Set in 17th century Scotland, James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is a disturbing novel about a religious fanatic, Robert Colwan, who sincerely believes that because he is predestined for heaven he can commit the most atrocious crimes with impunity. On the surface, the novel is a critique of a fatal misinterpretation of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, but the story is not simply a critique of misinterpreted Calvinism. There are more sinister elements at work. The character of Colwan’s friend – who is clearly the devil in disguise – is a masterful depiction of a manipulative, warped, and evil mind. Colwan himself becomes a pitiable character in spite of his fanaticism. He is terrified by the strange power of his friend, and he tries several times to escape from his influence. The book shows very clearly that evil leads to pointless and unbearable suffering, but offers a depressing and perhaps confusing outlook on religion, with too much emphasis on the devil and on the “power” of evil. There are also several allusions to immoral behaviour and unpleasant descriptions of corpses.
M.H. (2010)
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Valoración moral:
Género: Literatura
Sin inconvenientes.
Algunos inconvenientes morales.
Presenta pasajes de cierta entidad contrarios a la fe o la moral.
Presenta pasajes escabrosos o un fondo ideológico general que puede confundir a personas con una escasa formación cristiana.
Abundan los pasajes escabrosos o un fondo ideológico contrario o extraño a los valores cristianos.
Por sus contenidos explícitos, la obra contraría la fe o la moral de la Iglesia Católica o el cristianismo en general.