Della’s Rage: Race and Religion in Marilynne Robinson’s Jack

This essay examines the racial politics of Marilynne Robinson’s latest novel, Jack. Comparing it to her earlier ones, the essay argues that Robinson more explicitly addresses problems of structural racism. But in highlighting those problems, Robinson remains committed to a view of human persons defined first and foremost by a soul that transcends racial identity. The racial politics of Robinson comes shaped by religion, especially by a belief in the imago Dei. As a result, some readers celebrate her sense of shared human nature, while others will see in it a failure to recognize the power and force of race.