Christ figure

A Christ figure is a literary technique that authors use to draw allusions between their characters and the biblical Jesus Christ. More loosely, the Christ Figure is a spiritual or prophetic character who parallels Jesus, or other spiritual or prophetic figures.

In general, a character should display more than one correspondence with the story of Jesus Christ as depicted in the Bible. For instance, the character might display one or more of the following traits: performance of miracles, manifestation of divine qualities, healing others, display loving kindness and forgiveness, fight for justice, being guided by the spirit of the character's father, death and resurrection. Christ figures are often martyrs, sacrificing themselves for causes larger than themselves.

In postmodern literature, the resurrection theme is often abandoned, leaving us with the image of a martyr sacrificing himself for a greater good. It is common to see Christ figures displayed in a manner suggestive of crucifixion as well.

Literature

• Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities ^[1]
• Uncle Tom and Eva St. Clare in Uncle Tom's Cabin ^[2]
• Akaky Akakievich in Nikolay Gogol's The Overcoat. ^[3]
• Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath.^[4]
• Joe Christmas from Light in August.^[5]
• Santiago of The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.^[6][7][8][9]
• Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee He defends Tom Robinson against Bob Ewell and teaches his children true honesty and courage. He is a man with no prejudice or racial hatred.^[10]
• Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Aslan the lion sacrifices himself to save Edmund but rises again from the dead to defeat the White Witch.^[11] In fact, Lewis had commented that he intended Aslan to actually be Christ, "re-Incarnated" as a Lion to serve a world where animals were the main form of sentient life.^{[citation needed]}
• Simon in William Golding's Lord of the Flies is spiritually sensitive. He likes to go off on his own (as Jesus did, going into the desert); he "wrestles with the devil" in the form of his conversation with the Lord of the Flies (the pig's head on a stick); he goes to the mountaintop to find out the revelation that the "beast" is only a dead pilot, and he is martyred for trying to bring the truth to the other boys. Finally, as Simon's dead body is taken by the sea, glowing creatures seem to form a halo around his head.^[12]
• Finny in A Separate Peace^[13][14]
• Billy Budd in Billy Budd by Herman Melville ^[15][16]
• John Coffey from The Green Mile.^[17]
• Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, is the is the sacrificial lamb of Middle-earth who bears a burden of terrible evil on behalf of the whole world, like Christ carrying his cross. As Jesus bore the sins of mankind, Frodo bears a heavy burden and as he approaches the Cracks of Doom the Ring becomes as much a crushing weight as the wood of the cross. Frodo’s via dolorosa or way of sorrows is at the very heart of Tolkien’s story, just as the crucifixion narratives are at the heart of the gospels accounts. Frodo's wound on Weathertop is a figurative of Christ's spear wound on the Cross. Note that the wound on Weathertop is inflicted by the Witch-king, another Satan figure. By the time Frodo reaches Mount Doom, he is so weighed down by the power of the Ring and despair over its destruction that Sam carries him and the Ring up the path to the Crack of Doom — shades of Simon the Cyrenian bearing Jesus' cross to Golgotha. As Christ ascended into heaven, Frodo’s life in Middle-earth comes to an end when he departs over the sea into the mythical West with the Elves, which is as much to say, into paradise. ^[18]
• Harry Potter in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series displays Savior qualities every time he defends the wizard (and Muggle) world from the devilish Lord Voldemort. On multiple occasions, Harry willingly presents himself as a sacrifice and, by so doing, is able to destroy the evil wizard. As an innocent baby, Harry becomes the only being to withstand the killing curse, a feat that leaves him with a Christ-like scar on his forehead (instead of his hands and feet), and which temporarily defeats Voldemort. Since his wizard parents are dead, Harry is then raised in humble circumstances - under the stairs of the unbelieving Dursleys, similar to Christ's birth in a stable and his rearing as a carpenter's son. Later, after defeating Voldemort for the second time, Harry lies in a coma, as Christ did in the tomb. As Christ descended into hell, Harry descends to the Chamber of Secrets, and as Christ endured suffering on the cross, Harry endures the Cruciatus Curse. In the end, just as Christ died and was resurrected to overcome Satan and death, Harry dies and returns from death to finally destroy Voldemort.^[19][20][21]
• Meursault in The Outsider.^[22]
• Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.^[23]
• Mama-A Raisin in the Sun
• Anasûrimbor Kellhus in R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor series.

