Nearly everyone is familiar with the character of Christ. While understandings of Christ as a figure of faith may vary, he is a universally recognized character in history. The world knows that Christ was called “Son of God,” he called people to love, and he died a painful death on the cross. He has become such a familiar figure that images of him shows up frequently in literature. Thomas Foster, the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, outlines a wide range of characteristics common in Christ-like figures. Readers recognize Christ figures consistently in literature, both because of the well-know characteristics Foster lists in his chapter on Christ figures and because readers find them through their own understandings. In Yu …show more content…
Christ, who is often called the “good shepherd,” also cared for sheep, though not in the literal sense. Fugui describes how his son cares for the family’s lambs: “Youqing would bring grass to them three times a day… and give his two lambs a hug” (104). Not only does Youqing care for the lambs, but he also puts them before himself and mourns their eventual death because they are so important to him. Fugui observes Youqing “when he came back in the afternoon, he had to cut more grass, and only after he fed the lambs he would eat himself” (98). Later, after the lambs are killed to feed the community, “Youqing was inside, weeping so hard his shoulders were shaking. ‘They took my lambs and slaughtered them,’ he whimpered. ‘The killed both of them’” (119). The death of the lambs is particularly traumatizing for Youqing and he weeps, showing how much they meant to him. Christ cared for his followers in a way similar to how Youqing cares for his sheep both because he loves them and his father needs him to help with the sheep. Christ cared for the people (sheep) because God needed him to, just has Youqing cares for the lambs because Fugui and his family need him …show more content…
Though not all who know about Christ believe in God as his father, this is a common understanding what Christianity is: the important relationship between God (the father) and Christ (the “Son of God”). On the darker side of this relationship, Christ cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” while he is suffering on the cross because it is what God called him to do. In a similar instance with Youqing and Fugui: “I hit him with all my strength…He started wailing like a baby, but I didn’t care… But Youqing was, after all, still a kid, and before long he really couldn’t take it. He begged me, ‘Daddy, please don’t hit me” (94). Youqing cries out in pain to his father just like Christ and in both instances, the sons are at the mercy of their fathers, and they are begging for an escape to their pain.
In contrast to this painful image, this relationship between father and son is shown in a loving, positive light. Fugui still demonstrates love for his son various times throughout To Live. Fugui reminisces of Youqing: “I realized that I would have to start being more careful about scolding him and hitting him… I bought Youqing five fen worth of candy. This was the first time that I had bought anything for my son. I felt I should show Youqing that I loved him” (123). Like God with Christ, Fugui has a complex and meaningful relationship with