The Role of Grief, Faith, and Meaning of Life: In the High Mountains of Portugal By Yann Martel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67431/ffq1m921Keywords:
Grief, Trauma, Religion, Spiritual faith, Memory, Pilgrimage.Abstract
The current paper aims to explore the relationship between grief, faith, and the human urge to find meaning in life. ‘The High Mountains of Portugal’ (2016) presents religion as a flexible and culturally shaped experience. Religion is not fixed; rather, it changes according to a person's emotions, cultural contexts, and their lifestyle. By focusing on faith and spirituality, this study examines how the central characters in Martel’s novels respond to trauma, grief, and loneliness. Religion functions as a source of strength and guidance in times of deep uncertainty. Martel presents the image of the “high mountains” to symbolize the difficult yet meaningful journey towards truth and inner peace. The narrative offers pilgrimage as both a physical journey and a search for the self. By importing ideas from postmodernism, this paper argues that believing in God helps individuals to reconstruct their sense of purpose. This study highlights, that belief and imagination assist individuals to coping with loss and sustaining hope in an uncertain world.
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