Religion isn't one of the big in-your-face themes of The Great Brain, but it's always there right under the surface. There's some mild religious conflict between Mormons, who make up eighty percent of the population in Adenville, and Catholics and Protestants, who make up the other twenty percent, but this conflict never goes beyond the occasional verbal altercation. The Fitzgerald boys, in the Catholic minority, have already beaten up all the Mormon boys, so they're pretty much left alone over religion. Abie, however, as the lone Jewish person in the community, offers a glimpse at the damage unconscious religious prejudice can do.
Questions About Religion
- How might the boys' experience in Adenville be different if they were Mormon instead of Catholic? Turn to the text to support your argument.
- What influence does religion have on daily life in Adenville? Be specific, please.
- Do the citizens of Adenville change in any way after Abie's death? If so, how? Are there ways in which they stay the same? What does this reveal about them?
Chew on This
Religion causes no major divisions for the people of Adenville.
Religious prejudice is a serious problem in Adenville.