Not only does Jason reject the tenets of the Catholic faith, but he spends the end of his summer breaking his parents' rules and civil laws as well. In godless, the town's law (personified by officer Kramer) and rules—such as no climbing the community water tower—are in opposition to Jason's new religion, just like his parents and Catholicism. Which means Jason is breaking rules all over the place.
But while Jason seems to learn a bit from the consequences that breaking the law just ain't worth it (there are fleas in the jail, after all), Henry remains undaunted. Despite fracturing several bones, and newly installed motion detectors on the water tower, Henry's determined to climb again. So while Jason's navigating a crisis of faith, we might say Henry worships at the altar of rebellion.
Questions About Rules and Order
- Why do you think rule- and law-breaking Jason and Henry each feel the need to write commandments?
- Why do you think Mr.-Scared-of-Authority Dan Grant says, "My dad would totally freak. Count me in, Kahuna" (5.49)?
- Which consequence of climbing the water tower the first time do you think has the most impact on Jason, and why?
Chew on This
Go big or go home: if a person wants to experience a rich life full of memories they can look back on at a hundred, they've got to break a few rules and bend a few laws.
The parents and kids that blame Jason for the Chutengodians' lawlessness are totally passing the buck and not taking responsibility for their own actions or their kids.