Religion as a Theme in Christ In Concrete

The theme of religion is one of the most obvious, and most important, themes in the novel. Di Donato depicts religion in all its contradictoriness:

• as a "natural" and essential part of Italian immigrant working-class life;
• as an exploitative force (the Church);
• as an ideological force promoting the fatalistic acceptance of a hard and unjust life;
• as a form of false consciousness preventing the workers from struggling against the social injustice they face.

Find at least one passage in the novel that could be described by each of the four sentences above.

Identify the passage by the first three or four words in quotation marks, plus page number, like this:

"In the shed..." (67)

Discuss each of these passages. Do not summarize them, but instead analyze the portrayal of religion in each of them.

Write 300 words. Do NOT include any of the quotations from the text as part of those 300 words.

Write the total number of words you have written at the top of your HW assignment

Email them to your group and to me.

NOTE: Do not choose any passages that others in your group have chosen. If you have received emails from others in your group, you should read them and avoid choosing the passages they have chosen, even if this means you have to rewrite some of your assignment.

It's easiest to do this if you do your assignment well in advance.