But I should note, for all my resistance to organized religion, that I don't believe Charlie could have quit drinking without it. It provided him with a way to structure his behavior, and a way to explain that behavior, both past and present, to himself. Perhaps fiction has, for me, served a similar purpose--what is a narrative arc if not the imposition of order on disparate events? -- and perhaps it is my avid reading that has been my faith all along.
The author reflects on the complex relationship between faith and personal transformation, noting that organized religion played a crucial role in Charlie's recovery from alcoholism. Despite having reservations about structured religion, she acknowledges that it offered him a framework to understand and modify his behavior, thereby facilitating his journey towards sobriety.
In a parallel perspective, the author draws a connection between fiction and religion, suggesting that both provide a necessary structure for understanding life’s randomness. She sees reading as a narrative form that organizes experiences in a meaningful way, indicating that her love for literature might have functioned as a form of faith in her own life.
