Spoiler alert, folks, but Fallen is about fallen angels.
Very novel, we know.
If your novel's got fallen angels, then it's gonna have some stuff about religion in it, too. In this case, what we get isn't too heavy hitting—it's more of a plot device, and something that fleshes out the characters. What happens if you have angelic heritage? What kind of lifestyle will you have? How much Bible should you be reading? All we have to say is keep your arms, legs, and wings buckled up at all times, because things are about to get a little holy up in here.
Questions About Religion
- Luce's agnostic upbringing isn't discussed in the book until the end, when Miss Sophia makes a big deal about how Luce won't be able to be reincarnated since her soul hasn't been saved. What kind of a difference might it have made in the context of this world if Luce might have been raised as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, New Age, or any other of the world's religions?
- How does the setting play a part in emphasizing the theme of religion in this book? Does the campus of Sword & Cross hold up as a kind of religious relic?
- What kind of role does religion play in the lives of the rest of the students? Despite taking religion as a class, it seems like the other students don't really care one way or another about any kind of formal religion. Would religion be a good way to foster community at a school like this?
- What does it mean that no other faiths are represented at this school?