Baptism Symbolism in 'The River'

The short story, The River, is a tale of a young boy who spends the day with a religious sitter while his parents nurse a hangover. In the end, the boy is washed away by a river as an old business man attempted to rescue him. This story is strongly religious, specifically Christian, with a specific undertone related to baptism. In Ramshaw’s Christian Worship, the author states, “The Christian water ritual, symbolizing death and rebirth, is called baptism, from Greek word baptizein, meaning to dip, to immerse, to plunge into water.”(pg. 143). While all Christians are expected to be baptized into the faith the symbolism and actions during the ceremony may differ according to the branch and denomination. The very basic meaning of baptism is the

The first takes place with a preacher, who tells the on lookers, and the reader, of the meaning of baptism. The preacher stands in a river and tells the gathered folk on the shore, “There ain’t but one river and that’s the River of Life, made of Jesus’ Blood. That’s the river you have to lay your pain in, in the River of Faith, in the River of Life, in the River of Love, in the rich red river of Jesus’ Blood, you people!” (pg. 162). Life, Blood, Faith, Life, Love, Blood are what make up this River which can was away pain and suffering by embracing Jesus’ sacrifice because Jesus already did the suffering for those who accept it. The preacher submerges the young boys head in this River and the young boy is not the same. The second instance of literal baptism is the young boy attempting to baptize himself. This ends with him being swept away as an antagonist is seen running toward him, perhaps in an attempt to save him. This antagonist runs to the boy struggling in the river because the antagonist did not accept any of his numerously attempted baptisms he saw the boy as drowning in the river. The boy, however, was beginning to truly develop faith in what the preacher had said and finally embraced the river full. In fully accepting the river, the young boy is carried along it to