“Belief, Courage, and the Female Spirit”

Wood, Gerald C. “Belief, Courage, and the Female Spirit,” Pages 21–32 in Horton Foote and the Theater of Intimacy. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1999.

This chapter in Wood’s book includes coverage of the role of Foote’s faith tradition in his professional work as a highly acclaimed playwright who won a Pulitzer Prize (The Young Man from Atlanta) and Academy Awards for screenwriter (To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies). “The most useful context for understanding Foote’s representation of the feminine—and the most immediate and powerful influence in his life—is the Christian Science church” (27). Foote says that he does not write from “that point of view,” but Eddy’s writings as well as lives of Christian Scientists known to him clearly “influence the ethos of his dramas, especially his views of sexuality, women, and religion” (27). Wood explains both the theology and practice of Christian Science (especially that of Foote’s loving and nurturing mother) that show through in his writing. Wood believes that “while references to religion are only scattered throughout Foote’s works, there is a Christian context for his theater of intimacy” (32).

ISBN-10: 0807122955
ISBN-13: 978-0807122952