Mountains Beyond Case

In the novel, Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, Kidder represents important aspects of beliefs and religion using Dr. Paul Farmer. In the story, it is an inspiring story about a doctor, Paul who travels to extremely poor countries like Haiti. Paul main ambition in life is to stop the spread of infectious disease and bring lifesaving medication to people in the world who have least access to it. Farmer treats people who are poor, and makes sure no one is turned away just because of their economic standing. He is a genuine, hardworking man who not only let other people affect him but he influenced many others as well. According to the Oxford dictionary, religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. Farmer confidently reflects the definition of religion when he is shown liberation theology by the peasants, with the works he done with his patients, and with his "god like" qualities. Through the evidence presented in Mountains beyond Mountains by Kidder, Paul Farmer is considered to be a religious man; his beliefs are positively reflected in his work through Haiti.

To start, Paul Farmer is considered to be a religious man by the shared dogmas he has with the peasants about liberation theology which is a form of religious belief. Farmer says that liberation theology is, "A powerful rebuke to the hiding away of theology" (Kidder 78). The peasants use liberation theology as a way of keeping sane and thinking that even though everyone else might hate the poor, god does not. Kidder also states, "Liberation theology, with its emphasis on the horrors of poverty and on redressing them in the here and now, its emphasis on service and premeditation, seemed to fit the circumstances of Haiti" (Kidder 79). Liberation theology suited Farmer best since it valued the same morals as he has making him believe it in greatly. It underlines a religious commitment to struggling for and with the poor. Farmer's view on liberation theology was to end the poverty in the Haiti with providing health care to all and it refuses to give up. He devoted his whole career to making the sure he served the Haitians to the best of his abilities by providing them with medication that they never had and giving them confidence that things care get better. That is what religion is truly about; giving people something to worship and helping them think that no matter how bad things look, there is still hope for a better future.

As known throughout the novel, Paul Farmer is a selfless man, and he always decides to make the best of Haiti even in the worst conditions. Haiti was high by a massive earthquake, leaving many civilians hurt and injured. It was a life changing event for many people: destroying their homes, families, and country. With the help of Farmer, Haiti was able to get proper health care. Farmer worked day and night to find a cure for TB and providing free health services to patients who could not afford it. By Farmer having high set morals it shows that he is religious because he always follows through with what he has believed in since he was younger.