The Door

“This book is not written for God.”

Magda is a religious person, but her intention in this story isn’t to please God. Rather, she’s atoning for a different kind of infraction. The book is written as a confession, a way to explore and define the complexities of her guilt. The book isn’t for God, but it’s written with a religious fervor and reflects Magda’s need to atone for sins against Emerence.

“I still don’t know how she fitted so much living into one life.”

Even many years after her death, Emerence remains a mystery to Magda. Emerence is bound to the modern history of Hungary; she seems closely associated with many of the country’s historical travails. This is why she doesn’t necessarily consider the notion of living a positive one. In a style fitting of Emerence herself, Magda notes that she has lived a rich life, but also that much of that living led to pain and suffering.

“The old woman opposed the church with an almost sixteenth-century fanaticism.”

Magda’s religion is quiet, observant, and polite. She attends church and follows her priest’s instructions, taking comfort in the role of religion in her life. In contrast, Emerence fanatically opposes the church and any form of organized religion. She objects to Magda’s unthinking religious conformity.