Beginning of Essay
The heroes of both As For Me And My House and Surfacing exist within dualistic realities; there is a constant tension between the rational and religious realms. In both books, this duality creates extreme emotional consequences that threatens the quality of life ....

Middle of Essay
.... The conflict that this causes is made all the more palpable by the fact that Mr. Bentley is Horizon's minister. Religion is a system of beliefs which contextualizes difficult subjects such as death, pain and suffering. According to Jordan Peterson it is human tendency to model facts, value is placed on these facts and we systematically assess what each fact signifies. This psychological process eliminates anxiety and fear. The need for a belief system is so great that Peterson states that: "We must model meanings in order to survive" (Peterson 8). The character of Paul effectively articulates the psychological function of religion. Paul articu ....