La Symphonie Pastorale - Thematic Analysis

Thematic Analysis

The story deals with the idea of blindness; although Gertrude is evidently blind physically, the pastor himself is blind in his morality, seemingly unaware of the full extent of his sinfulness in his obsession for Gertrude.

As well as blindness, sin is a prevalent concept in the novel. The pastor treats the love that Jacques feels for Gertrude as a sin without taking into account that he himself, as a married man and a religious figure, has profound emotional sentiments for a young girl whom he adopted almost as a daughter. He also fails to take into account the fact that as a pastor he would inevitably be viewed by his congregation to be someone who should present himself as an example of strong virtues and high moral values.