Post on 21-Jan-2016
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And I stood upon the sand of the sea,
and saw a beast rise up….If any man have an ear, let him
hear.-Revelation 13:1,9
The RevelationThe Things We Learned
Jesse, Caitlyn M., Kaitlyn Q., Kate
AP Lit. period 3
Nathan As The Beast“Tata Ndu did not bow his head but raised it, not happily but proudly. Then I understood that he had won, and my father had lost. Tata Ndu came here personally to tell us that the gods of his village did
not take kindly to the minister of corruption.” (Tata Ndu’s reaction to Adah’s disappearance)
Nathan’s increasing temper and violenceGoes against Nathan’s twisted reality of him
actually saving the nativesPuts Christian God up against village godsWar between good and evil evident throughout
the novel
Premonitions “I couldn’t stop imagining the deaths of my children.” (Orleanna’s opening reflection in The
Revelation) “Father would sooner watch us all perish one by one
than listen to anybody but himself.” (Rachel’s assertion about Nathan in The Revelation)
“But the rusted embroidery hoops left an unsightly orange ring on the linen that may have damaged my prospects for good” (Leah’s comment on her hope-
chest project, damaged by Congo) “I held him in my arms at night and saw parts of his
soul turn to ash. Then I saw him reborn, with a stone in place of his heart. Nathan would accept no more compromises…he would not fail again.” (Orleanna’s
observation of Nathan’s transformation in The Revelation)
The Seven Bowls The Seven Bowls are poured onto Earth by God
Bowl 1: “foul and loathsome sore” Ruth May's broken arm
Bowl 2: Sea turns to blood, everything dies Nathan planting wrongly, causing all his plants to die
Bowl 3: Freshwater turns to blood Malaria Bowl 4: Sun scorching earth Nathan's religious
fervor Bowl 5: Total darkness & great pain Congo Bowl 6: Preparations for battle between good and
evil Anatole saying introduction of Christianity leads to moral decline
Bowl 7: A great earthquake The election
“Mother May I?”“…the game always went to those who knew the rules without understanding the lesson.” (Leah’s conclusion on the success of Mother May I? with
the children in The Revelation)“The game” in the bible is getting into heavenAccording to Revelations, abiding by a set of rules
will get you into HeavenNathan follows these rules to the tee while Brother
Fowles understands the greater image and lesson, but lives by his own rules (the rules of the Congo)
Therefore, Nathan would win the game and end up in Heaven
Smiley’s Purpose: The Grey AreaEven though there are many parallels between the
book and bible, some major contradictions bring about another theme
Smiley is highlighting the fact that reality is largely made up of grey area
Related to her evidence that real morality is dependent upon perspective and is ever-changing
Shows that in a battle between good and bad (light and dark), neither can ever be clearly defined
“…admission to heaven is gained by luck of the draw.” (Adah’s opinion on heaven in The Revelation)
An example of the contradiction, Revelations implies admission into heaven is based on faith and rules, Adah tells the reader it based on something else entirely