Of course, as any other character, he is complex and has many layers that are revealed throughout the span of the novel, which ultimately makes the audience feel more sympathetic towards him at times. This is evident as we begin to learn more about Nathan’s past, horrific experience in World War II. His Purple Heart, to him, represents his failure to fight and die with honor as the rest of his company had done. As a result, Nathan hoped he could redeem his himself in the eyes of God by becoming a religious zealot, which would eventually result in his downfall: "Father would sooner watch us all perish one by one than listen to anybody but himself," (Kingsolver