Zamyatin wrote his dystopian novel, We, to expose the fact that government will repress human freedom and nature to promote society’s stability. However, the theme of religion can be observed throughout the novel as Zamyatin uses imagery and metaphors to the “old religions.” Even though the Benefactor is seen sparsely through the eyes of the protagonist, His influence on OneState citizens is imminent. The reader is forewarned of the Benefactor’s omnipotence and the harsh judgement with which He governs over the citizens. Zamyatin religious metaphors depicted through the Benefactor and His ruling of One State in We function mainly to critique Christianity to be a totalitarian and deteriorated culture. The Benefactor is formally introduced …show more content…
He declares that the “ancestors, the Christians, worshipped entropy as they worshipped God” (159). The ancestors, the savages, worshipped the tendency towards a chaotic world. They were drawn to the gradual decline into disorder and the fact everything will eventually fall apart, which would ultimately bring their world’s demise. What does this then say about the God the Christians followed with such fervor? Zamyatin attempts to persuade the readers that a God worthy of such followers is not interested in a thriving society, but rather only in His own amusement at the cost of humanity. Yet, “this is still the God who has been worshipped for centuries as the God of love” (206). In a climatic conversation with the protagonist, the Benefactor justifies the cruelties of OneState by comparing Himself to the Christian God. The Benefactor argues that His unexplainable actions are for the good of mankind, just as the ancestors would argue that “God works in mysterious ways,” even when those actions are not immediately beneficial towards its citizens. The “Christian, all merciful God—the one who slowly roasts in the fires of Hell all those who rebel against him—is he not called the executioner” (206)? The Benefactor compares Himself to the old God, claiming that He too uses his power to punish all those who sin against OneState. The text reveals that He is proud to be the supreme leader of OneState, and to be the execution of the state. Zamyatin uses direct metaphors to show that just as OneState follows a totalitarian regime controlled by a power mad ruler, Christianity has also deteriorated into a totalitarian
Religion is a part of society that is so closely bound to the rest of one’s life it becomes hard to distinguish what part of religion is actually being portrayed through themselves, or what is being portrayed through their culture and the rest of their society. In Holy Terrors, Bruce Lincoln states that religion is used as a justifiable mean of supporting violence and war throughout time (Lincoln 2). This becomes truly visible in times such as the practice of Jihad, the Reformation, and 9/11. The purpose of this essay is to show that as long as religion is bound to a political and cultural aspect of a community, religious war and destruction will always occur throughout the world. A historical methodology will be deployed in order to gain
In the book’s introduction, Walter Rauschenbusch has written “It follows that the relation between Christianity and social crisis is one of the most pressing questions for all intelligent men who realize the power of religion, and most of all the religious leaders of the people who give direction to the forces of religion” .
In Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton conveys that you will never be satisfied if you try to choose between love and responsibility. Through her use of the metaphor comparing winter to Ethan and his life, Wharton illustrates the dissatisfaction that comes from attempting to choose between two equally beneficial and detrimental choices.
In the first chapter of God Behaving Badly, David Lamb argues that God is unfairly given a bad reputation. He claims these negative perceptions are fueled by pop culture and lead many to believe the lie that the God of the Old Testament is angry, sexist, racist, violent, legalistic, rigid, and distant. These negative perceptions, in turn, affect our faith. Ultimately, Lamb seeks to demonstrate that historical context disproves the presumptuous aforementioned. In addition, he defends his position by citing patterns of descriptions that characterize God throughout the Old Testament. “Our image of God will directly affect how we either pursue or avoid God. If we believe that the God of the Old Testament is really harsh, unfair and cruel, we won’t want anything to do with him” (Lamb 22). Clearly, they way Christians choose to see God will shape their relationship with Him.
