Evelyn Waugh's catholicism. His temporal religious attitude in comparison to "Decline and Fall" (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, LMU Munich, language: English, abstract: Evelyn Waugh is one of the most complex characters in the history of British authors. Before Waugh was successful with Decline and Fall as a writer he ran through a development influenced by professional and religious struggles. Working at different opportunities as teacher, painter or writer he did at first not want to get serious about his artistic career (Stannard 1986, xiv). Only with the success of Decline and Fall around the year 1929 he made the final step to become a respected author. Waugh's growing religious interest in Catholicism had a significant influence in his ongoing literary work (Stannard 1986, 232). Christopher Sykes goes in his biography of Evelyn Waugh as far as to claim that his faith was the fundamental feature for his aesthetic creating: "Waugh's adoption of Catholicism virtually completed the development of his aesthetic".

In his later career Waugh established his works as important Catholic novels. Therefore they are often discussed in relation to his personal religious background. Waugh's first published book Decline and Fall is certainly no religious work. Thereby it holds a special position in his artistic career written right before Waugh's conversion to Roman Catholic belief. This sets Decline and Fall in an outstanding relation to Waugh's faith what makes the book very interesting to discuss in respect to religious issues.

Over this term paper will now be discussed how Waugh's religious affection had an impact on Decline and Fall. Remarkable steps are Waugh's youth and school education as well as the broken marriage with his first wife. These themes are presented chronologically before Evelyn Waugh's motivation for his conversion is discussed in detail. Followed by the examination of Decline and Fall about religious influences by the author the discussion ends with the conclusion that his strong Catholic faith helped Waugh to become the extraordinary author he was. Presupposed is the knowledge of the book and Waugh's basic vita.