Forums

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by leagleaze
Yes, I'm terribly scathed. But more, I think you just don't understand what people mean when they say someone is a Christ figure. Hence the whole admission I was being a timmy.

Sometimes people find Christ figures where they don't exist, like my ET example. Though the character shares some of the ideas I think it is a stretch to call him a Christ figure. English profs definitely push some shit so they have something to talk about.

A Christ figure though is just meant to be a retelling, retooling or representation of Christ. That's exactly what Neo is. A retooling and representation. In the last temptation of Christ, Christ is Christ. It is the "history" of his life, with some poetic license.

It is the same with any figure. If someone does a movie about JFK, the character who is meant to be JFK is JFK. On the other hand, if someone does a movie about a JFK like person, that is not meant to be JFK, but it might well be representative of him.

You mean Maria yes? This is a different issue. Maria is derivative of Juliet, she is not Juliet. Juliet is not a dancing, singing, Puerto Rican. The thread of the story is Romeo and Juliet and Maria represents the Juliet character. She's meant to be a version of her, a retelling of her. Is Neo a retelling of Christ? Sure, why not. And of Moses and of Alice in Wonderland too. But that doesn't make him Christ. He's a fictional character, so by definition, he cannot be Christ. He can only represent him.


Edited to add:

Yeah the whole concept that any time someone sacrifices himself for the greater good he has to be a Christ figure is a bit tiresome. People were sacrificing themselves long before Christ, and the reason profs find Christ figures where the authors didn't intend them is that they read it from a Christian perspective. It's rather irritating actually.

I was just bitching about a certain type prof at Enormous State U. who probably isn't competant to teach Lit. analysis. I'm sure lots of you went to good Liberal Arts colleges where the profs were better. These are two different experiences. Think how K profs were influenced up by Kingsfield, but weren't able to actually be Kingsfield. C'mon. lots of you had a guy like that. (Hi, Pock!)

As to Anita/ Maria.... that mistake actually speaks volumes to my credentials to be in this argument.