To Cuba and Back · Question
How does To Cuba and Back develop the theme of Religion and Moral Hypocrisy?
Answer
To Cuba and Back by Richard Henry Dana Jr. develops Religion and Moral Hypocrisy across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book critiques the enforced dominance of Roman Catholicism, the historical corruption of the clergy, and the contrast between the piety of institutions like the Sisters of Charity and the moral decay of the broader society.
The narrator contrasts the sumptuous Cathedral and the reverence for Columbus with the irreverent altar boys and the disrespectful American visitors who refuse to kneel.
The contrast between the bishop's dinner and the all-night mask ball, with church bells calling to prayer as revelers go home, underscores moral contradictions.
The chapter contrasts the Jesuits' austere personal lives with the lavish altar vestments, and critiques the Cuban taste for excessive decoration in churches, highlighting moral and aesthetic tensions.
Evidence in the book
- VI
The narrator contrasts the sumptuous Cathedral and the reverence for Columbus with the irreverent altar boys and the disrespectful American visitors who refuse to kneel.
- VIII
The contrast between the bishop's dinner and the all-night mask ball, with church bells calling to prayer as revelers go home, underscores moral contradictions.
- IX
The chapter contrasts the Jesuits' austere personal lives with the lavish altar vestments, and critiques the Cuban taste for excessive decoration in churches, highlighting moral and aesthetic tensions.
- XVIII
The chapter contrasts the reverent Jesuit Mass and the heroic devotion of the Sisters of Charity with the rigid social customs that prevent a young American woman from visiting charitable institutions.
- XIX
The Sisters of Charity provide care at the hospital, contrasting with the moral decay of the prison system.
- XX
The narrator contrasts the crowd's enthusiasm for bloodsport with their neglect of 'judgment and justice,' highlighting moral hypocrisy.
- Religion
The chapter details the historical corruption of the clergy, the church's inability to enforce Sabbath observance, and the moral dilemmas posed by racial marriage laws, highlighting hypocrisy within religious institutions.
