Redemption As A Literary Icon

Concept of Redemption in the Selected Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Graham Greene: A Comparative Perspective in the Light of the Catholic Theme of Redemption as Elucidated by John deMatha and the ‘Trinitarians’ is an English Literature book that analyzes the selected works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Graham Greene. The intended objective is to demonstrate how the Catholic theme of redemption influence these authors, the primary source for which is the Holy Bible. A critical and interpretative framework for the thematic analysis of literary texts focused on the idea of redemption has been created based on the above findings. Applying the framework on these authors suggests that life is a journey from egoism to glorification, which is also a journey to self-emptying. It is a gradual transformation of the ‘human self’ to the ‘divine self’. The book’s conclusion consolidates the findings of the analysis and makes a comparative evaluation of the contrasting readings of the novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Graham Greene. It also gives new levels of fiction readings with the theme of redemption. The framework structure created in chapter IV to analyze the various nuances of redemption in English Literature will serve as a tool to explore further works.

Dr. Binoj Mathew (Fr. Binoj Mathew, O.SS.T.) is a Catholic priest belonging to the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (The Trinitarians) and a member of St. Michael of the Saints Vice-Province, India. He is the son of Mr. P.V. Mathew and Mrs. Aleykutty Mathew, Puthenpurackal House, Muttuchira, Kottayam, Kerala. He earned his Degree of Master of Arts in English Literature from IGNOU Delhi, Degree of Bachelor of Theology from Dharmaram Vidya Khestram, Bangalore, Degree of Bachelor of Arts from the University of Bangalore and Degree of Bachelor of Philosophy from Urbaniana Pontifical University, Rome. He has successfully completed his doctoral research in English Literature from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore in 2018. In particular, his research is on the Concept of Redemption in the Selected Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Graham Greene: A Comparative Perspective in the Light of the Catholic Theme of Redemption as Elucidated by John deMatha and the ‘Trinitarians’. He has attended and presented the above research theme, in many national and international seminars and conferences. Nine of his research papers and a poem have been published by him in various national and international journals. He is an aspiring professor, currently working as a Faculty member, teaching English and Theology at DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Maryland, USA. This is his first published book, giving the readers a comparative study of the concept of redemption from the Bible, Semitic Religions, and Indian Religions and its influence in the works of John deMatha and the ‘Trinitarians’. Based on these findings a tool has been formulated to analyze the theme of redemption in literature and this framework has been used in the analyses of The Scarlet Letter of Hawthorne and The Power and the Glory of Greene.