es ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁fan atic ism ▁The ▁obvious ▁theme ▁of ▁Wiel and ▁is ▁the ▁criticism ▁of ▁religious ▁fan atic ism . ▁The ▁religious ▁fan atic ism ▁of ▁both ▁The odore ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁demonstr ates ▁the ▁subject ivity ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁experience . ▁Even ▁more , ▁it ▁suggests ▁that ▁" god lin ess ▁can ▁cor rupt , ▁and ▁absolute ▁god lin ess ▁can ▁cor rupt ▁absolutely ." ▁That ▁the ▁horror s ▁that ▁be fall ▁the ▁Wiel and ▁family ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁direct ▁result ▁of ▁religious ▁enthus ias m ▁indicates ▁Brown ' s ▁dis like ▁for ▁extreme ▁religious ▁sentiment . ▁Indeed , ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁suggested ▁that ▁Wiel and ▁is ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁Pur itan ism ▁( though ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁often ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁a ▁historical ▁alleg ory , ▁or ▁even ▁one ▁that ▁expl ores ▁the ▁writing ▁process ▁itself ). ▁ ▁S ens ational ist ▁psych ology ▁Wiel and ▁calls ▁into ▁question ▁the ▁sens ational ist ▁psych ology ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁plot ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁psych ological ▁ide ology ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁which ▁was ▁sole ly ▁based ▁on ▁sens ory ▁inputs . ▁While ▁the ▁action ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁this ▁kind ▁of ▁psych ology , ▁Brown ▁did ▁not ▁necessarily ▁accept ▁the ▁doctrine ▁without ▁criticism . ▁In ▁fact , ▁he ▁calls ▁into ▁question ▁its ▁valid ity : ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁truth ▁that ▁is ▁dis gu ised ▁by ▁appearance , ▁and ▁the ▁action ▁– ▁especially ▁Car win ' s ▁vent ril o qu ism ▁– ▁shows ▁how