Synopsis:
Godless, by Pete Hautman is the story of the summer 17-year-old Jason Bock created a new religion. After having a "spiritual experience" under the town's water tower, the Church of the Ten-Legged God is formed. Godless delves into the personal meaning of religion, and what "freedom of religion" really means.
Idea for Lesson Plan:
The novel, Godless, would be a good supplement to a unit in Social Studies on world religions. Not only is this book a good example of how religions are started, but could be used for debate on whether or not the students believe the CTG was a cult, or a religion and what the difference is.
Critique:
Main character, Jason Bock, is big. Weighing 250 pounds, he is "coordinated," "fast," and can "grab a fly out of midair." However, when it comes to the bully Henry Stagg, Jason cowers. Henry has power...power that Jason respects. Author, Pete Hautman creates real, relatable characters through Shinn, Jason's nerdy, wimpy best-friend, Magda, the beautiful tease, whom Jason and Henry have a crush on, and Dan, plain Dan, a quiet, unsure friend. Together, this diverse group of friends, embark on a journey that will leave each character changed. By the end of the summer, Shinn, Dan, Jason, Magda, and Henry are left to ponder the strength of religion and what it means to each of them.
By creating the Church of the Ten-Legged God (CTG), Jason realizes that there is more to creating a religion than just appointing leaders. When the members of the CTG get in deep trouble, each member must decide for themselves whether or not they believe in the "ten-legged god."
Told in first person narration by Jason, the reader knows Jason's thoughts and can understand why Jason is questioning his Catholic upbringing. Through the theme of questioning religion, Hautman takes the reader on a journey into the lives of five high school students and their collective quest to find a religion they believe in.
Godless. ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86278-6. Pete Hautman. 2004. National Book Award Winner. Ages 14 & up. Young Adult Fiction.
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Natalie, You've really captured the way Hauptman creates a multilayered sense of teen alienation through the characters in Godless as they respond to Jason's creation of "the ten-legged god." Are they really "questing" after a religion they can believe in, or just "questing" for a way to give life meaning (or are those the same thing?). Good work.
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