Characterization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Characterization - Essay Example It relates the story of a younger son who prematurely demands his share of his inheritance from his father, squanders it in a distant land, and is reduced to abject poverty and starvation. He returns home to be warmly received be his father and be showered with affection and attention, to the resentment of his elder brother, who has dutifully remained at home all this while. The parable of The Prodigal Son uses characterization to draw clear parallels between the younger son and sinners, the elder son and the Pharisees and the father and God. The younger son represents sinners and, more particularly, the publicans of Biblical times. The publicans were tax collectors who were detested for their oppressive and extortionate tactics. The younger son exhibits the same greed for material wealth as the publicans, as he demands his share of the inheritance even before his father’s death. This is a form of extortion. Even when the younger son decides to return to his father, he is not motivated by genuine repentance or love for his father. His action is based on the coldly calculating decision to offer to be his father’s servant in return for food, as he realizes that his â€Å"father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare† (15:17). It is hunger and the promise of food which bring him back. Like a publican, he is ruled by the selfish traits of self-preservation and the determination to extract what he needs through whatever means necessary – here by becoming one of his father’s h ired servants. He is still indulging in the manipulation of others to his own advantage. The character of the elder son undisputedly reflects the Pharisees who are accusing Jesus of favoring sinners and publicans. The elder sons’ attitude towards the return of his brother is redolent of the righteous indignation and the judgmental high ground taken by the Pharisees. Like the Pharisees, who are rigid and strict