Abstract: In Barbey’s novels, purgatory, this “third place” between heaven and hell, becomes a part of the fictional landscape through intertextual construction and symbolic sedimentation. The narrative finds itself enshrouded in a romantic aura, but the narrative tension and dramatic power also increase, with purgatory introducing a sense of suspense to the quest for salvation. Barbey combines an apologetics of fear and a theology of sufficient grace and the communion of saints.
