Jeremiah Land Character Analysis

In the western novel Peace Like A River, author Leif Enger creates a faith-filled character with a heart of gold who readers come to know as Jeremiah Land. Jeremiah Land is a single father of three kids: Davy, Reuben, and Swede. It is obvious to see that God is at the forefront of Jeremiah's life, along with his family. However, Jeremiah's faith is tested when his oldest son Davy shoots two kids execution style and kills them in his own home (Enger 49-50). Throughout the novel, readers are able to get a better insight into Jeremiah's life, including figuring out his strengths and weaknesses, learning why his wife left him, and are left questioning why he decides to perform a miracle and heal his ungrateful employer.

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It is hard to find a downfall in Jeremiah's character considering all of the great qualities he possesses. Because of his deeply rooted faith, he tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. Some may see this as a strength, or some may see it as a weakness. For example, Martin Andreeson was seen as an enemy to the Land family, and as someone who was "out to get Davy." Towards the end of the story, Jeremiah Land decided that he deserved to know the truth about Davy and his whereabouts (Enger. "'Look, Reuben. I want the same thing as you: Davy free and clear. If you like Mr. Andreeson better as an enemy, then keep him one. Maybe that's your job as a boy—as a brother. My job is different'" (Enger 246). Another person that Jeremiah gave the benefit of the doubt to was his employer, Mr. Holgren. Even after Holgren fired Jeremiah and was very disrespectful towards him, he chose to perform a miracle on him that gave him a new face (Enger 78-80).

It is hard to believe that with as spiritual and kind hearted as Jeremiah Land is, his wife would choose to leave him. Jeremiah's wife, Helen, and him did not quite see eye to eye on things. He chose to follow his calling from God and resort back to a simplistic lifestyle after a traumatic experience, and she felt as if his relationship with the Lord came in too much conflict with their marriage. Eventually she left and remarried, leaving Jeremiah on

Holgren goes back to the idea that he tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. Holgren, the grotesque superintendent that happened to be Jeremiah's cruel employer, was blessed with a new face and healed by a miracle Jeremiah performed on him, although he did not deserve it in the slightest. "Then I saw that his bedeviled complexion—that face set always at a rolling boil—had changed" (Enger 80). Jeremiah put all anger and hatred towards Holgren aside and acted out of love and forgiveness instead. This is something Jesus would do, and there is a blatant connection between Jeremiah and Jesus Christ; Jeremiah parallels him. Jeremiah's faith is so strong that it guides his actions, and along with that comes the fact that he is a good person at