In The Star by Arthur C. Clarke (Clarke 44-49), an astrophysicist and Jesuit priest's faith is tested when he and his crew they discover the remaining artifacts of a destroyed civilization. He learns that the advanced civilization lived on an earth-like planet in another solar system and spent their final years building a vault (filled with their findings and artifacts) on their outermost planet, which was distant enough to survive the supernova . After the discovery of the artifacts of the dead race, the Jesuit priest finds himself questioning God. The story ends with an ironic twist, as the main character realizes that the lighthouse that shone above Bethlehem when Jesus was born was the same supernova that set end of a distant race. The story showed the Jesuit priest's struggles as he tried to balance his discoveries of wiped out civilization with his religious beliefs. He doesn't understand why God would destroy an entire world full of human-like people for no reason. He believes that God should be cruel or not exist at all. The character's inner pain and conflict were evident as he maintained his faith until his supernova calculation broke the camel's back. Ultimately, he seems to come to the conclusion that God does not exist. Two types of conflict are seen in the story. The Jesuit priest had a world of internal conflict within himself and with his crew members, who did not believe in God and were amused that a Jesuit priest was also their chief astrophysicist. He was proud, and the thought of giving in to the idea that God didn't exist was sad to him. I think the character ultimately felt defeated when he gave up his faith. The main character also mentions that even though few of his crew are... middle of paper ......or details about supernovas, it lost my interest a bit because I wanted the story to pick up pace and continue with the discovery of the priest. Overall, The Star is thought-provoking and a good read. However, I don't think this story is for everyone. This story would probably appeal most to people who like philosophy and science fiction, as it deals with space and human beliefs. I'm not surprised that the story was a huge success when it came out, nor am I shocked that Arthur C. Clarke won the Hugo Award for it, as it was well deserved. Works Cited1. Clarke, Arthur C. "The Star." Worldviews: classic and contemporary readings. 6th ed. Ed. Darren Felty, et al. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. 44-49. Print.2. Crayne, Victoria. “How to Criticize Fiction.” Victoria Craine. Vittoria Crayne, 2013. Web. 12 March 2014. http://www.crayne.com/howcrit.html.