Faith and Man's Relationship to God - Essay Example

Faith and man’s relationship to God Mans relationship with God The concept of God and His relationship with Man is a matter that no Christian can afford to put a blind eye on. This is so because the very quintessence of the relationship encompasses core foundation of Christianity as a creed. The various characters in the stories “Candide” and “The death of Ivan llyich by Leo Tolstoy” are different examples of how differently humanity perceive God’s role in their lives. From the two texts, there are numerous similarities based on how varied characters describe transitions of their lives and their end. In the “Candide”, the account is all about the protagonist who was an illegitimate son to the Boron’s sister. He is termed as illegitimate for the Mother did not marry his father just because she could not clearly establish his lineage (Wooton & Voltaire 1). It is clear from the text that Candide did not give any regard and attention to what God was all about but rather believed so much about the philosophies of his tutor Pangloss. Pangloss greatly emphasized in his teaching that the world was the best place to be and every happening has a probable cause (Wooton & Voltaire 2). The great embrace to the tutor’s philosophies that Candide has, demonstrates the love for the world on his part. This depicts how little he embraced God’s role or essence in his life and his defectively relationship with Him. Candide’s rejection of God’s in his life is further evident when after being thrown out of Baron’s house and caught kissing Baron’s daughter, encountered a protestant minister (Wooton & Voltaire 7). When asked of the matter of the pope being an antichrist, he retaliated with utter disinterested in regards to religion. He also acknowledges that the world has everything that he needs, hence confirming his disregard for God’s provision in terms of not only material but also protection (Wooton & Voltaire 7). This is after a man regarded as an Anabaptist salvaged him from the streets and fed him. All the transitions and security risks that Candides passed through up to the time he met again with the Baron’s daughter Cunegonde did not influence him depict any acknowledge of God’s will in his life either. He only followed the usual teachings of his tutor Panglos that every action has a probable cause. This is so much in disregarding of the protection that God offers by using other people. He also could not understand the reasons as to why an old woman who barely knew him just took care of him when he was injured (Wooton & Voltaire 14). Candide’s entire account even when he was traversing towns search for his love Cunegonde and running from the authorities did not portray any acceptance of God’s role in his life. This is not even when told how a Jesuit Priest managed to save Cunegonde’s brother Baron’s life could influence his thinking to incline into having second thought of God (Wooton & Voltaire 31). The killings, which Candide was involved in, further portray him as a person with disregard to humanity, which is God’s cardinal God’s rule of minding one’s fellow being. Several other characters in the account similarly do not embrace the importance of accepting God’s essence. This is exclusive of the old woman who despite tough times she experienced still had depicted great optimism just like God’s intension for man. This is quite evident by being whole-heartedly aiding Candide without inquiring any restitution. Her acknowledgement of God is palpable when she mentions the words, “Mary mother of God” (Wooton & Voltaire 18). This was as an expression of the then incident after unveiling that annihilation two men took place in her house (Wooton & Voltaire 18). Her utterance calling Mary shows her acknowledgement that God is capable of protecting them. Cunegonde’s neither concedes nor rejects but rather her position is quite unknown, judging from her background it is almost true to say that she does not acknowledge God role in man. “The death of Ivan Llych” correspondingly depicts its protagonist obsessed with being successful as a court’s member who decides which justice befits parties that appear before him to extent not realizing if God ever exists (Tolstoy 16). God likes a repentant man when he realizes his mistake but in Ivan’s case, this is contrary because when he was younger involved himself in distasteful acts. Although at first was guilty of his actions, later forgot because according to him even the good or righteous did them thus his case was not an isolated one (Tolstoy 16). God’s mission for humanity is the family for He advocates both union and love in this situation especially among the spouses. Ivan in this perspective did not pass the bar either because the account relays him as one who never really loved his wife and daughter. The depiction of this was during his sickness where he viewed both the wife and daughter very badly as though were not part of his life (Tolstoy 63). This is to the extent of prompting the daughter to wonder who to blame for the pain her dad experiencing. Although Ivan was a successful man in his career and in all other aspects, his acknowledging of God is questionable if there is any. This is unmistakable when his wife requests him to take communion but dismisses her telling that it is of no use. Although he later agrees to it, he only takes it to shun excessive nagging (Tolstoy 64). Ivan had lived his life thinking that he had all he needed besides fulfilling life but eventually when dying realized the