Stage and film

• Mufasa in The Lion King. He sacrifices himself for his son, Simba and teaches him to remember his identity.^[24]
• James Cole in Twelve Monkeys.^[24]
• RoboCop in RoboCop. Alex Murphy is killed in a similar manner to crucifixion (his hand is blown off with a shotgun) and he is resurrected as the superhuman RoboCop after a time of rest. The film itself contains many allusions to Christ, including a reference to RoboCop walking on water, and his general role as a saviour of humanity against evil.
• In Hair, the character of Claude becomes a classic Christ figure at various points in the script. In Act I, Claude enters, saying, "I am the Son of God. I shall vanish and be forgotten," then gives benediction to the tribe and the audience. Claude suffers from indecision, and, in his Gethsemane at the end of Act I, he asks "Where Do I Go?". There are various textual allusions to Claude being on a cross, and, in the end, he is chosen to give his life for the others.^[25]
• Klaatu from The Day the Earth Stood Still comes down from the "heavens" in a flying saucer, takes the name "Carpenter" to walk incognito among the people, and is persecuted and killed. However, he resurrects back to life, gives a stern benediction to the people of the earth, and then ascends back to the heavens.^[24][26]
• Freder in Metropolis is one of the more overt examples. Freder's Father, Johann Fredersen, is the overlord of Metropolis. As Metropolis stretches for miles and includes good things (such as marvelous theatres and stadiums) and bad things (a red-light district) it can be seen to represent the World. Fredersen, as both ruler and builder of Metropolis symbolized God, and Freder, his son, would therefore be Jesus. Furthermore, when Johann Fredersen asks his son what he was doing in the machine halls, he says that he wants to see the little children who are his 'brothers and sisters'. He identifies with children, even though he is in his twenties, and this could be a reference to Jesus Christ's saying 'Suffer little children to come unto me' or a sign of Freder's inherent purity. His lover is named Maria, the German for 'Mary' as in 'Mary Magdalene' and Freder is 'crucified' as he works on a horrible machine that forces him into the position of jesus on the cross.
• Neo in The Matrix Trilogy. Although the film series makes many visual and textual references to various religions,^[27] many Christ figure parallels exist. He is repeatedly called "the One" in a messianic sense; Neo saves various people (and all humanity at the trilogy’s conclusion); he suffers and dies; he rises from the dead; and, at the end of the first film, ascends into the sky.^[28]
• Superman in Superman: The Movie and Superman Returns. Both Superman and Jesus have been sent to Earth by their fathers (Jor-El and God, respectively). Both films chronicle the beginning of Superman's story, and included the famous quote: "They are a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. It is for this reason, above all, their capacity for good, that I send them you, my only son." In the first movie Kal-El is sent to retire for 12 years to be educated "in spirit" by his father to be earth's saviour. In the second one Superman tells Lois "You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior," regarding her article "Why The World Doesn't Need Superman." "But every day I hear people crying for one." Late in the film, Superman is stabbed in the side as Jesus was believed to have been during the Crucifixion; after casting the Crystal Continent into space, the fatigued Superman falls to earth in a pose almost identical to that of a man being crucified. Superman wakes from coma in what seems the third day by biblical timekeeping, mirroring Jesus' awakening on the third day after crucifixion.^[29][30] In comic book and other movie forms, Superman saves the people from dangers they cannot overcome on their own. The House of El (Jor-El, Kal-El, etc.) echoes the Hebrew expression for God, El.^[31]
