In The Farming of Bones, by Edwidge Danticat, the author uses a lack of religion in Amabelle's life to portray loss and death. The death of Señora Valencia's son, Rafael, the loss of Sebastien ad Mimi, and the loss of Father Romain's sanity show how Amabelle's encounters with death and loss relate to religion. Amabelle never allows Catholicism to play a role in her life, but unwillingly each encounter she has with religion involves another wound. Catholicism is the main religion of Hispañola, the island that Amabelle lives on.
             Amabelle helps birth Señora Valencia's children, Rafael and Rosalinda. Rafael dies on the second day. Amabelle has never followed Catholicism but almost everyone she has a relationship with does. When the children arrive into the world, she watches as Sra. Valencia and Juana, a housekeeper, pray over the children. Amabelle and Juana talk about wished for children and the Saints that observe these prayers. " 'If she has ears, then Santa Ana, she's already heard everything I said.' 'The sins on your head, then,' she (Juana) said. 'But you're not a believer' " (30). In everything that Juana sees or does, she turns to God for guidance. Amabelle, on the other hand will only turn to a Saint or religion when something goes wrong. When Rafael dies, Father Romain blesses both children and visits the house because Amabelle asked him to. She originally wanted peace for Joël's death and found it for Rafael's death. " 'I have already told this to Kongo,' he said. 'Please tell Sebastien for me, too. I am sad for Joël's death. These things happen too often. People die unfairly, innocently. His father will need kind words from all of us' "(74). That fresh hope that Amabelle receives comes from a denial of her spiritual self. She also denies her spiritual self when dealing wit...