Date of Award

Spring 2022

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

English; College of Arts & Sciences

First Advisor

Matthew Heitzman

Second Advisor

Jennifer Matisoff

Abstract

In a world where reason is king, what is the role of faith? Louise Gluck does not claim to have an answer, but she does explore the question. The Wild Iris gives us a god who is utterly convinced of the singular appeal of faith, countered by a worshipper who finds their rational worldview too reasonable to abandon. Yet over the course of the text, neither is able to demonstrate the singular primacy of their point, both arguments leaving their arguers unsatisfied in one way or another. This paper will explore the debate between the human and divine speakers of The Wild Iris, using contemporary understandings of Christianity to define the natures of faith and reason within the text, and will ultimately attempt to explain the significance of this debate’s inconclusiveness.

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Religion, Reason and Reconciliation in Louise Gluck’s The Wild Iris

In a world where reason is king, what is the role of faith? Louise Gluck does not claim to have an answer, but she does explore the question. The Wild Iris gives us a god who is utterly convinced of the singular appeal of faith, countered by a worshipper who finds their rational worldview too reasonable to abandon. Yet over the course of the text, neither is able to demonstrate the singular primacy of their point, both arguments leaving their arguers unsatisfied in one way or another. This paper will explore the debate between the human and divine speakers of The Wild Iris, using contemporary understandings of Christianity to define the natures of faith and reason within the text, and will ultimately attempt to explain the significance of this debate’s inconclusiveness.