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Last Days Of Pompeii Religion

Decent Essays

Throughout some of the readings, there is an underlying Religious or Good vs. Evil theme developing through the text. Beginning with the Marble Statue, the characters Fortunato and Donati could be compared to an angel and a demon, respectively. Florio, a young nobleman, on his way to the city of Lucca meets a stranger taking the same path as him and they begin a friendly conversation. In the beginning of the story, Florio is a shy and bashful young man. Throughout the story he develops into a more outspoken, outgoing person as he finds himself. His budding friendship with Fortunato, the stranger he met on his way to Lucca, helps him to blossom from being an introvert to becoming an extrovert. Fortunato’s character has a deeper meaning that …show more content…

One of the most significant themes in the novel is the Christian sacrifice. Nydia’s self-sacrifice in helping unite Glaucus and Ione despite her feelings towards Glaucus was the ultimate sacrifice even though her suicide would be looked upon as a sin. Nydia could be considered the most important character in the story. She almost signifies the struggle that Jesus had to go through, sacrificing herself to save the ones she loved. Also, Nydia’s blindness plays a huge role in representing the theme of Christianity. Christians rely on faith and their trust in God guiding them in the right direction. Christians are essentially blind, allowing God to be their sight. Another comparison to Christianity could be the eruption of Vesuvius representing the wrath of God, like the flood or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The idea that God is trying to teach a lesson rather than relentlessly punishing everyone could be considered. One could also consider Hinduism or Buddhism when looking at karma in the form of Arbaces being punished for his sins, by way of his own pride and enviousness that lead him to his destruction rather than any supernatural intervention. Arbaces could somewhat be compared to Judas in the bible. Arbaces is the complete opposite of Nydia, hating Christianity from the beginning. His demise is there to teach a lesson in what happens when Christianity is doubted instead of embraced or …show more content…

Both could be considered the good that helps deliver the main characters from the clutches of darkness to a life of happiness and bliss. Fortunato’s singing could also be compared to Nydia’s blindness. Fortunato has a gift that he uses to spread happiness, which he uses to deliver Florio from suffering a terrible fate. Nydia’s blindness, while not a gift, was still used as a passage of deliverance for Glaucus and

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