• In the live-action Fist of the North Star film (as well as in the anime and the original comic books), Kenshiro is symbolically crucified by Lord Shin, who creates seven scars on Kenshiro's chest in the pattern of the Big Dipper, not unlike Jesus' wounds from the nails of the cross. Interestingly, Kenshiro is the master of the martial art Hokuto Shinken, which translates "North Star God Fist", whereas Lord Shin is the master of Nanto Seiken, which translates "Southern Cross Holy Fist"; in other words, Kenshiro's martial art is identified with "God", Lord Shin's with the "Cross". Kenshiro also restores the speech to a mute young girl (Lynn). Additionally, Kenshiro and Jesus are under the spiritual guidance of their fathers (Ryuken and God) to become the saviors of the world.
• The character of Nameless, played by Jet Li in the Chinese martial arts epic Hero, has been seen^{[by whom?]} as a Chinese Christ figure, in that he sacrifices his desire to slay the Qin Emperor for the sake of the kingdom. Afterwords, the Emperor's advisers pressure him into executing Nameless, similar to Pontius Pilate being pressured to execute Jesus, and after the consistent pressure, Nameless, like Jesus, is executed.
• The character D'Leh in 10,000 B.C. is a Christ figure in the way that he is revealed to be the world's prophetic savior who will bring down a false God who seeks to enslave all people on Earth. Additionally, D'Leh's father plays a pivotal role in his decision to accept his savior destiny.
• The superhero vampire hunter Blade has been as a Christ figure in that both he and Jesus are shown as a mix of two natures (one human, one supernatural), and both use their supernatural side to the benefit of humanity. Also, in the second film in the Blade series, Blade (played by Wesley Snipes) is symbolically crucified while being experimented upon by vampires, and is later "resurrected", after being revived in a pool of blood.
• T-800 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He is sent to protect John and Sarah Conner. He sacrifices himself for the human race and defeats the T-1000. ^[24]
• Optimus Prime in Transformers.^{[citation needed]}
• Sergeant Elias K. Grodin in Platoon. As he dies from being shot by enemy troops, he falls to his knees, looks towards the heavens with his arms outstretched, mimicking Jesus during the Crucifixion. He also become a martyr to the other soldiers.^{[citation needed]}
• Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan exposes himself to a lethal amount of radiation in order to save the crew of the Enterprise, and is later "resurrected".^[32][33]
• Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series has been seen as a Christ figure. Both in the way that she serves as a personal savior to Newt in Aliens and in the matter that sacrifices her own life in Alien 3 (spreading her arms as she falls into a giant furnace) so the Alien cannot exist anymore.^[34] Others have noted that she dies in an act of self-sacrifice, yet similarly to Jesus, she returns in "another form" in the aptly titled Alien Resurrection.^[35]
• Jeremy Reed in Powder.^[36]
• Lucas Jackson in Cool Hand Luke.^[37]
• John Connor in The Terminator^{[citation needed]}
• John Coffey in The Green Mile.
• Jesse Custer in Preacher^{[citation needed]}
• Evan Treborn in The Butterfly Effect^{[citation needed]}
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial^[38]
• Private Witt in The Thin Red Line.

