Billy Budd Essay: Close, but no Christ Figure -- Billy Budd Essays

Billy Budd Close, only if no saviour Figure Billy Budd, the foretopman in Billy Budd, Sailor, seems similar to rescuer rescuer because of his relative appearance of purity, informality, and innocence. He posses tender-hearted virtues which cannot be explained but* by any other method acting except comparison to Christ. Yet, composition Budd may seem like a Christ figure at first glance, he is a far cry from the Christ of the Blessed Bible. Budd is human, and his short comings-his natural flaws and apathy towards others and his work-make it impossible for him to be a Christ figure-one who is blameless from birth until death, has the purpose of humanitys redemption continually in mind, and is exclusively self-sacrificing despite possession of tremendous power. Because he is human, Budd lives a truly human lifetime, and his actions throughout his life and ultimate death, while uncharacteristically heroic, be always limited to those of humanity. Christ, possessing unfath omable power lives a godly life and lays that life down to save humanity in fulfillment of prophecy. Further, the method and meaning of Budds death is entirely different-in fact, not even related to those of Christs death, burial, and resurrection. In this particular Billy was a striking instance that the arch interferer, the suspicious marplot of Eden, still has more or less to do with every human consignment to this plant of Earth (1879). Budd, though created in the image of God, suffers fault and sin like every human being on Earth. His nigh visible imperfection, that which makes the most striking presentation, is his tendency to stutter under emotionally pressured situations. However, while his most visible flaw, it is not his only flaw as a human being. Billy B... ...f Grace and Redemption. This mission of Christs determines the life He leads and the death He suffers, as well as the reason for His resurrection. Budd, having no reason to be where he is, leads a simple and a pathetic life. His death, therefore, is of unretentive or no consequence to those in the greater world. While Budds simplicity and human virtue make him seem Christ-like on the surface, he lacks that inter-group communication to God that determines the very soul of a man. William Budd, foretopman, is not a Christ figure because he is not, and could never be, the Lamb of God. Works Cited Melville, Herman. Billy Budd, Sailor. The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George Perkins, et al. natural York McGraw Hill Publishing Company, 1990. 1872-1924. The Holy Bible. Ed. David R. Veerman, et al. New King James Version. Ilinois Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1994.