Gilead: A Theoretical Analysis

But our Everyman starts as a truly “fake” Christian and whether or not she deserves any redemption is questionable. Though she perishes like a martyr, as the Misfit confesses when he tuned to perpetrating evil deeds, the Grandmother responds that he should have started praying and that “Jesus would help”. Again, O’Connor’s attempt here is to present, by means of religious motifs, how superficial the faith of Southerners is. Grandmother’s advice comes out of convenience, not of genuine worship of God and is a commentary on how people turn to religion in the event of sickness, deathbed or

Response #1 to “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. In Literature of America, complied by Jan Anderson and Laurel Hicks, 19-25. Pensacola: A Beka Book, 2010. Summary of Major Ideas In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards

The central theme of both John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” and Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, is the prospect of religion in one’s everyday life influencing their future. In order to build up their ideas about acting in a way that pleases the Lord,

Throughout Southern literature, the authors of Southern text use religion to convey emotion through grotesque-life changing events and concepts. An article titled “Flannery O’Connor’s Rage of Vision”, by Claire Katz discusses how O’Connor’s literature feature religion and Christianity to throughout the literature. The author states, “Since O’Connor had identified her theme as Christian, it is no surprise to find critics discussing this prototypical pattern in religious terms; the protagonist is humiliated in order to recognize his state of sin, and is thus open to grace and redemption.”(55) Therefore, this essay will examine and explain the abstract Christian components illustrated among multiple texts written by Flannery O’Connor and provide textual evidence to support the abstract findings from within the texts.

Control dominates all aspects of Gileadian society, from minor, seemingly petty normalities such as the clothes allowed, all the way up to how and who to have sexual relations with. Unimaginable in this day, Atwood represents modern society gone sour, something which is chillingly

I think Gilead is thought of as a theocracy it is a government in which there is no separation between state and religion. Its official vocabulary incorporates religious terminology and references to the bible. House servants are Marthas in reference to the woman who helped Jesus in the New Testament; the local police are “Guardians of the

But if we shall neglect…shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions, seeking great things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us” (Winthrop, 20). This idea that the Christian deity is somehow connected to America’s greatness can be found in Conwell’s work, albeit used in a different manner.

In her book, “Good Country People,” Flannery O’Connor shows first hand how one cannot judge a book by its cover… not even a Bible. Even though a façade is put on, one realizes how vulnerable Hulga Hopewell actually is. Her encounter with a Bible salesman, Manley Pointer, shows how one cannot trust even “good country people” (2). Symbolism in this story transforms what one perceives the character of Hulga and Manley to be and allows the reader to make deeper connections about their physical and mental flaws.

Stapleford presents a strong analysis of economic issues with a Christian perception that aligns with Biblical truths. He urges his audience to avoid the temptation of idolatry and materialism but to live a selfless life of sacrifice. Stapleford claims that “there is sanctity in all of labor, and without God’s involvement human labor is futile. In whatever we do, Christians are to do it heartily as unto the Lord, for we do not labor for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to everlasting life” (Stapleford, 2009).

There are various depictions of opposite ideas in Barbra Kingsolver’s “The Poisonwood Bible”. Symbols of good and evil, lights and darks, sick and healthy, and social and natural balances are reoccurring images throughout Kingsolver’s work. Among these images is the one shown of Nathan Price and his counterpart Brother Fowles.

In every aspect of their lives, the goal of the Puritans was to make a society that would be in every way, connected to God. In “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards and “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two authors convey Puritan beliefs in two very different ways. Edwards projects these ideas by putting fear into his people, while Hawthorne takes a less critical approach to express his Puritan beliefs. While Hawthorne’s style is gloomy and strange, Jonathan Edwards challenges the reader’s understanding of Puritan ideals of religion by using symbolism, imagery, and details to steer his congregation away from sin and toward God.

Sinners in the Hands of the Same God John Edwards and John Winthrop were two Puritan writers who tried to take on the new world, with only the rudimentary tools of the unfinished society from which they came. While both authors are renowned for their sermons during this time, Edwards

Amidst the civil unrest that occurred prior to the beginning of The Handmaid’s Tale, the “Sons of Jacob“ were able to establish their theocratic society by executing insidious machinations calculated to control the United States, and thereafter successfully turning it into Gilead. The Sons of Jacob employed several schemes in

The first significant character in the beginning of Gilead, Edward, who is John Ame’s older brother who was ten years older than him, studied abroad by himself at the age of sixteen in Gottingen, Germany for college and became a remarkable intelligent person with personality and knowledge in John Ames’ eyes. As we know, Edward spent his early years in Europe, published a book in German, and returned back home embracing as an atheist. Yet, this is quite surprising and weird to see how Edward grew up in a family who is very religious and his father and their family happened to be all preaching and believing in God as Christians. Still, the book Edward published was a monograph on Ludwig Feuerbach, who is a German philosopher that supported the

This kind of biblical context is not relevant to the modern society that existed before the regime of the Gilead. As the context in ancient societies the men were considered as the head of the family. Men can have multiple wives so he can produce as many children as possible and women did not have many rights according to their laws. There are some similarities between the Gilead and the ancient society, as in in ancient times and Gilead the child death rate is very high.