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Chapter 3, Section 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Moviegoer, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Value Systems
Women, Love, and Sex
Modern Life and the Search for Meaning
Loss, Suffering, and Death
Summary
Analysis
The Smiths never speak about religion directly (except for Lonnie); it seems to embarrass them. Yet the practicalities of attending Mass spark a heated debate after breakfast. They agree to go to a church in Biloxi, and Binx is brought along, packed into a pew along with Protestant Sharon, who is put at ease by the Smiths’ unpretentious faith. When it’s time for Communion, Roy wheels Lonnie to the rail and supports the boy’s head while the priest serves him.
For the Smiths, religion is so taken for granted as part of life that it’s not a topic for open discussion. Binx’s presence in church feels incongruous and awkward, yet watching Lonnie receive Communion feels like a significant moment for him. Lonnie’s simple, accepting faith challenges Binx, though for the time being, he accepts it like any other data in his search.
Themes
