Black Robe
To write a novel with good historical values, it is essential for an author to do the necessary research on the topic. Before writing Black Robe it is obvious that Brian Moore's readings of the "Jesuit Relations", letters sent by the Jesuits back to their superiors in France, gave him the required knowledge to write an insightful novel pertaining to the beliefs of the French Jesuits and the Amerindians. Moore illustrates the effects of the Jesuit influence on the Amerindians and also the effects that the Amerindians had on some of the Jesuits. He attempts to portray the Amerindians, not as the "red Indians" of folklore but rather as an individual race of bravery, beauty and cruelness with their own unique beliefs and customs. The novel explores the idea of "the voice of conscience" and morality in a way that Moore feels is lost from today's societies. One of the central themes in Black Robe is the difference between the Algonkian's belief in the afterworld in comparison to that of the Jesuits and the Catholic Church. The Algonkian believe that the spirit of the dead live within the woods during the night. Their spirits are taken away by the She Manitou and taken to the
Writing an intriguing novel about the past while keeping it close to historical accuracy is a difficult task and I feel that Robert Moore did an excellent job in doing so. I found myself hooked to the novel and ended up finishing it within two days. The overlying question of the morality and validity of enforcing the Catholic faith upon the Amerindian nations was well played out and Moore allowed me to understand both Daniel Davost and Father Paul Laforgue's spiritual growth and their battles with each other and with themselves. Although he was able to depict the Amerindians in a light that few other authors have, I felt that Moore came up short in his attempt to complete Father Paul Laforgue's place in the novel. Although he didn't deem himself worthy of being a martyr in the end, Laforgue still baptized the Amerindians even though he knew that they were only becoming Christians because they believed that it would heal them of their fever. Throughout the book, Father Laforgue's character continued to build and it seemed like he was just starting to open his eyes to the truths of culture. In actuality that's what the entire book was doing. The characters cultures became intertwined and all the character's found themselves questioning their beliefs and their values. Robert Moore was able to take the past and write a novel that explored present day themes and do it in an entertaining fashion. Black Robe was a spiritual eye opener for myself, two hundred years after the fact. woods were they will live amongst the other dead Amerindians, dead animals, and dead trees. To the Algonkian, the day is the light in which the living is allowed to bask in. This is evident in their lifestyle. As Father Paul Laforgue states early on in the no
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Approximate Word count = 1174
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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