The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Because of volleyball State, I'm getting this blog done while I have a few minutes (before I leave for Texas!) Sorry if you were a person that was supposed to write on my blog; I'm sure you were able to figure it out.

I chose questions 4 and 5 to answer:

Question #4: Is the father fair to the elder son? Explain your answer.
If the reader looks lightly upon the story, it may look as if the father is being unfair, but I see the story differently. The father treats both of his children the same; he shows unending love, even at their lowest times. The father said to the older brother, "Son thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine" (p. 198). The father shows kindness and compassion, yet he still shows much love to the younger brother who "...was lost, and is found" (p.198).

Question #5: Theologians have discussed this parable's religious significance for two thousand years. What, in your own words, is the human theme of the story?
Because Jesus is telling this story and because this is a parable (meaning it's supposed to be told symbolizing something), I think that the theme is found when you look at the story religiously and see the father as being God. Even though people are very "prodigal" or jealous (as both of the brothers symbolize), God loves everyone like a father has unending love for his children. Even more than the story is about the "prodigal son," the story is based around the gracious and passionate father.

Litarary paragraph on style:
The style in this story is very simple because it is written in a way that the reader feels like they're being told a tale. The narrator uses this simplistic technique because the moral and theme in the story are why the story is being told. It also feels more authentic while you're reading it because the story is told chronologically and with a fairly nonbiased narrator. I find it interesting to read this story when it, almost entirely, is put out of context. There is no explanation on who is telling the story or what else is happening around the story, which I think changes the knowledge that the reader envelopes the story in and is able to understand the style around. Because the story was written so long ago, the style also sounds old with words like "thy" and "hath" and "thou." Yet, those pieces of the style don't change the meaning or overall effect of the story.

I will be seeing y'all later! -Becca