Brideshead Castle Chapel - Shea Delehaunty

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In Evelyn Waugh's iconic novel Brideshead Revisited (1945), living at majestic Brideshead Castle is a profound aesthetic education (88). Jennie-Rebecca Falcetta astutely observes that Waugh skillfully embeds his protagonist Charles's gradual journey towards faith within the language of aesthetic valuation (52). In essence, as Charles develops an appreciation for various aesthetics, he also comes to terms with embracing religion. If aesthetics serve as a powerful symbol for faith in the novel, then Brideshead Chapel, at its very heart, must be the ultimate embodiment of Catholicism, despite each character's unique and complex relationship with it. Sebastian and Julia Flyte were raised within a devoutly Catholic household by their pious mother, but Lady Marchmain's suffocating Catholicism led her children into spiritual turmoil. Charles, on the other hand, was raised without any religious influence, yet he concludes the story standing at the altar as if he has undergone a profound transformation. If Brideshead Chapel is indeed a potent symbol of Catholicism, then how might its design reflect the intricate and ever-evolving relationships the characters have with their faith?