Choke - Victor=Jesus? I'd need some help.
hey,
I have to write a comparison between the "real" Jesus and a modern personification of him, like for example Victor Mancini in Choke.
With focus on the resurrection.
Thats for my religion lessons, and i thought the character of Victor Mancini might be a good and interesting choice.
I just wanted to ask for some advices or ideas concerning my topic.
like "where are similarities and where are differences between Victor and Jesus?"
"We are rainbowarriors
Evil come not near
Rainbow love awaits us
With hearts of love and tears" -cocorosie
i got some ideas, but they're written in german, and it would be a hard time for me to translate that now.
i thought i'd write something about the way victor looks at miracles, and how he starts to do good things, that in comparison to jesus.
and i'd describe the crazy way in which victor thinks he is like a clone of jesus...
"We are rainbowarriors
Evil come not near
Rainbow love awaits us
With hearts of love and tears" -cocorosie
I'd go for the idea of scapegoat - is any salvation reached through him, are there sins of an entire community that are purged through him? Scapegoats are fascinating to talk about (unless you think it's a stretch) because then you can shift the focus on other characters that may feel elevated or superior to the scapegoat by comparison, when in fact they are the product of the same society with the same flaws.
Sorry I've read the book too long ago to give specific examples but that's what I'd look for if I were to write a Jesus comparison.
Liana
It's been awhile since I've read the book, but I can think of a couple possibilities. LianaSTC really has something there with the idea of scapegoats, though. Brilliant, and I mean that sincerely.
Ok, just some thoughts:
1. Jesus is to Viktor as Peter is to Denny. Upon this rock I build my church and whatnot? Denny's transformation is really the catalyst that starts Viktor's change to becoming a better person, plus there is all that imagery with the rocks. Maybe a stretch, but hey, it's an idea.
2. Can't remember how long Viktor had those anal beads stuck in his ass, but you might be able to tie that in with Jesus's persecution somehow. Where Jesus was persecuted by others, Viktor persecutes himself. Jesus also had complete faith in himself and others, while Viktor had none. It might actually be easier to show how Viktor was sort of the inverse of Jesus.
Just thought of some more ways that Viktor is the inverse of Jesus:
1. Jesus performed miracles, actually performed them. Viktor just claims to have done things to the people he supposedly did them to, and doesn't actually perform them.
2. One of the miracles Jesus performed was curing the sick by laying his hands on them. I can't remember the strippers name, but Viktor diagnoses her, hands-free. In fact, they're in a strip club, where the laying on of hands is strictly prohibited.
3. Jesus saves, or so all the t-shirts say, whereas Viktor is constantly being saved by other people in the restaurants he chokes in.
thanks for all your answers..
but i need to write about jesus with focus on the resurrection..
i wanted to compare the story paige marshall tells victore (the foreskin thing) with the "real resurrection of the real jesus..
so maybe i'll ask another question:
why do u think did palahniuk use this jesus foreskin clone thing in his story?
"We are rainbowarriors
Evil come not near
Rainbow love awaits us
With hearts of love and tears" -cocorosie
i don't believe he was trying to make a real comparison to him and the Lord Jesus,it was an ironic thing. Like all that 'bad' that Victor is is unjustified by even begining to believe he may be Jesus. as if that could be possible,it was so damn off that it hap the oppurtonity to be true. It was so right because it was so wrong.
Victor despises it so quickly that he runs in the oppisite direction and then also right after trys to sleep with the doctor because thats how horrible it would be if that was true.
what all do you got so far?