The Good Lord Bird

“I weren’t a believer, having been raised by my Pa, who was a believer and a lunatic, and them things seemed to run together.” 

Although Henry’s father is a preacher and knows the Bible well, he does not inspire religious passion in Henry. Rather, he and Brown will demonstrate to Henry that religious zealotry is often accompanied by what Henry calls lunacy. There are few people in the novel who do not use their faith to justify rash or irrational actions. 

“Lying come natural to all Negroes during slave time, for no man or woman in bondage ever prospered stating their true thoughts to the boss. Much of colored life was an act, and the Negroes that sawed wood and said nothing lived the longest.” 

The theme of authenticity runs throughout the novel. Henry sees lying both as a talent and a necessity for the slaves. He admits that he rarely expresses his true thoughts, so it is unlikely that many people know his true self. Pretending is an act of survival for him and the other slaves. Being true to themselves could end their lives. 

“Your basic white man is a fool.” 

While talking with Fred, Henry realizes that white people share more of their secrets with the Negroes than they do with each other. A slave has thought through, by necessity, every potential consequence before saying anything. White people are not required to think in terms of the consequences of their speech, so they do not measure the things they say as carefully before saying them.