In Pat Barker's novel Regeneration, one of the main characters, Dr. Rivers, is presented with a patient who is not mentally ill at all, but very sane. In trying to &1xbet online games login ;heal&1xbet online games login ; this patient, Rivers begins to have an internal conflict about the job he is doing and the job he should be doing. He is fighting with himself until on page 149, he is in a church where they are singing a very popular hymn, &1xbet online games login ;God Moves in a Mysterious Way.&1xbet online games login ; At this point, Rivers is able to begin resolving his conflict. By using this hymn, Barker is able to emphasize one of the novel's theme: in times of war, reflection on religion not only brings peace to a country, but can bring peace within yourself.

The author of the famous hymn &1xbet online games login ;God Moves in a Mysterious Way&1xbet online games login ; is William Cowper. He was born to John Cowper and Ann Donne on November 26, 1731. In 1768, Cowper moved to Olney in Buckinghamshire (&1xbet online games login ;William Cowper&1xbet online games login ;). Three years later, he started what would be known as the &1xbet online games login ;Olney Hymns,&1xbet online games login ; but because of severe melancholy, Cowper did not finish this work until 1779. The very last hymn in this book is &1xbet online games login ;Light Shining out of Darkness&1xbet online games login ; (Cowper). This hymn is the one that most Christians all over England would know as &1xbet online games login ;God Moves in a Mysterious Way.&1xbet online games login ; Even though the hymn may not have been as popular among the soldiers on the battlefield, according to Alan Wilkenson's book, The Church of England and the First World 1xbet online games login , &1xbet online games login ;[a]t home, 'God moves in a mysterious way' was a very popular hymn&1xbet online games login ; (157). Historians did not comment on why this particular hymn was so popular during the war. However, the verses in the hymn remind Christians that God is watching over them, and that He has a purpose for everything He does (Cowper). This idea may have provided some reassurance to the families and friends of soldiers on the battlefield. Those with loved ones serving their country may have found comfort knowing that God had a plan, and that He was watching over their soldiers.

Other hymns, as well as religion in general, were an important part of the soldiers' and officers' lives. Over forty million prayer books, hymn books, and Bibles were distributed among soldiers during the first two years of war by several different agencies. Many of the books had the typical inscription: &1xbet online games login ;Please carry this in your pocket and read it every day&1xbet online games login ; (Wilkinson 153). Hymns were also a very important part of the soldier's life because they were considered &1xbet online games login ;a link with home.&1xbet online games login ; During the war, hearing soldiers sing was a very frequent occurrence. Some of the popular hymns were &1xbet online games login ;Eternal father, strong to save,&1xbet online games login ; &1xbet online games login ;Sun of my soul,&1xbet online games login ; and &1xbet online games login ;Onward, Christian soldiers.&1xbet online games login ; The favorite hymn among soldiers at the front that were going up to the line was &1xbet online games login ;Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling doom&1xbet online games login ; (Wilkinson 153-157). The titles of these hymns are very suggestive, and one can clearly understand what the lyrics are probably about. By singing these hymns, soldiers may have been comforted by the feeling that someone (God) was watching over them. Also, by singing in unison with other members of their unit, the soldiers may have felt less alone, and some of the pressures of battle may have been relieved.

Religion was not only important to soldiers during the Great War. Citizens across the country began to fill the churches of England (Wilkinson 71). During the years of the war, church membership actually increased by 288,496 (Marrs). Because of the dramatic increase in attendance and participation in church services, it was believed that there would be a &1xbet online games login ;religious revival&1xbet online games login ; in England (Wilkinson 71). Religion was an important part of daily life for the regular citizens as well as the soldiers, so it was easier for the soldiers to feel more connected to home, and for families to feel more connected to members on the battlefield. World War One in England was clearly a time when religion became increasingly important, no matter who you were.

Barker eloquently emphasizes the importance of religion in her novel on page 149, when chapter fourteen opens with Dr. Rivers in church hearing the announcement, &1xbet online games login ;Hymn No. 373,&1xbet online games login ; signaling that it was time to stand up and sing. In this church's hymnal, &1xbet online games login ;Hymn No. 373&1xbet online games login ; is &1xbet online games login ;God Moves in a Mysterious Way.&1xbet online games login ; The first two lines of the hymn -- &1xbet online games login ;God moves in a mysterious way/ His wonders to perform...&1xbet online games login ; -- are quoted as Rivers realizes how popular this hymn has become; he realizes that he could not count the number of times he has heard it since the Somme -- a battle that was supposed to be a &1xbet online games login ;decisive breakthrough,&1xbet online games login ; but turned out to be a &1xbet online games login ;decisive failure&1xbet online games login ; ending with approximately 420,000 British casualties (&1xbet online games login ;Battle&1xbet online games login ;). By including a scene where Rivers is in a church that is singing this hymn, the importance of hymns during this time in history, especially &1xbet online games login ;God Moves in a Mysterious Way,&1xbet online games login ; is emphasized to the reader. Barker also emphasizes the irony of battles becoming disasters rather than victories during the war by mentioning the popularity of the hymn &1xbet online games login ;since the Somme&1xbet online games login ; (Barker 149). This hymn was probably popular after this battle because it helped people cope with the unexpected terrors of war. By using the character of Rivers, who is thinking about the hymn and the irony of battle, readers can better understand the thought process that he is going through that will eventually lead to his peace.

