From the dawn of time until today, authors have used religion as a common theme in their writings. It is considered an elusive force, which means something different to everyone. In literature, the central theme of religion usually creates the main character of the novel. Religion doesn't change the characters but helps them find a higher spiritual power or perhaps deal with deeper issues. It reveals the true identity of the characters' personalities and whether there is a hypocrite in society. In the various novels "The Portrait of a Young Man", "Candide", "Crime and Punishment" and "Native Son", the authors use the common theme of religion to change and form the main characters of their novel by changing society , themselves and their religious beliefs (thesis). In the novel The Portrait of a Young Man, religion is an important and recurring theme. Through his experiences with religion, Stephen Dedalus gradually matures as he copes with his religious experiences. Although he practices the ways of his Catholic school, he dares to be different and choose his own life which is the life of an artist. We first see that his religious experience dates back to the beginning of the novel, when he was raised as a good Catholic who said "Put out his eyes, apologize, apologize, pluck out his eyes" ( Joyce). These harsh words begin to shape Stephan's childhood at boarding school. Leaving his boarding school due to his permanent status, he begins to learn other things about religion. He begins to question who God is and why he is important. Joyce quotes: “It was very important to think of everything and everywhere. Only God could do that. He tried to think what a great thought that must be; but he could only think of God. God was the name of God just as high... middle of paper ... on religion, but it still deeply remains the theme and heart of how the black community is bound to be stronger and wiser. In all the above novels have the common theme of religion, but what and when to use it is how it shapes their character. They use religion to highlight one's flaws, find redemption, strength or impact a community and to discover oneself and one's beliefs. Religion is always a controversial topic to satirize or simply learn about. How it reflects a person's perspective on life and allows them to find their true identity and purpose in life. Works CitedDostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and punishment. New York: Modern Library, 1950. Print. Joyce, James. A portrait of the artist as a young man. New York: Viking, 1964. Print.Voltaire. Candid. [Sioux Falls, SD]: Nuvision Publications, LLC., 2007. Print. Wright, Richard. Native son,. New York: Harper & Bros., 1940. Print.