Myers borrows George Bataille's concept of evil as a convenient way of dealing with the sadism, childish irresponsibility and fascination with lunacy and death found in Evelyn Waugh's work. The author argues that the engagement with the problem of evil in this special sense, illuminates his treatment of the problem - the Christian God's tolerance of the wretchedness of so much of the human condition. Waugh is seen not just as a Catholic moralist, but as a Catholic visionary.