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
Relationships force individuals to sacrifice some of their aspirations and ideals which leads to emotional wounds. Zora Neale Hurston uses an extended metaphor with symbolic images to expose the internal conflicts that arise from complications within relationships. Hurston constantly refers back to a vision of a blossoming tree to develop a symbol of Janie’s life, focusing on love. The author says: “The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, . . .” (Hurston 83). This image is used to illustrate the power of a new relationship in Janie’s life. Her soon to be husband, Logan, will damage her tree. By including this metaphor, the author simplifies the abstract concept of love to an image that is seen in day to day life. As the reader follows Janie, he or she is able to understand her feelings through the symbol of the tree.
Throughout his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals character through the use of imagery and metaphor.
Slezak, P. "Gods of the State: Atheism, Enlightenment and Barbarity." Politics and Religion in the New Century: Philosophical Reflections (2009): 20. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
Jimmy S.Baca use of metaphors, similes, imagery, diction, tone and mood are used in a very effective way in his essay Coming into Language. His use of metaphors and similes really give the reader a visual, helping develop imagery. Baca’s use of imagery paints pictures in the reader’s head but also develops a type of emotion by the use of diction. The word choice used provides the reader with an understanding of where the author is coming from leading us into tone and mood. The author’s tone starts off very low but by the end of the essay you will feel very satisfied.
In the book Metaphors We Live By, authors George Lakoff and Mark Johnson address the traditional philosophic view denouncing metaphor's influence on our world and our selves (ix). Using linguistic and sociological evidence, Lakoff and Johnson claim that figurative language performs essential functions beyond those found in poetry, cliché, and elaborate turns of phrase. Metaphor permeates our daily experiences - not only through systems of language, but also in terms of the way we think and act. The key to understanding a metaphor's effect on behavior, relationships, and how we make sense of our environment, can be found in the way humans use metaphorical language. To appreciate the affects of figurative language over even the most mundane details of our daily activity, it is necessary to define the term, "metaphor" and explain its role in defining the thoughts and actions that structure our conceptual system.
Many people know the Christian God as happy, forgiving, and accepting of others. In the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards’ sermon completely shocks and scares people by claiming that the Christian God is the only God, and if you weren’t to believe in him, you would burn in Hell and be destroyed. The tone of this piece in the eyes of Edwards is dedicated, passionate, and pro-Christian God. Edward achieves his purpose by using metaphors, repetition, personification, and visual imagery numerously throughout the sermon.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Throughout time, readers have learned many different lessons from their favourite books. In The Chrysalids, John Wyndam used his story to teach his readers valuable, lifelong lessons. He makes it evident to his readers that prejudging certain people is not right. Also, he relates how change is possible, but hard to achieve. More specifically, religion often influences one’s point of view. John Wyndam’s, The Chrysalids was written with a purpose that teaches his readers about discrimination, about how change is possible, and how religion often influences one’s point of view.
The problem of reconciling an omnipotent, perfectly just, perfectly benevolent god with a world full of evil and suffering has plagued believers since the beginning of religious thought. Atheists often site this paradox in order to demonstrate that such a god cannot exist and, therefore, that theism is an invalid position. Theodicy is a branch of philosophy that seeks to defend religion by reconciling the supposed existence of an omnipotent, perfectly just God with the presence of evil and suffering in the world. In fact, the word “theodicy” consists of the Greek words “theos,” or God, and “dike,” or justice (Knox 1981, 1). Thus, theodicy seeks to find a sense of divine justice in a world filled with suffering.
If the idea of morality is abandoned, all actions become permissible. Yet the madman himself says that “there never was a greater event, and on account of it, all who are born after [it] belong to a higher history than any history hitherto!” This statement establishes that the madman actually sees the death of God as a benefit. It may seem unusual to describe the sudden and complete elimination of morality from society in a positive way. However, the attitude of the madman can be explained by a rhetorical question that he poses to the villagers. “Shall we not ourselves have to become Gods merely to seem worthy of [killing God]?” In essence, the madman believes that the death of God will make people directionless, but he also believes that people, out of necessity, will give themselves direction, and decide what is right and wrong for themselves.