The Passion

Henri struggles with his faith in God, which is regarded by his Catholic village to be the original passion. Christianity’s inability to satisfy his need for passion in faith leads him to worship Napoleon and all that he represents in its place. Napoleon becomes Henri’s new religion. Henri also details how this hero worship spreads throughout his village and later throughout France, pointing to the ways in which nationalism can take on a religious fervor.

Henri receives contradictory messages regarding faith from role models like his village priest, a drunken gambler. On the other hand, Villanelle “basks” in faith, enjoying its aesthetics and decadence without actually believing in God. Venice, Villanelle’s home, which is laden with mysticism and deals in hedonism, is referred to in the book as the city of sin, where any desire can be bought or sold.

Through the symbol of the chicken, Winterson portrays Napoleon’s ravenous ambition for himself and for France. However, Henri’s obligation to satisfy this hunger represents Napoleon’s dependency on French labor to carry out his plan. Throughout The Passion, Winterson tracks the escalation of nationalism. It is the driving force behind Napoleon’s success. Henri describes how Napoleon’s vision for French conquest consumes citizens, making them hungry for power. He characterizes the strong leadership that facilitates French Nationalism: “Bonaparte will snatch up his country like a sponge and wring out every last drop. We are in love with him” (6). Through Henri and his descriptions of the horrors of war, Winterson warns against the greed and dehumanization caused by nationalism.