One of the many overt themes in the Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow is that of Theodicy, or "the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil."
The reader is introduced to this topic before they turn the first page; the 'sparrow' is one of Russell's major biblical allegories within the novel, which is drawn from some of the first passages in the book of Matthew:
"Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26)
This passage, in particular, calls attention to God's preference for mankind above all other creation. Only human beings can account for the presence of omniscient forces, as we are endowed with consciousness enough to differentiate between right and wrong, and thus differentiate between preferable actions to deplorable ones. Mankind amasses itself to please God and acts within finite, worldly means to glorify his/her name. It is our responsibility to act justly, for God has given man, the sole beneficiary of heaven, the ability to choose right and wrong when faced with hardship. The human capacity of choice, then, deems mankind the favored creature amidst all of God's creation, which is further elaborated upon in this passage:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).
It is important to note that, though the lives of earthly creatures are plagued with hardship and turmoil, strife is essential for moral growth, and our ability to dwell on both good and bad experiences is what grants humanity God's preference. Only by resisting evil can an individual transcend otherwise primal urges, such as greed or lust, that bind his/her soul to an otherwise undesired judgement.
Russell's protagonist, Emelio Sandoz, is the foremost embodiment of this struggle. He departs for Alpha Centauri with the utmost confidence regarding the validity and righteousness of his cause, but a string of disastrous occurrences challenge his faith. Sandoz is an archetypal saint; he has traveled between innumerable cultures and peoples to propagate peace and love; his linguistic savvy grants him limitless empathy for all mankind, as he works to alleviate the pains of mankind indiscriminately; he acts with steadfast faith for the prosperity of the world and requests little recognition for his sacrifice.
His voyage transforms the missionary into an unwilling martyr, however, as he returns with his faith shaken, desperate and mournful of loved ones lost along the way. Sandoz's confrontation with evil redefines his perception of God, as he becomes aware of God's unanswerable logic. Much like Job, Sandoz has devoted his life to the prosperity of God, but is punished all the same.
To conclude this brief discussion of theodicy in the novel, I will call attention to the philosophical implications of this topic. Although Russell is a born again believer, one must not differentiate theology and philosophy for the sake of argument. In either school of thought, Russell seeks to discuss mankind's predilection for moral transcendance. A reviewer at the Library Journal wrote that this book was mistakenly categorized as science fiction, and that it is really "a philosophical novel about the nature of good and evil and what happens when a man tries to do the right thing, for the right reasons and ends up causing incalculable harm".[2]
The Sparrow is not a purely religious text, but a metaphorical statement about the challenges every person faces in their day to day life. Whether or not valiant actions are rewarded has a inseparable and drastic effect on our moral fiber. More often than not, tragedy follows those that spread benevolence and virtue, and it is only the most righteous of individuals that can overcome this dilemma scarred, but not fully disenchanted.
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