Wieland – The Struggle Between Faith and Science

Wieland is an epistolary novel, and was written by Charles Brockden Brown in 1798. The story begins with a family whom originates from England and settles in America. The characters are faithful Puritan’s, and possess very strict values towards God. Three Puritan values include obedience to God, putting God over all other aspects of life, and Excessiveness. Wieland is the central character throughout the story. Pleyel, Carwin, and Clara are the other main characters of the book. There are two main conflicts throughout the story. The first involves Pleyel and Clara. In this case Wieland accuses them of improper conduct because he misunderstands one of their conversations. This accusation leads to the second conflict in which Wieland murders his wife Clara. Unfortunately, these conflicts create tremendous struggle between faith and science for Wieland. In the end, Wieland’s struggle between science and faith is overcome by scientific evidence, and leads to his death.
The ...