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The abbot tells Gamache, “That’s the difference between us, Chief Inspector. You need proof in your line of work. I don’t.” What role does faith play for various characters in the novel?
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Great question!
Gamache sits quietly in the church, contemplating. He is not a religious, nor a spiritual man, but he believes in something. I think he still questions that a bit.
JG has no faith in anything, and has lost his faith in Gamache particularly, making him easy prey.
Being in that setting unnerves them both, making them face their belief, or lack thereof. -
To me, spirituality is feeling connected to other human beings and also to nature. And because Gamache is all about connection, I feel that he is deeply spiritual.
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I think Ruth might be the most spiritual character in the series. Her tough exterior is just a facade. But we experience her poetry and we see her small acts that demonstrates her humanity.
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I have been raised in the Catholic “faith” and can recognize the difference between faith and religion. The Church is a hierarchy of authority, with traditions thousands of years old, making people believe that the Church is the gateway to heaven and there are so many ways to sin against the Church. Guilt, contrition and forgiveness gave the Chuch power over the masses. This is not faith. The faith the Abbot has, and probably most of the monks have, and many others have, transcends religion. They obey the rules of the Church, and respect the rules, but they know God (or any form of God) as a power greater than anything we know or understand. I think Gamache has that faith. When his agents were dying in the factory he gave them the sacrament of Last Rites. Not because it was a Catholic rule, but because he knew in his heart that they would be passing into a place where God exists. “Take this child,” was all he had time to say, and his faith told him, with certainty, that God would take them. I think true faith like this is quite rare.
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Great point about the difference between religion and faith. I agree that faith goes beyond the technicalities of religion, if I can put it that way. I do wonder, though, if Armand gave the last rites with the certainty in his heart that the agents would thus be taken to God, or instead with the hope? I don’t have much religious training, so I’m wondering how someone more knowledgeable would interpret that. How is hope viewed, as opposed to “true faith?” Is Armand truly faithful, or merely hopeful? Or does one necessarily exclude the other?
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I’m certainly not an expert, but I think that the difference between faith and hope is the certainty that comes with faith. Knowing something is true without concrete evidence.
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Ok– thanks so much for the input! So it all depends on if Armand truly believes with certainty that his actions will bear the intended fruit, so to speak? Or merely has hope that it will work. I get that.
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Agree with the above comments. Faith comes in many forms– faith in a higher power, faith in humanity, faith in a system of justice, faith in our loved ones — and most of the characters in this book question and examine what they believe. The monks, of course, expose a rift among themselves and ultimately a murder occurs because their beliefs clash. Armand is indeed spiritual, but he doesn’t claim to have all the answers; he is open to ideas, yet chooses his beliefs based on careful consideration and what he feels to be right. Jean Guy is lost at the moment; he never had much trust in anything or anyone, which is why he is particularly damaged at the moment — he gave his faith to a person he loved and admired and thinks he’s been betrayed. I think he finds it so easy to doubt because of his own innate insecurities; he has always hoped that he was worthy of love and respect but doesn’t seem to really have faith in it (and I’ve always wanted to know “who hurt you so badly…” that he doesn’t think himself worthy of love! There have been hints in the books but I would love to know more). That, added to the “stinking thinking” that accompanies his addiction, makes him unable to make rational decisions; he’s just feeling so much confusion and pain, as a person who loses faith often does, and is thus making bad choices that will, he thinks, help him numb his pain and restore his sense of self-worth. As for Francoeur, I don’t know what motivates him deep down, but my impression is that he’s all about power, and that he has no faith in anything good; he wants to survive and thrive, but doesn’t care what damage he causes to do that. He has faith in the power of intimidation , cruelty, manipulation, and domination; but even he is afraid of someone; and whoever it is that he’s answering to, I liken to his worship and faith in a devil.
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Entering this very faith-centered world is a culture shock for our Surete officers. While Gamache is portrayed as being a lapsed Catholic, he is deeply spiritual. In this book especially, it is clear that he still finds beauty and meaning in the rituals and music at the abbey. By the end of the book, even Jean Guy is feeling their power. Jean Guy has come a piece from the brash cop in the early books. The more he delves into his feelings, the less he is able to deal with them, and the more isolated he feels, which of course plays into his addictions. By contrast, Francoeur is unmoved – in fact I think he barely even notices where he is. He sees everyone and everything as pawns in his game, and anything that can’t be used can be discarded.
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Yes, Francoeur doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. He stole private health information to push Jean Guy and Armand’s buttons.
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I think that since Armand believes he’s met God shows that he has a very strong faith but also needs proof to catch “the bad guy”. Some people in the book use their devotion/faith to create division, mistrust and even murder. Jean Guy lost his trust and his “faith” in Armand and yet Armand still reaches out to try and save him. An amazing man -I can’t bring myself to call him a character
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“For Mathieu there was no separation between the music and his faith. They were one and the same,” said the abbot. His pace had slowed and now they were barely moving down the darkened hallway. “The music magnified his faith. Took it to levels of near ecstasy.”
“You obviously adore the Gregorian chants,” said Gamache. “But unlike the prior, you separate them from your faith?” The abbot nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it until this happened, but yes, I do. If the music was somehow taken away tomorrow. If I could no longer sing, or listen to the chants, my love of God would be unchanged.”
In this single location, there is a focus on the internal thinking and motivations of the characters and the emphasis is on the mysterious ancient music fusing beauty and darkness. Gamache was impressed by the abbot’s insistence of keeping their vows of silence and humility, even in the face of great pressure of the actual building falling apart and needing expensive repairs.
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