Ragnarok the Day the Gods Die” by Randall Kenan

In reading “Ragnarok The Day The Gods Die” by Randall Kenan it talks about God, marital affairs, jealousy, and resentfulness. The preacher in this story Barden is jealous of the relationship that his wife Sarah has with God. The question that is raised in my mind is it because he has fallen by the wayside of his belief in God, by having an affair with someone within his flock? Had the affair begun once Sarah at age thirty-three started having women problems? Sarah couldn’t no longer give Barden any children other than the one son that they already had, before the problems started with her reproductively. Many would think as they read this story that Barden was very resentful against Sarah. Back then in those days women were looked at as broken if they couldn’t give their husbands what they wanted. Which many of the men then wanted a number of children. With further reading I asked myself a multiple of times did Barden marry Sarah for all of the wrong reasons? Because in the story says “He sees her cooler, now resigned, now more a saint than a woman, less a wife than a helpmeet.” So was the only thing that Sarah was good for was cooking, cleaning, and raising their son Carl. Carl has since grown up into a resentful son toward his father, because at some point he found out about his lustful affair. Carol then revels unto his father Barden that he knows and doesn’t respect him for being unfaithful to his mother. Barden asked Carl to forgive him, but Carl couldn’t it seems to let go that his preacher father was acting of flesh and not as a clergyman. Barden not only ask his son Carl for forgiveness but he also asks God. Time and time again Barden goes back and does the same thing that he asked to be forgiven for previously. Barden is having an affair with Louise whom is married as well. So not only is Barden committing adultery, Louise is doing the same. Louise not only has a husband she has three daughters. Sarah who is dying of Leukemia mentions to Barden that