What makes a book popular is the originality and universality of the story. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder is one of these books that travelled the time because of its philosophical meaning. The question that is asked at the beginning of the novel is the following: “Is there a divine fate?” For some reasons, the author seems to believe in divine fate, but some hints suggest otherwise. The author wanted to make the reader decide by himself, but with a little analysis, we understand that the answer is negative.
First of all, one would think Wilder believes in divine fate since he comes from a very religious family. He and his siblings all went to Christian schools. He elder brother was a professor of divinity at the Harvard Divinity School. In addition, the first character to be introduced in the novel is a monk that tries to prove the existence of divine fate through scientific and rigorous methods. His methods are not revealed, but we know that he wants to prove that the five people who died while crossing the bridge deserved it and that their deaths were an act of God.
At this point, we could think this is a religious novel that tries to show the existence of fate, but as we continue reading, the answer becomes more ambiguous. We are expecting sinners to cross the bridge and fall, but ironically, those who died were repenting. The Marquesa, who had been extremely foolish, passes away when she decides to become a better mother for her daughter. Pepita, who was judging the Marquesa, falls when she starts to understand and appreciate her. Esteban, who had been very depressed since his brother’s death, dies when he was going on a trip with the Captain Alvarado. Uncle Pio, who had always put a lot of pressure on the Perichole to become a better actress, is killed when he was going to spend a year teaching Jaime, the Perichole’s son. What about little Jaime? He died young and pure, he couldn’t be a sinner! The irony of these deaths suggest that they were accidental and were not directed by God. Why would God punish people that want to become better people?
When we finish the part called “Uncle Pio,” we are confused. What will be the answer? At first, we thought the answer was that there is a fate, and then, the irony of the deaths makes us think otherwise. The last part, “Perhaps an Accident,” also suggests that the deaths were not directed by God. The author probably wants to show the complexity of the answer. The question, at the end, is not directly answered, and is left to the reader. Now, the question is: does the fact that these deaths were accidental prove that there is no fate? Yes, because honestly, if God had a total power on us, wouldn’t He punish people who deserved it? If there were a fate, everything would be an act of God, even the fall of the bridge. That means if there were a fate, God would have killed them on purpose. Because God is supposed to be good and fair, it is now obvious that the answer is: no, there is no fate.
Wilder tries to make the answer very amibigous, so people can find their own conclusion from the novel, and more people can appreciate his work: those who believe in fate and those who don’t. Anyway, who is enough presumptuous to affirm he knows the answer to such a universal and philosophical question?
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