When God Talks Back: An Analysis Of Wieland By Charles Brockden Brown

In the book Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown, the character Theodore Wieland commits a number of murders and claims that God Himself ordered him to do so. Wieland is based on a true story, and is told through the eyes of Wieland’s sister, Clara. In the beginning of the story, Clara recounts the details of her father’s death, in which nothing was certain outside the fact that loud noises and a bright light were observed just before the death. Although there really is no explanation as to how or why he died, Clara believes it to be either spontaneous human combustion or divine intervention, both of which are clearly irrefutable. Later in the novel, Clara discusses her friend group, consisting of her brother Wieland, his wife Catherine, and his wife’s brother Henry Pleyel. Wieland was as devoutly religious as their father; however, Clara and Pleyel appeared to use a more rational approach to answering questions. The beginnings of the questionable and disconcerting experiences that would soon be reoccurring first appeared when Wieland had thought he heard Catherine’s voice. Later on, Wieland and Pleyel both heard Catherine’s voice, and even Clara herself began to hear voices. These
Those suffering from psychosis often heard curt, malevolent voices poking fun at the person or simply annoying him/her, while those who heard God’s voice typically heard benevolent, simple thoughts, like advice on which shirt to wear or which boy to date. Luhrmann’s book opened my eyes and helped my understanding of Wieland grow, as I can now see how Wieland and his family were probably suffering from psychosis rather than hearing God’s