religious-doctrine

This chapter describes the daily life and rituals of the Green Brothers in their Friary on the shortgrass prairie, emphasizing their labor, religious doctrine, and the construction of elaborate grass towers. It focuses on Brother Lourai, formerly Rillibee Chime, who struggles with doubt about the official doctrine, especially concerning a plague that the elders deny. His internal conflict and fear of punishment for heresy highlight tensions between faith, knowledge, and repression within the religious order.

The narrator, David, recounts his childhood dreams of a mysterious city and the caution advised by his sister Mary about such visions. He then describes meeting Sophie, a girl with a physical deformity, and helping her when her foot becomes trapped in the sand, an event that introduces early doubts about the rigid societal norms concerning physical 'normality' and divine creation.