Posted by Alvaro on November 01, 2001 at 07:59:05:
In Reply to: Orwell's Religion posted by lee on July 14, 2001 at 15:35:12:
Well, I've read the Clergyman’s Daughter, and what I can tell from it is the following (I'm a believing Christian myself):
Accurately criticizes the flaws of people of different religious tendencies or denominations. It also criticizes people who aren't religious.
At the same time Orwell does acknowledge that true piety and sincere religious belief do exist.
One has to keep in mind that Dorothy was never a real believer, she just followed the religious lifestyle were she was brought up in, later she realizes that she never had a true faith. Maybe Dorothy is to some extent a reflection of Orwell’s experience?
If you read carefully the last chapters of the book you will find that he confronts the two opposing views:
-Religion is a fairy tale that traps people minds, and there is no need for purpose in life, enjoying life is enough purpose.
-How can one bear existence without a clear meaning in life, how can one make sense of our existence, without some higher purpose?
In the end he leans more to the second option, but obviously he has no answer for the dilemma between the lack of faith and the lack of purpose and meaning.
I dare to conclude that Orwell is not an atheist nor a believer but an agnostic.
Alvaro