The Theme of Redemption in Saint Maybe

The theme of redemption if one of the central themes in the novel Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler. Ian Bedloe, the protagonist of the story blames himself for causing a suicide of his older brother Danny by telling him about possible affair of Danny’s wife. Reverend Emmett, the founder of the Church of the Second Chance has a strong influence on Ian’s life and his desire for redemption. Emmett supports the main idea of his Church and proclaims that pardon can be achieved by committing good deeds instead of the past mistakes. The name of the Church expresses its main ideas. This view definitely has a strong influence on Ian. Emmett persuades Ian in his guilt and insists that he has to correct it. Ian who is haunted by the feeling of guilt himself easily follows Emmett’s advices. Emmett advices Ian to leave his study and find a job. Ian “saw that he was beginning from scratch”¦ as low as he could get” and since he felt helpless and guilty he was glad to follow advices of Reverend Emmett (Tyler 116).  He chooses this path of redemption and the ideas of the Church of the Second Chance and Reverend Emmett in particular have a strong influence on his life choice. Ian sacrifices his personal life for the sake of growing the children of his brother. Ian quits study in the collage and starts working as a carpenter.  Sacrifice is not the right world because in the beginning of the novel these deeds seem a kind of sacrifice but later Ian himself and the readers can see that Ian does not loose anything important.

Moreover, he gets a real family and beloved people.



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