Retaining the name "the Convent" allows Morrison to emphasize the connections between Ruby and Puritanism, as "convents" are typically linked to Roman Catholicism. The American Puritans, spiritual predecessors of the men of Ruby, viewed Catholic traditions and institutions as the embodiment of a feared "other." On the day of the assault, Deacon, Steward, and K. D. delve into the innermost parts of the Convent, where the women are gathered for their "loud dreaming" rituals, interpreting the artwork as symbols of religious estrangement: "defilement and violence and perversions beyond the imagination... [and a] sea of depravity beckoning from below," so enticing that Deacon considers donning sunglasses to protect his eyes from witnessing a foreign doctrine. The language Morrison uses to depict the men's experience echoes the Puritan legacy of powerful, condemning rhetoric against the "other," which remains prevalent in the teachings and sermons of many Fundamentalist groups. In contrast, Soane and Dovey perceive the drawings on the floor as manifestations of internal distress, confronting the reality of their husbands' actions.