[Arlen from The Warded Man by Peter v Brent. Arlen is seen as a christlike figure due to his ability to fight the demons that plague the night.

• Walt in Gran Torino Walt sacrifices himself for Thao at the end of the film.

Television

• Aang in Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Clark Kent in Smallville
• The Doctor in Doctor Who
• John Locke in Lost.^[39]
• Jordan Collier in The 4400^{[citation needed]}
• Kara Thrace and Gaius Baltar in Battlestar Galactica (reimagined series)
• Zoe Graystone in Caprica (TV series)
• Goku in Dragon Ball Z

Comics and animation

• Kamui Shirō in the Japanese comic book series X.^[40][41] The story takes place at the end of days. Kamui Shirō returns home to Tokyo after a six-year absence to face his destiny as the one who will determine humanity's fate. The construction of Kamui as a messiah is reinforced by his miraculous birth and given name. "Kamui", like "Christ", doubles as a title that alludes to the character's divine nature.^[42][43]
• In Osamu Tezuka's Ode to Kirihito, the main character's name is an allusion to Christ ("Kirisito" is the Japanese pronunciation for "Christ"; Kirihito's name changes the S to an H).

References

1. ^ http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/twocities/terms/charanal_1.html
2. ^ Ammons, Elizabeth. “Heroines in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” American Literature 49.2 (1977): 161-79.
3. ^ http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides4/cloak.html
4. ^ Analysis of Jim Casy
5. ^ Cliff's Notes on Light in August -- Summaries and Commentaries on Chapter 2
6. ^ Bookrags.com Christ Symbolism in Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea
7. ^ How to Read Literature Like a Professor By Thomas C. Foster p. 121
8. ^ The Old Man and the Sea By Gerry Brenner p. 37
9. ^ Understanding The Old Man and the Sea By Patricia Dunlavy Valenti p. 13
10. ^ [1]
11. ^ USA Today: Is that lion the King of Kings? - Aslan
12. ^ Understanding Lord of the Flies: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents By Kirstin Olsen, p. 126
13. ^ CliffsNotes on Knowle's A Separate Peace By Charles Higgins, Regina Higgins, Cary M. Roberts ISBN 0764585789, 9780764585784 p54, 65
14. ^ A SeparatePeace: Four Decades of Critical Response by Lois Rauch Gibson pp. 14 - 15
15. ^ Herman Melville By Brett Zimmerman p.59 ISBN 0773517863, 9780773517868
16. ^ Allegory and the Modern Southern Novel By Jan Whitt p.31 ISBN 0865543976, 9780865543973
17. ^ HollywoodJesus.com - The Green Mile
18. ^ http://www.be-ready.org/tolkien.html
19. ^ [2] - "Harry Potter, Christ curse?"
20. ^ [3] - "J K Rowling: 'Christianity inspired Harry Potter'"
21. ^ [4] - "Is Harry Potter the Son of God?"
22. ^ [5]
23. ^ http://www.sparknotes.com/film/cuckoo/canalysis.html#1
24. ^ ^{a b c d} Mufasa: The Sun God... or The Son of God
25. ^ Miller, Scott. Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of Hair (Heinemann, 2003) ISBN 0325005567, pp. 88-89
26. ^ From Holy Aliens to Cyborg Saviours: Biblical Subtexts in Four Science Fiction Films
27. ^ The Deification of Neo, Again - Kevin Brown
28. ^ He is the One: The Matrix Trilogy's Postmodern Movie Messiah
29. ^ Fox News: Superman is a Christ figure to some
30. ^ Superman: All Powerful, Self-Restrained
31. ^ Journal of Religion and Film: Superman as Christ-Figure: The American Pop Culture Movie Messiah
32. ^ Jesus Covered In a Secular Wrapper: The Christ-figure in Popular Films - on Spock, and others; Kinema, 2005
33. ^ God in the Machine - Spock as a Christ figure
34. ^ Joyofmovies.com: - Christ Figures in the Movies"
35. ^ Christian Spotlight on Entertainment: - Alien 3"
36. ^ Powder. A Hollywood Jesus visual film review
37. ^ Journal of Religion and Film: The Mssianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic by Matthew McEver
38. ^ http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c69a336f-8c16-41e4-be10-355ee83b3532%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=107
39. ^ LOST Books Challenge: John Locke: Christ Figure?
40. ^ X Infinity: Illustrated Collection 2. (Kadokawa Shoten: ISBN 4-04-853895-0). 2005.
41. ^ Williams, Kevin (March 24, 2000). "Anime loses its storytelling luster in X". Chicago Sun-Times. 
42. ^ Elliott, David (April 8, 2000). "X: an animated comic book with little between the covers". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 
43. ^ Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Director) (August 25, 2000). X: An Omen (DVD). Bandai Visual. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492922/. 

External links

• HollywoodJesus.com - Pop culture from a spiritual point of view.
• The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture - An exploration, analysis, and interpretation (from a range of disciplinary perspectives) of the interrelations and interactions between religion and religious expression and popular culture.
• The Journal of Religion and Film - An examination of the description, critique, and embodiment of religion in film.