Kapitel 26: Mysticism as enchantment, deception rather than Enlightenment

Ickapoo desires meaning. But mysticism is a form of enchanment rather than spiritual enlightenment.

Ostensibly a satire on mysticism that does not prove to be authentic religion due to the dubious background of the mysterious Mother and a critical look at her methods of mind control and manipulation, Journey to Ithaca is actually rather more ambivalent on the superiority of Western religion and proves to be generally sceptical about the redeeming nature of religion in general, as Sophie’s decadent life of comfort and luxury in Italy seems to be an object of criticism as well.

` Ultimately, Desai seems sceptical about the capability of both eastern and western religions to provide divine revelation and sustenance as what comes to be embodied by fallen human beings fails to perfectly represent the divine.