Throughout the history of the human race religion, or a belief system has played a major role, whether it be how the world was created or how one should live their life. Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon follows the story of John Smith, a man who claims God came down and spoke to him during an office shooting. Although religion has brought comfort and happiness to people all the way from ancient civilizations to now, it has also been a major conflict, usually between believers and non-believers. This idea is shown very clearly in The Break of Noon for John believes his interaction with God has changed him and everyone else is very hesitant to believe him. Through these conflicts, it is clear to see that Neil LaBute is not trying to share his beliefs to the audience but rather is trying to explore them, specifically whether or not a person can truly change in a world unimpressed by religious enlightenment, which is shown through ideas in the preface clearly connecting back different characters and scenes in the play.
In the preface,
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LaBute’s interest in sin, a man who tries to be good but is being held back by his past, and the choice between good versus evil and whether it truly matters are all ideas that are shown both in the preface and in the play. These same ideas can all be traced back religion and what God means to different people and throughout the play, John was always trying to convince someone new that God did talk to him and that he is changed and it is a major source of conflict between the believers and the non-believers. With this in mind, one can realize that it is important to look at religion as not only a source of comfort or exploration but also source of conflict through