The novel was very interesting. It caused me to think of many ideas of religion and of the many processes of conversion. The book portrays religion and conversion to religion in many ways. It uses the various characters to show the many different possibilities that you can have in your religion.Pete is a very interesting character. He has some interesting quirks; he first is strangely religious for his young age for no obvious reason. His parents seem to be very nonreligious so a possibility for his disproportionate spirituality is as a reaction to his parents lack of religious zeal. I started simmering inside because they wouldnt go to church with me, because they didnt seem to care about heaven or hell or their boys need for religion. (Page 13) Petes impression of the Preacher Man at first before he is swayed by the preachers skills seems to be very accurate. He believed the hitchhiker, who was actually the Preacher Man, to be a member of the shadier element. Some of the possibilities he thinks of are an axe murderer or some kind of violent criminal. This at the end of the story appears to be the most accurate picture of the Preacher Man. The negative image of the Preacher Man is the most correct of all the impressions that Pete has toward the Preacher Man. Pete finally sees through the Preacher Mans fake facade. Especially After he has had time to allow the effects of his religious experience to abate. Pete is the main character of the story; the story is his discovery of a hero and his subsequent betrayal by this his new hero. Pete is an innocent and nave character he is easily taken by the powerful preaching about salvation and heaven by the Preacher Man. The Preacher Man shows him religion that is an escape from the horror and pain of hell. (Page 17) It appears that it is mainly a technique of salvation by fear; if you are afraid enough you will convert and be saved from the dangers of hell. This is a very tw...
