Introduction
As this short story has a biblical background, the characters in the story are highly religious where the father is an image of the God and the two sons were the religious and irreligious persons respectively. The story may appear simple in its construction, but it is compacted with symbols, allegories, and theological insights. Let us discuss the analytical essay about the plot construction, characters, and interpretation of symbols and allegories.
Plot Construction
The story begins with the description of a man who has two sons. The second son asked his father for his share of property and the father had given him. With that belonging, he flew to the far-off country where he lost all his possessions to the prostitutes. When the famine stroke the country, he stated starving for food. Then he realized his blunder and decided to come back to his father to beg him to accept him as his hired worker. To his surprise, his father happily welcomed him wholeheartedly and accepted him as his son, not merely as a hired work for which the second son pleaded for. He made all the arrangements for his comfort. In addition to that he arrange for the banquet with the feast of a fattened calf.
However, the behavior of the father shocked the first son who served him and obeyed his orders. He questioned his father about his celebration for the son who swallowed all his money and never obeyed his words. The father explained him that his son who was an extravagant and bad natured was died and has come to life again. He manifested that this occasion should be celebrated as he found his son who was lost. It is not mentioned that whether the first got convinced or not. But we can come to an assumption that as a son of good natured and obedient, he might accept his father’s word as a preaching.
Characters in “The Parable of the Lost Son”
The story revolves around the three characters: a father and his two sons. Even in the beginning of the story, the character of the second son who is an extravagant and ill-mannered is obviously depicted. He spoiled his entire share which he got from his father in a far-flunked country to the prostitutes. He could realize his mistake when there stroke a famine in that country. He stated starving for food and his basic needs. Dying from hunger makes him to think of his luxurious life of his father’s hired worker and he decided to come back to his father to plead him to accept him as his hired worker. The total change in his character revealed when he says to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers” (11).
The reaction and action of the father to the second son’s arrival show the character of father is very generous, gracious, and forgiving nature. When he saw his prodigal son back, he welcomed him happily which was a great surprise to the second son. He ordered his slaves to bring robe, ring, and sandals to make comfortable and to prove that he got his authority over the property back. In addition to that he arranged for a banquet with the slaughter of the fattened goat. He is a symbol of the God who always forgives his fellow people even they were not loyal to him. When he tried to convince his first son who got upset with his behavior of accepting the disobeyed son, the character of the father revealed. He accepted his second son even though he misbehaved because he could see the new birth of his son as he felt his son was died and he got his life again.
The third son’s words, “Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf” (19), may show him as he is jealous of his younger brother. It is not true. But the fact is he reflected his anguish that even though he is very pious and obedient, he could not get the love of his father like his younger brother.
The gracious father is the main character in the parable and his character is constant throughout the story. He is nothing but the image of the God. The attitude of the father is just as of the God who always forgives his fellow beings. The characteristic of the younger son is nothing but lost and the elder son represent the pious people.
Symbols and Allegories in the Short Story
The father’s gifts to the prodigal son are here used as a symbol. The happy father ordered his servants to bring “the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it” (12). Here the finest robe symbolizes that he will be the guest of honor in the banquet he arranged for the celebration of his sons rebirth. The ring symbolizes the authority over his property that he gets back from his father as he is back to his previous stature. The sandals symbolizes that the father has accepted his second son wholeheartedly instead of accepting him as a hired worker, which was his son’s obligation, and not as a slave who will not wear sandals while working.
Moreover, the characteristics themselves are symbols. The generous father is a symbol of the image of the God and the two sons represent the religious (elder) and irreligious (younger) aspects of the human being.
Conclusion
The picture of the God is portrayed in this short story and how he forgives his creation through the characters of the father and his two sons. Thus, the short story “The Parable of the Lost Son” is not merely a description of a life of the father and his sons; it has its own theological background and tells us how God shows his love towards his beloved fellow human beings like a father who always forgives his ill-mannered son.
Works Cited
“The Parable of the Prodigal Son." 123HelpMe.com. 06 Jan 2014 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=136793>
"The Parable of the Prodigal Son Explained" StudyMode.com. 10 1999. 1999. 10 1999 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Parable-Of-The-Prodigal-Son-8472.html>..
