有一个恒定的并置和替代的爱与恨的小说。爱和恨，虽然他们似乎是极性对立的来源类似的经验，这两个对一个确认上帝的存在。在他对Sarah Maurice的恨忍不住说，这是因为他爱她。在她对Maurice Sarah的爱是带向上帝，希望她能够拯救他。另一方面，德里克斯对莎拉的爱使得他进一步拒绝上帝尽管他认为上帝是真的。在完成莎拉的心愿毛里斯住在助长她的信仰和信念，Bendrix的反感神他现在承认与仇恨，因为她新发现的Faith带她离开他。
在他们的关系中，上帝发现了，但不同的结局。在德里克斯虽然他认为上帝是存在的这一信念源自痛苦使上帝在他心中的神并不是一个好的，上帝是个魔鬼。在小说的最后一部分是德里克斯上帝和信仰的飞跃；“你是一个魔鬼，上帝，诱惑我们的飞跃。“这仇恨的飞跃似乎是源于恐惧的不仅仅是痛苦和仇恨。在依附这仇恨似乎他是依附在莎拉的身体上，“你可以用你的嘴唇和手指的头发，我累了的心死了。我住了她的身体，我想她的身体。”Bendrix作为一个被亵渎的Otto所描述的接地。他不断地寻求证明，这是什么使他拒绝采取一种信仰的飞跃。执着于他能抓住的东西，但它却带走了痛苦的化身。即使他的仇恨是什么材料和亵渎，仇恨是在大脑中，不在我的胃和皮肤”。这种执着和恐惧使小房间，就像Marcel所描述的希望。
莎拉另一方面经历了爱的方式，它打开了她希望。的可能性，更多的可能性，一个更高的权力。这个开放给上帝的奇怪的事情是，它变得像一个交换。放弃与毛里斯的关系，为她与上帝的新发现。莎拉与上帝的关系可能已经毫无根据的虽然没有她肉体上的爱。她的交易方式是一种寻求拯救毛里斯的条件，她不能再见到他，所以他可能有幸福的可能性。除了她自己以外，这个信仰自然地出现在她爱的毛里斯身上。”我陷入了信仰，就像我坠入了爱河。我从未像我爱你那样爱过你，我也从来没有像现在相信的那样相信任何东西。”
There is a constant juxtaposition and replacement of love and hate in the novel. Love and hate though they seem to be polar opposites stem from similar experiences and both of these towards a sense of confirmation of God's existence. In his hate for Sarah Maurice cannot help but say that this is because he loves her. In her love for Maurice Sarah was brought toward God in hope that she would be able to save him. On the other hand Bendrix's love for Sarah causes him to further reject God despite his conclusion that God is real. In fulfilment Sarah's wish for Maurice to live fuelling her belief and faith, Bendrix's antipathy for a God He now acknowledges with hatred because her new found Faith takes her away from him.
In their relationship both found God but with different ends. In Bendrix though he concludes that there is a God this belief stems from suffering which makes the God in his mind a God who is not a good, a God who is a devil. In the last portion of the novel Bendrix refers to God and the leap of faith; "You're a devil, God, tempting us to leap." This animosity of the leap seems to stem from fear more than just bitterness and hatred. In clinging onto this hatred it seems that he is clinging onto Sarah's physical being, "You can touch hair with your lips and fingers and I was tired to death of the mind. I had lived for her body and I wanted her body." Bendrix as a character is grounded by the profane as described by Otto. He constantly seeks proof and this is what makes him refuse to take a leap of faith. Clinging onto something he can hold onto and yet have it taken away is the embodiment of suffering. Even his hatred is related to something material and profane, "Hatred is in the brain, not in my stomach or skin". This clinging and fear leaves little room for hope in the way Marcel describes it.
Sarah on the other hand experiences love in way that it opens her up to hope. To the possibility of more, the possibility of a higher power. The strange thing about this opening up to God is that it becomes like an exchange. Giving up her affair with Maurice for her new found relationship with God. The possibility of Sarah's relationship with God would have been unfounded though without her carnal love. Her trade in a way is a quest to save Maurice with the condition that she must not see him again so that he may have the possibility of happiness. To believe in something other than herself, this belief comes naturally in her loving Maurice. "I've fallen into belief like I fell in love. I've never loved before as I love you, and I've never believed in anything before as I believe now."
