Garrison Keillor's The Prodigal Son vs. Luke's The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The classic story of the Prodigal Son is one of the best known parables in literature. A parable is often times described as a short narrative which teaches a moral; however, the plot is more realistic, than say a fable, and the characters are humans as oppose to animals or natural forces within nature. Parables are also presented in a more suggestive tone, which leaves them more open to interpretation. The play Prodigal Son told by Garrison Keillor differs greatly in terms of style compared to Lukes The Parable of the Prodigal Son told in the Catholic scriptures. Both of these parables convey the same moral, however, both are open to very different interpretation. This option for different interpretations when referring to this story truly exemplifies what a parable is meant to be. Keillor took the classic story of the Prodigal Son, told in the writings of Luke, and was able to transform it into a comedic piece of literature, in which people of the times could better relate to.
It is argued that Keillors version is disrespectful to the original parable; however, I disagree with that for many reasons. Understanding the true definition f a parable itself assists in the supporting of Keillors style and technique. The parable story the Prodigal Son told by Keillor is much more dramatic, by which he was able to establish more tone within each character. He did that by writing the parable in a script form, which was intended to be acted out for an audience. That was not the case with thte biblical story, where it was told in third person perspective. Keillors version of unveiling the moral though the characters first person dialog allowed the audienc...
... middle of paper ...
...eturns home to a warm welcome. This definition holds true to the parable that is told by both Catholic scripture and Keillors comedy. Overall I found that Keillor did an excellent job incorporating more personality to the characters in his story. This allowed for more of a connection between the audience and the parable itself. He was able to change the dynamics of the story using a more conventional method of comedy and wit in order to stay true to the moral told in the traditional scripture version of The Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Works Cited
Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia. Literature; Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Longman. New York: 2002. Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Literature; Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Longman. New York: 2002. 232-233. 1361-1366. Prodigal. Microsoft Encarta College Dictionary. 1st ed. 2001.
It is expected that at a young age, children are taught the difference between what is right and what is wrong in all types of situations. The majority of Supreme Court Justices abolished mandatory life in prison for juveniles that commit heinous crimes, argued this with the consideration of age immaturity, impetuosity, and also negative family and home environments. These violent crimes can be defined as murder, rape, armed robbery, aggravated assault and the like depending on state law. With these monstrous acts in mind the supreme court justices argument could be proven otherwise through capability and accountability, the underdevelopment of the teenage brain and the severity of the crime. Juveniles commit heinous crimes just like adults
Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History. 9thth ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2013. N. pag. Print.
In The Parable of the Prodigal Son, there was a father with two sons. When the younger son matured, he asked for half of his father’s wealth, and he father complied. However, he went and squandered that wealth in a foreign land. After the man had depleted all his savings in irresponsible living, a famine struck his country, and he needed to find work. The son found dirty work, feeding pigs, and lived in poverty. He grew so hungry and wept because his father’s workers had food and not him. Then he cried out that he had sinned against his father and God. He believed he should not be considered his father’s son anymore. The son went looking for his father, and when his father saw him he was filled with compassion. He accepted his son with joy and provided him clothes and food and shelter. His father had rejoiced. He believed his son had died and been reborn
Heroes are found everywhere. They are seen in movies, on television, in books, and in reality. A hero can be anyone from a friend to a fictional character. To be considered a hero, one must make selfless sacrifices, develop and learn, overcome challenges and temptations, and ultimately present their known world with a gift of any kind. Homer’s The Odyssey paints a picture of the supposed savior Odysseus. The irony of Odysseus’ situation is that he really is not the marvelous hero that many who read The Odyssey see him to be. When imagining a great hero, the words of cruel, unfaithful, selfish, or careless never come to mind, but the son of Laertes sets examples for each attribute. Odysseus makes many poor decisions that cause his dislikable traits to highly outweigh his few better ones. Several of his more prominent characteristics are exhibited on numerous accounts. Odysseus cannot possibly earn the title of being a hero because he harbors hubris, he displays a lack of faith, and his self-centeredness causes unfortunate events.
