Holy the Firm

When reflecting on her time with Julie, Dillard makes special mention of their similarities. Examine this connection and how it informs Dillard’s conclusions.

Do you think Dillard’s interpretation of God provides an adequate response to the problem of evil? Why or why not?

Land figures heavily in Dillard’s cosmology. Consider how Dillard describes and interprets the land of Puget Sound. How does the imagery relate to Dillard’s themes and arguments?

The problem of evil is central to Dillard’s engagement with universal suffering. Focusing on Julie’s story reinforces the centrality of this problem but does not tell the whole story. Consider the way Dillard presents Julie. Is it a fair representation, or does Dillard’s use of poetic license ultimately undercut her arguments?

Dillard structures Holy the Firm as a blend of her own visions, perspectives, memories, and experiences of Puget Sound. Consider the way Dillard transitions between these things and the effect it has on the experience of the text.

Holy the Firm is ripe with literary devices and poetic turns of phrase that present Dillard’s arguments implicitly rather than explicitly. What do Dillard’s techniques tell the reader about the nature of her engagement with the book’s ideas?

Dillard’s polytheistic interpretation of Christianity is highly unconventional but allows a variety of personifying poetic descriptions. Consider Dillard’s use of personification and how it relates to her theological beliefs.

Time is a mysterious force in Holy the Firm. Though Dillard reaches few conclusions about it, time permeates every aspect of the book, down to its focus on three particular days. Explore the relationship between the book’s chronological form and its engagement with time.