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Set in the late 19th century, Harold Frederick’s The Damnation of Theron Ware, or Illumination, describes the life of Theron Ware, a small town methodist minister. Narrated via a series of interwoven relationships, Rev. Ware finds himself on a journey of self-realization that forces him to investigate the intersection of faith, knowledge and desire. This intersection, expressed through relationships with other clergy and women, illustrate the path of growing self-awareness that ultimately leads to Rev. Ware’s self-destruction.
Alienated from his congregation Rev. Ware establishes two key relationships with other clergy figures that ultimately alter his understanding of self. First introduced at the side of a dying man, Father Forbes becomes the touchstone of intellectual and religious activity that Rev. Ware aspires to. After being introduced to intellectual notions such as Abram’s eponymous nature by Father Forbes, Rev. Ware begins to develop an thirst for intellectual conversation. This thirst for intellectual growth leads Rev. Ware to read Renan’s Recollections of my Youth and other philosophical texts proffered by Ledsmar. (125) Together these demonstrate a progressive shift of self-understanding from a pious and acclaimed pastor, to an intellectually ignorant. Similarly, Rev. Ware’s relationship with Sister Soulsby results in a re-evaluation of self. Given the prospect of a quarterly conference with a church who’s trustees have expressed hostile feelings in the comment, “I guess you won’t last here more’n a twelvemonth,” (33) Rev. Ware submits to the guidance of Sister Soulsby. Her guidance leads Rev. Ware to play political games ultimately culminating in the forgiveness of one trustee’s debt pledge. Here again Rev. Ware undergoes a shift of self-understanding from a Moral and Discipline bound pastor to political gamesman. These two key shifts, each reflective of their engendering relationships, contributes to Rev. Ware’s self-destruction.
From his first, chance encounter with Celia Rev. Ware becomes increasingly interested in impressing her. Recalling their conversation about Chopin the night before, Rev. Ware attempts to impress Celia by showing off a book about George Sand. (213) Ultimately, Celia explains that this attempt failed saying, “We find that you are a bore… you showed me once… a life of George Sand that you had just bought… because you had just discovered she had an unclean side to her life” (321ff) This shows Rev. Ware’s shift from a self-identified happily married man, to a desirous man seeking to impress a second woman through knowledge.
Throughout the novel, Rev. Ware is portrayed as a clergy figure in existential crisis. Faced with relationships that forced him to reconsider who he is not only with regard to his pastoral role, but also who he was as an intellectual and as a husband, Rev. Ware shifts in a continual pattern of self-destruction. By embracing the cynical, Modern Christianity of Father Forbes in an effort to impress Celia, Rev. Ware alienates himself from his congregation and his wife. Ultimately, his self destruction is abated only after Rev. Ware’s breakdown in New York and the complete rejection of his pastoral office. Each of these relationships illustrates a particular shift in self understanding made by Rev. Ware that leads to his self destruction.