Singing a hymn is not the only religious aspect that has an impact on Rivers' character in this scene. In the middle of the hymn, as Rivers' eyes begin to wander around the church, he sees Abraham and Isaac painted on the east window and his mind also begins to wander. He begins to think about &1xbet online games login ;the bargain&1xbet online games login ; that patriarchal societies are based on, in which the young men must obey their fathers and be prepared to sacrifice their lives, and in return, they will receive an inheritance and the same bargain with their sons. Rivers then realizes that this war is causing the citizens of England to break this bargain -- all the young men actually are sacrificing their lives, while the older men and women of society do nothing to stop it. It is at this point when Rivers' thoughts are interrupted by the final four lines of the hymn, which defer all understanding to God, and then he sits down to wait for the sermon. Just as the sermon begins, the church scene ends and Rivers' thoughts of &1xbet online games login ;the bargain&1xbet online games login ; are not mentioned again. There is tremendous significance in this scene of the novel, because religion is what causes Rivers to start questioning his views on war and the job he is doing. He begins to question the sacrifices his country is making, and whether or not those sacrificed lives are senseless. Unlike the other members of the congregation, at this point Rivers is not comforted by the hymn. In fact, it is the hymn that prompts the questions that will eventually lead to a resolution.

Rivers' religious experience becomes a turning point in Barker's novel because it eventually leads to him finding peace within himself after much thought. The hymn that was sung in church leads to a re-evaluation of himself and his job. It is at this point in the novel when Rivers begins to understand that being a medical officer who helps soldiers and officers return back to the battlefield is a position 1xbet online games login no longer desires. Even though 1xbet online games login genuinely cares for all of his patients, on page 238 of the novel, after a very suggestive dream about his patients and his role with them, Rivers realizes that 1xbet online games login is not really helping these men, 1xbet online games login is merely silencing them. 1xbet online games login begins to realize that just because 1xbet online games login is discharging these men from the hospital does not mean that they are well, and just because the men were admitted into the hospital, does not mean that they were ill. Rivers is finally able to see the gravity of the situation 1xbet online games login is putting each one of the patients in after 1xbet online games login discharges them. 1xbet online games login finally realizes that 1xbet online games login wants to get out of the situation 1xbet online games login is currently in, and once 1xbet online games login does, 1xbet online games login knows that 1xbet online games login will have peace within himself.

Dr. Rivers' new perspective on his job is brilliantly exemplified through one of his patients -- Siegfried Sassoon -- who helps him understand how he can finally obtain peace. Although Rivers understands that Sassoon is being placed in the hospital for other reasons than being &1xbet online games login ;mentally unsound,&1xbet online games login ; he thinks that he can treat Sassoon like his other patients -- he would do his job and return Sassoon to the battlefield. However, after Rivers' religious experience, and grasping a deeper understanding of &1xbet online games login ;the bargain&1xbet online games login ; that he was breaking, he is finally able to understand that he does not want to break it any longer. The character of Sassoon, along with religion, are the two main reasons why Rivers is able to better understand himself and the position he has been in for so many years -- the position he wants to get out of. Thankfully, he is offered another job, and he gratefully accepts it. Because of his insight, Rivers understands that he does not want his job anymore, and by accepting a new one, he is at last able to find peace.

While the hymn only occupies two pages of text in Barker's novel, the significance of it is immeasurable. Dr. Rivers' experience in church that morning is one that 1xbet online games login walked away from completely changed, and more in sync with himself. His response to religion caused him to question his established beliefs and ideas and decide to get a new job, which eventually lead to a resolution. After reading Regeneration, the readers will appreciate the role religion can have when one is faced with adversity -- 1xbet online games login can bring peace in unexpected ways.

Barker, Pat. Regeneration. New York: Plume, 1993.

&1xbet online games login ;Battle of the Somme: 1 July- 13 November 1916.&1xbet online games login ; World 1xbet online games login One. 13 March 2002. BBC. 20 April 2004. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/1xbet online games login /wwone/battle_somme.shtml.

Cowper, William. The Complete Poetical Works. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 13 April 2004. <http://www.ccel.org/c/cowper/works/home.html.

Marrs, Clifford. &1xbet online games login ;Changing Scenes: Church and Society 1900-1945.&1xbet online games login ; Papers on Mission. 16 April 2004. <http://www.woodlandsproject.com/Papers_on_Mission/1900-1945/1900-1945.html.

Wilkinson, Alan. The Church of England and the First World War. London: SPCK, 1978.

&1xbet online games login ;William Cowper 1731-1800: Brief Biography.&1xbet online games login ; The Cowper and Newton Museum. 16 April 2004. <http://www.mkheritage.co.uk.cnm/htmlpages/cowperintro.html.