Suspiria de Profundis · Question
How does Suspiria de Profundis develop the theme of Divine and Moral Order?
Answer
Suspiria de Profundis by Thomas De Quincey develops Divine and Moral Order across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The text grapples with themes of Providence, sin, and redemption, suggesting that suffering has a divine purpose and that human actions are subject to moral judgment and cosmic consequences.
The victories are seen as 'natural Te Deums to heaven,' and the mail-coach's mission is described as 'awful political mission,' suggesting a providential role in the struggle against French domination.
The narrator reflects on the moral and spiritual dimensions of victory, describing the scene as 'theatrical and holy' and noting the healing power of the news on a beggar, echoing biblical language ('Be thou whole').
God's angel intervenes to rescue the young girl, emphasizing divine love and the moral order of resurrection and redemption.
Evidence in the book
- The Glory of Motion
The victories are seen as 'natural Te Deums to heaven,' and the mail-coach's mission is described as 'awful political mission,' suggesting a providential role in the struggle against French domination.
- Going Down with Victory
The narrator reflects on the moral and spiritual dimensions of victory, describing the scene as 'theatrical and holy' and noting the healing power of the news on a beggar, echoing biblical language ('Be thou whole').
- III: Dream-Fugue: Founded on the Preceding Theme of Sudden Death
God's angel intervenes to rescue the young girl, emphasizing divine love and the moral order of resurrection and redemption.
- IV
The secret word 'Waterloo and Recovered Christendom' signifies a divine restoration, and the child's fate is intertwined with themes of redemption and sacrifice.
- V
God's intervention to save the young girl and the restoration of peace after war reflect a divine moral order.
- Memorial Suspiria
The mother's counsel points to Scripture and divine judgment, and the young woman's fate is seen as part of a larger moral order.
- Savannah-La-Mar
The Dark Interpreter explains that God uses earthquakes and grief as instruments of divine agriculture, sacrificing the human present for a future that is God's present.
- The Daughter of Lebanon
The evangelist acts as God's messenger, binding and loosing, and the daughter's repentance and baptism restore her to divine favor, illustrating a moral and spiritual order.
