Light in August Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

She ought not to started praying over me. She would have been all right if she hadn't started praying over me. It was not her fault that she got too old to be any good any more. But she ought to have had better sense than to pray over me. (5.9)

Miss Burden's attempt to "reform" Christmas may be the main reason why he killed her. Maybe it's because she reminded him of old Mr. McEachern and all of those catechisms.

Quote #5

He had neither ever worked nor feared God. He knew less about God than about work. He had seen work going on in the person of men with rakes and shovels about the playground six days each week, but God had only occurred on Sunday. And then – save for the concomitant ordeal of cleanliness – it was music that pleased the ear and words that did not trouble the ear at all – on the whole, pleasant, even if a little tiresome. (6.48)

This is kind of a realistic depiction of the way many kids think about going to church – it's neither good nor bad, mostly it's just kind of boring.

Quote #6

He was lying so, on his back, his hands crossed on his breasts like a tomb effigy, when he heard again feet on the cramped stairs. (7.20)

This scene eerily predicts Joe Christmas's death.