With lots of references to prayer, "signs," and religious idols, the novel puts spiritual life front and center. Early references to traditional churchgoing and religion aren't necessarily super positive; Lily mentions talking to a God who's not answering, and she when she talks about the church she attends with T. Ray, she mostly ends up talking about the racism of the church leadership. However, her spiritual life does a 180 when she gets to Tiburon and takes up with August and her sisters/friends, who worship a black Madonna (and do it at home) and encourage Lily to look within herself for strength (rather than waiting for a response from the skies). So, instead of worshiping in an exclusionary church led by a bunch of white men, Lily ends up practicing a much more inclusive and freeform brand of spirituality that revolves around the symbol of the black Madonna (and lots of honey).
Questions About Spirituality
- How does the novel's emphasis on spirituality relate to other big themes in the book—for example, maternity or imprisonment?
- Why do you think the novel puts a kind of alternative spirituality in the foreground (rather than more traditional Christian/Catholic religious practices)? Does it matter?
- We know that Our Lady aka Black Mary is a sacred figure, but what else is sacred in the novel?
Chew on This
The novel's rejection of traditional Christianity/religion is tied up with its feminism; by embracing Mary, August and the other Daughters expand their sisterhood all the way to the spiritual world.
The novel emphasizes alterative spirituality (rather than more traditional religious practices) to emphasize that there is sacredness everywhere (e.g., in nature), not just in church.