Updike, John. "A & P." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. By X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. Boston: -Pearson, 2013. 17-21. Print
In the “Prodigal”, the boy whom the speaker is addressing to yearns to accomplish his own goals by leaving his hometown behind and entering the urbanized world that is filled with endless opportunities and possibilities, including “[becoming] an artist of the provocative gesture”, “wanting the world and return carrying it”, and “[reclaiming] Main Street in a limo.” However, despite all these ambitious opportunities the boy wishes to pursue, he is ultimately unable to alter the perception of others who are the most familiar with his character. Rather, the people who are the most acquainted with the boy will perceive him with the same view as in the past. The thought of a newly changed boy that embraced a completely different identity while accomplishing several achievements, is incapable of affecting their perception of the past young boy from the county. This is illustrated when the speaker describes that even if the boy “stood in the field [he’d] disappear” and was still “aiming [his] eyes down the road” of opportunity, in the eyes of people who are most familiar with him, they will be unable to acknowledge this significantly changed individual. In complete contrast with those who are most familiar with him are others who are unfamiliar with his past. These individuals, whom the boy must have encountered while achieving his accomplishments,
Kennedy, X J., and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Sixth ed. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1995. Print.
Maker, J., Brittain, J., Piraino, G., & Somtow, S. Children Who Kill. World Press Review. June 1993 v40 n6 p21-23.
When a person hears the word “parable” they often automatically think of stories told by Jesus. Although Jesus did tell a lot of parables, he was not the only biblical figure to use parables. One example of an Old Testament figure telling a parable is the prophet Nathan’s parable to King David about the rich man seizing and killing the poor man’s sheep. 2 Samuel 12: 1-14. David gets very angry at the rich man and orders him killed before realizing the rich man is himself. The reasons Nathan used a parable are the same reasons Jesus used parables: discretion, to avoid defensiveness, and to stimulate deeper reflection. Parables are discreet because no one can get mad at the parable teller because even if he is talking about you, he doesn’t actually say your name, so you can remain anonymous. Parables avoid defensiveness because if you don’t think the parable is talking about you, you are more willing to listen and understand the wrongdoings in the parable, even if they are your own wrongdoings. Finally, they stimulate deeper reflection because they are stories, and while later remembering and thinking more about the enjoyable story, you can get more meaning from it. By using parables, Jesus helps us, his readers, understand his messages better.
The Parables are a section of the Matthews Evangelium in the Christian Bible. It is a common inspiration and focus for interpretation or themes during sermon.
In The Parable several characters are presented to the reader. Each one has their own behavioral characteristics which one may or my not approve of. The two characters whose behaviors I most approve of are Lee Pai and Hernando. The characters whose behaviors I do not approve of are Sven and John. There are several reasons why I approve of the behaviors of Lee Pai and Hernando and do not approve of the behaviors of Sven and John. All of these reasons I have based on my interpretation of the story, The Parable.
While these categories might be helpful for a reader to delineate between the objective or thematic point context of the parable, the author. Like Capon (2002) states that the interpreter must come to biblical interpretation with a “willingness to hear and respond appropriately” (p.24). From this perspective, Snodgrass (2008) adopts eleven rules for interpretation. These include:
...Types of Killers — The Unthinkable — Children Who Kill and What Motivates Them. Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.
Jesus told “The Parable of the Prodigal Son" to the religious and the Jewish crowd there to help them understand that salvation does not come by works, but by the grace of God. The Lord is merciful and forgiving, but you just must be willing to realize your mistake and ask for forgiveness just like the prodigal son had done. The reaction of the crowd when Jesus spoke was most likely extreme upset and outrage, similar to that of the eldest son. Since God is gracious and loving, sinners can return to him with confidence that he will warmly welcome them. A good father only wants what is best for his children, and that is to love and be loved. Most importantly, the parable shows that God’s people should rejoice at the willingness of sinners to turn to God and the willingness of God to receive them. This parable especially exemplifies God’s redemptive grace, mercy, unconditional love and forgiveness. In addition, the author greatly incorporates character analysis to give us a good description and understanding of the parable. By using the prodigal son’s, the father’s, and the elder son’s character as analogies and symbols to compare and contrast to other concrete examples, the reader was able to understand the parable on a deeper level. Unfortunately, the parable ends without revealing what the older son did. The ending can be used as a self-check; if you were in the older brother’s shoes, how would you react? Would you be rejoicing for your younger brother’s return or would you allow the bitterness and resentment of your father’s reaction take over