The Good Lord Bird

Faith, and the Christian faith, in particular, is a core theme in The Good Lord Bird. Brown fights against slavery because he wishes to liberate the slaves, but he does so because he believes it is God’s will. Brown believes that slavery is a moral sin, and that is why he is willing to dedicate his life to eradicating it. He interprets everything he sees as a sign that he is on the right path, and he sees omens in everything. He believes that Henry came into his life to be his good luck charm, even though Brown’s actions lead to the death of Henry’s father. His faith extends into the realm of folky superstation as well, such as his belief in the power of the Good Lord Bird feather.

Henry’s father is a believer as well, and the influence of him and John Brown are what lead Henry to say, “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” (23). Henry is skeptical of faith throughout the story, although he prays when he thinks he is about to be killed.