnow 479). Mrs. Daly assaults Mrs. Bales, and
Mr. Daly defends her action, because she viewed it as “barring da evil doctrine
a communism from her door” and accused Gertie of not being Christian because
she protected the woman (Arnow 313). The Daly’s idolize Father Moneyhan,
a priest who has a radio show that vehemently condemns anyone non-Catholic
often accusing people of being Communists. Even within the Catholics there
is dissent and discrimination depending on the country one is from. When
Gertie fixes Maggie’s St. Francis statue she does not want it too look “like
tha
t
Polish stuff” (Arnow 258).
Clovis warns Enoch “don’t go around talken agin
Catholics in this town. It’ll git you in trouble quicker’n anything – they’s
Catholics ever whichaway,
seems like. If a body went around talken agin priests and sich, they’d be
called a commie” (Arnow 249). Despite this warning, plenty of discriminatory
talk is done out of earshot of Catholics. Clovis tells Enoch that “it’s the
Catholics that’s th heathen, a worshipen idols an th pope – an they know
it. That’s why they’re allus a throwen off on people like us. That’s why
they hate us” (Arnow 248). Clovis’ explanation for Catholic’s intolerance
is inadequate. People of all religions discriminate in Detroit and the only
apparent reason seems to be fear of something different, a fear of “the other.”
It is interesting to note that the only characters shown to be understanding
and respectful of others choice in religions are Gertie and Mrs. Bales. Gertie’s
ability to see God in everyone stems from her “living faith” and allows her
to exhibit tolerance and appreciation of different religions.
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Cold Mountain
The inhabitants of the town in Cold Mountain have come to expect preachers
to maintain a certain set of behaviors, “mainly condemn sinners and tell
Bible tales with entertaining zeal.” (Frazier 79). This expectated set
of behaviors is like those of Gertie’s mother and Battle John Brand.
River of Earth
Battle John Brand’s fire and brimstone preaching style is like that of Brother
Sim in James Still’s River of Earth. Brother Sim uses a dramatic presence
to elicit response as he:
stood alone, bowed, not yet ready to lift his eyes. He embraced the pulpit
block. He pressed his palms gently upon the great Bible, touching the covers
as though they were living flesh. His eyes shot up, green as water under
a mossy bank, leaping over the faces turned to him.” (Still 75).
Brother Sim has an informal preaching style with
a heavy reliance on the Bible illustrated when he “raised a finger” and
“plunged it into the Bible,
his eyes roving the benches. When the text was spread before him on the printed
page he looked to see what the Lord had chosen. He began to read” and proceeded
to give a sermon on the randomly selected section (Still 76). Brother Sim’s
question “to the Blessed Saviour” 
of “can a little child enter the Kingdom
of Heaven?” is similar to Gertie’s mother’s fixation with Henley going to
heaven, as he, like the child, was never given the opportunity to repent
his sins (Still 181).
Yesterday’s People
Weller’s description of preachers in Appalachia as “highly emotional, direct,
and fear-filled” seeking “to convert the sinners to a saving faith” fits
Gertie’s portrayal of Battle John Brand (Weller 123). Gertie’s mother’s
obsession with the afterlife and Henley’s ascension into Heaven, is explained
by Weller’s description of fatalism that Appalachians look to the afterlife
for something better than their life on earth (Weller 131-2).
Weller gives insight into Gertie’s individualistic spirituality claiming that the individualism of Appalachians is not compatible with being a member of a church, in fact they do not “see the need for such an entity” (Weller 125). He also gives an explanation into Gertie’s mother’s literal interpretation of the Bible stating: “never having been trained in the use of words, or in the understanding of subtle differences between ideas, mountain people have never appreciated anything but a simple literalistic belief in the Scriptures” (Weller 130). The prohibition against dancing by the preacher and Gertie’s mother is not uncommon in Appalachia according to Weller and is related to extreme religious beliefs due to “cling[ing] to the things he believes his fathers clung to – ‘that old-time religion’” which is often Puritanism (Weller 128).
Oral History
Richard Burlage’s encounter at a revival in Appalachia illustrates an identical
notion of hell as Gertie’s mother. She believes in “burnen Hell fire” that
she wishes Henley to be spared from. The revival in Oral History invites
people to be “saved from the fiery pit of hell and them little old licking
flames” (Smith 140). Battle John Brand’s preaching style is also seen
in Smith’s novel with Rev. Aldous Rife’s description of Appalachian preaching
styles as “carnival emotionalism” (Smith 122).
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Religious discrimination, often tied to racial and ethnic prejudice, is prevalent in Detroit because of the large mix of faiths in a single area. This pluralism becomes a problem due to a lack of understanding about a religion different from ones own. The problem is compounded by the encouragement of objectification and the “othering” of those different from oneself, a common trait during wartime as it allows for self-aggrandizement and justification for war.
Father Moneyhan’s character is almost certainly
based on Father Coughlin, a Catholic priest who had a radio show during
this time period. Father Charles
E. Coughlin, Canadian born, began broadcasting weekly sermons over the radio
in 1926. His broadcasting gradually grew more economically and politically
based advocating social justice through monetary reforms (Social Security).
As his broadcasts became more radical and openly critical of the US government,
CBS stopped airing his shows in 1931. Despite this, Coughlin continued his
broadcast by organizing his own radio network. Coughlin, in an attempt to
counter the growth of socialism and communism that frightened the Catholic
Church, promoted reforms that would make society more economically equal.
Originally a staunch supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he became disenchanted
with the president after his failure to follow through with radical reform.
Coughlin detested communisim as he viewed it as a threat to both religion
and the family structure. He praised Hitler and Mussolini’s actions in World
War II believing them to be a fight against communism and even defended the
actions of the Nazis as necessary in the defense from the Soviet Union. Coughlin’s
intolerance for Jews, often openly condemning Jewish leaders, was based on
his accusation that the Marxist atheism in Europe was a Jewish plot. In May
of 1942, after bans by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Post
Office, the Catholic Church forced Coughlin to end his political activities
(Simkin).
It is estimated that Appalachian migrants to Cincinnati experienced over three times as many religious problems in the city compared to back home. These religious problems contributed to the breakdown of Appalachian families (Bean 64). Non-Appalachians in urban areas characterized Appalachian religion as superstitious and their form of worship as “hysterical, ignorant, and unorthodox, even heretical” (Bean 78). These characterizations fit the stereotypes exhibited by characters in The Dollmaker. It is no wonder that in urban Midwestern cities Appalachian churches were one of the few places available where Appalachians could celebrate their identity and were a “liberating and healing source of collective and personal identity” (Bean 80).
-Sarah Mahin
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