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Examples Of The Great Gatsby As A Christ Figure In American Literature

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Chapter fourteen of How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster discusses Christ figures in American literature. Christ figures appear abundantly throughout American literature. A Christ figure reflects someone who has qualities similar to those of Christ, even though they may not be verbatim. Foster’s novel says, “No matter what your religious beliefs, to get the most out of your reading of American literatures, knowing something about the Old and New Testaments is essential” (125). Not everyone is a Christian or worships Christ. However,that does not mean one cannot read the Bible. Who Christ is and what he did within his lifetime and after his death is explained in the Bible. One must not agree with a text in order …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald, the main character, Gatsby, figuratively represents Christ. When Nick, Gatsby’s neighbor, asks if Daisy was driving the car that struck and killed Myrtle,Gatsby responded with, “Yes, but of course I’ll say I was” (Fitzgerald 143). Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice so that his people could be forgiven. This is comparable to how Gatsby will take the blame to keep Daisy out of trouble. Gatsby gains nothing from taking the blame for Daisy and if convicted, he will face jail time or the death penalty for something that was not his fault, just as Christ did. Although it may not be directly stated, Fitzgerald was likely attempting to draw a parallel between Gatsby and …show more content…

In the story, John Proctor had nothing to do with all of the witchery going on within his town but when questioned about his involvement, he consistently answered “I did” and when questioned about seeing anyone else involved, he replied with, “I did not” (Pearson 1229-1230). Proctor gives a false confession in order to protect the girls of the town. Ultimately, Proctor was hung for his confession and the girls were set free. This is similar to how Christ was hung on the cross to protect his people from their sins. Neither Christ nor Proctor had to do so, but they sacrificed themselves in order to protect others. Again, it is not directly stated that Proctor is a representation of Christ, but if one has at least a basic understanding of Christ and what he did, the parallel between the two can be

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In The Crucible, John Proctor takes the role of a Colonial wheat farmer for Salem Village. He, easily comparable to every other respected American at the time, was a righteous, God-fearing man that wanted nothing, but a new start to their lives outside of the control of King William III of England and his influences. But unlike the horde, Proctor did not believe that witches had possibly squirmed their way into Salem Village. In fact, he knew that they hadn’t made their way into the Village. This was because he knew the reason that it all started, a teenage girl named, Abigail, her undying love for him and and her extreme resentment of his wife, Elizabeth Proctor.

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