Virtue Not Included Religion is a very important aspect in the lives of many people. Wars have been fought over religion, families have been torn apart or brought together, and lives have been lost to it and dedicated to it. It is often stereotyped that a religious person is also a virtuous person or that religion is a precedent to morality. It is then further stereotyped that religion endows a community with a sense of right and wrong or good and bad. In an article from the Psychological Bulletin it is stated, “The notion that religion is a precondition for morality is widespread and deeply ingrained.” This notion is presented in a variety of mediums as is likewise refuted in a variety of mediums. One example is Catherine Marie Sedgwick’s …show more content…
Wilson’s act of prayer being devoid of virtue is solidified if one is to think of Jane as embodiment of virtue as this novel suggests she is. This idea can be seen in several places throughout the novel. She is chiefly described, by many separate characters, for her various honorable aspects of her character. Mary Hull described her “good and honest heart” while characters such as Edward Erskine and Mr. Lloyd comment upon her kindness, beauty, and overall grace. She is characterized by almost all, to be good, faithful, and kind. Those who would not characterize her as such, namely her cousins and aunt, have no evidence for their bereavements of her character. Furthermore, Sedgwick creates Jane as the embodiment of virtue through her actions towards others and the motives from which those actions are derived. In many cases, she is called upon to assist others in need. Rather than calling upon prayer or other practices taught by her aunt, she calls upon her own morality and prior experiences and situations to make her philanthropic decisions as such was the case with her father’s former servant Polly. Overall, with both the explicit descriptions of Jane as well as the actions she takes throughout the course of the novel, it can be suggested that Sedgwick believes Jane to be the embodiment of …show more content…
Lloyd’s relationship to Jane is one of mutual appreciation. They are equals in many respects, as Jane herself calls Mr. Lloyd to be one of her best friends. As an individual, Mr. Lloyd is a very religious Quaker who abides by the letter of his religion with strict adherence. The difference between his adherence and that of Mrs. Wilson is that his religion is accompanied by an internalized virtue that was bestowed upon him by his parents. When the reader is first introduced to Mr. Lloyd, it is learned that his parents died while administering aid to those afflicted with yellow fever. This act, while governed by Christian principle, could be seen as an instigating force in the development of Mr. Lloyd’s internalized virtue. Furthermore, Mr. Lloyd acceptance and devotion to Jane signifies his relationship with virtue beyond that his religion suggests. Furthermore, through Mr. Lloyd’s model, Sedgwick suggests that an individual’s internalized virtue must accompany religion to make the religion a substantial endeavor. In addition, Jane’s fluidity in terms of her religious practices further enhances the idea that faith and virtue cannot be limited to one specific religion. At the end of the novel, after Jane agrees to marry Lloyd she also agrees to “don a Quaker cap.” Her ability to transition from one religion to another suggests to the reader that it is not her religion that makes her a virtuous citizen, but rather it is her own personal moral compass that