pain and suffering, he put his family through (Tolstoy 67). His last moment availed him the opportunity to accept God’s purpose to the extent of even apologizing to the wife and son, an act he could hardly do (Tolstoy 67). Conversely, the account describes the wife as pious who had a strong founded relationship with God. This is palpable when she insists Ivan to take communion with unceasing efforts (Wooton & Voltaire 64). She further depicts utter respect for priest as being Godly due to her interaction with him besides religiously having embraced all the precepts as a Christian. In addition, by the way she held a final mass for her husband further confirms her acceptance about God’s essence in her life (Wooton & Voltaire 8). The account depicts Ivan’s acquaintances just as the same. Peter, for instance, was closest to him but despite all this, he is not sad when he dies (Tolstoy 7). He is concerned of the post that had become vacant due to his associate’s demise while others were thinking of how to occupy it. This is contrary to what God demands of us that we ought to always sympathize with the bereaved and comfort them. This is not so with Peter as he feels that he should go to the wake just as an obligation but not truthfully to comfort Ivan’s family (Tolstoy 7). “The heart of darkness” consequently gives an account of the narrator and his life as a seaman along with three of his companions who share a moment in a boat on river Thames (Conrad 8). The narrator whom the story refers to as Marlow explains his journey to Africa through the Congo River as an employees of one Belgium Company. He explains his challenges throughout his journey and the cruelty clearly shown. Marlow himself repudiates Gods personification in his life merely by accepting a job at the Belgium Company knowing very well that the company utilized slaves (Conrad 28). God created every human being to his likeness and no human being is superior to the other. Belgium viewed Africans as their property and secondary to them and that is why they utilized them just as mere objects. He also acknowledges that he admired Kurtz just as the natives viewed him as their god (Conrad 67). God in his supremacy is never equal to any being in existence since he is the creator of all. Marlow’s acknowledgement of Kurtz as a god demonstrates his oblivious sense of the role that God plays in his life. The natives similarly demonstrate lack of knowledge of God’s existence. This is considering the fact that despite hard time they were going through, they do not acknowledge God to liberate them. They even killed a man because of a hen (Conrad 29), showing definitively how less they valued life. God is the giver of life and only He can take it back. In His word, He warns us against killing each other therefore; we should honor the supremacy of life. Literary symbols: man’s relationship with God (Voltaire, Tolstoy and Conrad) In Candide, the use of symbols is minimal but at the same time very precise. The author utilizes phrases like “Garden of Eden” which in this context denotes the good life Candide used to live before at Beron’s house (Wooton & Voltaire 3). Additionally, the text utilizes the word “comrade”, who in an ordinary settings means a companion or a person whom one’s undertakes similar tasks communally. However, in this context the word intentionally is to inveigle Candide to follow the group of men so that they can capture him despite the fact that he did not know them (Wooton & Voltaire 4). From “The Death of Ivan Llych” the same use of literary symbols is greatly used. “Playful look”, for instance, is a phrase Peter utilizes to describe Schwartz, one of the guest at the wake and his friend as well (Wooton & Voltaire 8). He implied that Ivan’s widow had something important to discuss with peter and that is why she dragged him to a private room. Conversely, Ivan’s wife informed Peter of how his husband used to scream unceasingly (Wooton & Voltaire 12). From this, she wanted Peter to understand clearly the depth of the suffering Ivan Llych experienced before his demise. “The Heart of Darkness” similarly applies literary symbols in bringing out their textual meaning to the readers. They make great use of light throughout the story and in this essence the use of light does not signify openness or a pure heart but rather mallow describes light as a means for pretence (Conrad 50). Another symbolism demonstrated in this story is “flies” which from the onset is used to signify death. When an agent dies, the presence of flies signifies the nearness of death and that is when the man is discovered dead (Conrad 48). Marlow also describe some parts of Africa as very remote, no human being could survive, and even the living things would die like flies (Conrad 11). The author uses “flies” similarly to denote death. The protagonists in these accounts bear significant similarities whereby the key one being disregard acknowledging God. Hence, implying they do not embrace what He could do to them for they perceive to be prevailing as well as successful. They live self-fulfilling lives while others deem in philosophies of other men as relayed by the respective authors using varied symbols for the readers to comprehend. Work Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of darkness. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1975. eBook. Tolstoy, Leo. The death of Ivan llych. London: Sovereign, 2013. eBbook Voltaire & Wootton, David. Candide and Related Texts. Indianapolis, IN 46244-0937: Hackett Publishing, 2000.eBook. Read More