Spiritual Change In Waugh's Brideshead Revisited
In Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, the characters undergo many spiritual changes.
Brideshead, the Flytes’ family home, is the main place where the members of the family find
grace and contentment. Although they come and go, the members of the family, along with
Charles Ryder, find restorative grace in the estate. The family only leaves when disgraced or
forced, and comes back when in need of a spiritual ‘medicine’. This relates to how people come
to the Church, the bride of Christ, coming closer to him or farther in relation to their state of
grace. Charles and Julia, Sebastian and Cordelia, and Lord Marchmain, all come to Brideshead to
restore their faith in God and the world, and leave when abandoning hope in it.
Charles and Julia come apart and together at …show more content…
This shows
how by coming home, he is entered in the folds of his Church. He has reconciled with Julia and
Cordelia, and became a better man at death.
Cordelia and Sebastian are on the opposite spectrums of their faith. The pious outlook of
Cordelia’s faith, such as offering to pray a rosary for Charles’ agnosticism, is contrary to
Sebastian’s claims of being a half heathen and believing in faith because it is so charming. As
Charles questions him, "I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and
the ass.""Oh yes, I believe that. It's a lovely idea."
"But you can't believe things because they're a lovely idea." "But I do. That's how I believe."
(Waugh 67). Unlike Sebastian, Cordelia knows and believes the doctrine, and prays unfailingly
for a vocation, which she never receives. Sebastian, on the other hand, knows the faith, and
believes it, but states it is so hard to be Catholic. No one is holy without suffering, yet Sebastian
suffers his addiction and that prevents him from being completely holy. He is also the
Brideshead, the Flytes’ family home, is the main place where the members of the family find
grace and contentment. Although they come and go, the members of the family, along with
Charles Ryder, find restorative grace in the estate. The family only leaves when disgraced or
forced, and comes back when in need of a spiritual ‘medicine’. This relates to how people come
to the Church, the bride of Christ, coming closer to him or farther in relation to their state of
grace. Charles and Julia, Sebastian and Cordelia, and Lord Marchmain, all come to Brideshead to
restore their faith in God and the world, and leave when abandoning hope in it.
Charles and Julia come apart and together at …show more content…
This shows
how by coming home, he is entered in the folds of his Church. He has reconciled with Julia and
Cordelia, and became a better man at death.
Cordelia and Sebastian are on the opposite spectrums of their faith. The pious outlook of
Cordelia’s faith, such as offering to pray a rosary for Charles’ agnosticism, is contrary to
Sebastian’s claims of being a half heathen and believing in faith because it is so charming. As
Charles questions him, "I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and
the ass.""Oh yes, I believe that. It's a lovely idea."
"But you can't believe things because they're a lovely idea." "But I do. That's how I believe."
(Waugh 67). Unlike Sebastian, Cordelia knows and believes the doctrine, and prays unfailingly
for a vocation, which she never receives. Sebastian, on the other hand, knows the faith, and
believes it, but states it is so hard to be Catholic. No one is holy without suffering, yet Sebastian
suffers his addiction and that prevents him from being completely holy. He is also the