The Shack, a Discussion of Symbolism

2/16/09 The live A Discussion of symbol The Shack, written by William P. Young, tackles one mans quest for religion and reassurance in deity through several metaphors, parables and symbols. These symbols are used to equalize the story religion itself and from this comparison it is easier to grasp a deeper deduceing. However, with this underlying symbolisation, its possible to over analyze and disregard the fictitious nature of the book. scorn this, thither are umteen symbols at bottom The Shack that are substantial to the story and the deeper signifi posteriorce within it.Symbols are used within The Shack to really enunciate the kind transition that mac experiences while see the shack and the new found relationship that he develops within the Trinity. symbol within The Shack is found al more or less e precisewhere, with symbolism it is possible to understand beau ideal through the analogies expressed. These analogies range from simple to complex and sire many dimensio ns the symbol itself and the reality it exposes. There are many different symbols unknown within the shack, some are obvious and some are vaguer. sensation of the to a greater extent obvious pieces of symbolism would be the story of the Indian Princess that mack tells lady friend. (Young, 30-31) The story is a clear representation of the death of Jesus Christ. girl is unnerved by the death of the Indian Princess and Jesus and raises the essential question, as to why immortal is so mean? (31) macintosh answers the question the vanquish he can exclusively it still unnerves him. He says that Jesus didnt have to die, he chose to. He then tells Missy thatGod will neer ask us to do something standardised that, as Jesus already covered it. Hes shaken though by the depth of his young girlfriends question.However, not quite as shaken as he will be in the days ahead as he wonders the same thing himself. In the coming days ahead When Missy is abducted, mackintosh will think back to t his, thus, creating distrust in God for Mack. Now that Mack has developed a type of disbelieve in God, he becomes immersed in some other piece of symbolism that he has interpreted to calling the Great ruthfulness. he Mack allowed himself to consider the range of terrible possibilities, and once it started he couldnt stop the imaginations of good and evil all involved up together in a soundless but terrific parade. 53) This Great Sadness seems to be a lot like low gear but on that point are some things here that seem to rase go beyond such a simple definition. It appears to more than physical, more than psychological its almost a spiritual type of thing that hits to the very core of his being to where his entire world is imp ventureed by its presence. It haunts his dreams, and leaves him in a state of almost perpetual fatigue and anguish. It can be argued that this state was brought on solely because of his daughters disappearance unless that may just be one of the factors c ontributing to the Great Sadness.Macks Great Sadness seems to come more from his spill of faith because of the exit of his daughters which could imply that both of these are the causes of his grief beget forth state. Whether its depression, or something else, Mack has a condition in which twinge becomes so overwhelming that there are few options other than suppressing the pain, which is what Mack chooses to do. One of the contributing sources to Macks great sadness is the loss of his daughter, Missy. Missy can excessively be viewed as yet another symbol within The Shack.She is innocent and unassuming therefore she can be regarded as somewhat of an inner child or symbol of immature innocence. And now Mack could clearly see the voice that had called his Missy. It was Jesus playacting in the middle of his children. (168) However, with her disappearance she brings despair and sadness to her family, therefore she is also representative of great pain and loss. Missy, can also be c ompared to Jesus. She was innocent, but ended up dying for no reason.Although her death was tragic and terms her family, Mack manages to gain a new relationship with God from it. a good deal like Jesus, who died unjustly, but ended up saving compassionateity, Missy in a way saves her father. Another symbol found several measure throughout the story would be the lady bug. Before the family leaves to go on a camping trip, Missy asks her mother and her father if she can bring her insects with her. Her father says yes, while her mother says no, because they will be safer at home. This is typic because it turns out that Missy would have been safer at home too.Perhaps the most noted symbols in the entire story would be the physical human representations of the Trinity. God is represented by a large African American woman however this is just the form that God chose to spoke to Mack through, because Papa (God) says that God is neither male nor female. (93) Jesus is portrayed as a clum sy Jewish man. While the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman, who behaves rather strangely and flits in and out of Macks flock and can appear in more than one place at once, (128) these are all metaphorical representations of the facial expression of the Trinity.Mack in his inaugural coming together with God following his cathartic regeneration of unloading his see red and rage sees God in a quite different mode than he expected, which is why God is portrayed this specific way. This materialization of God in this form is important because this isnt a literal fabrication with God. This is a parable or metaphor that represents Macks introduction to a God that isnt the remote, presentiment, ominous, hypercritical figure that Mack has believed him to be, until now.To reveal myself to you as a very large, white grandfather figure with flowing beard, like Gandalf, would simply reinforce your apparitional stereotypes, and this weekend is not about reinforcing your spiritual stereotypes . (93) God or Papa in The Shack isnt divine revelation himself in all of his splendor and sanctity for a specific reason. This is because the normal rationale of this weekend in the shack is focused upon constructing a relationship with God. Through this, Mack discovers the idea that Gods love extends so much that God has chosen to reveal himself in a manner that Mack can relate to and identify with.God also wishes for Macks religious stereotypes to be abolished, so he can be closer with God. Macks religious stereotype of God in his head is alike(p) to Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, like a sort of grandfatherly figure with a recollective white flowing beard. (73) So, Mack is shaken immensely when God appears to him in the way that he does, in order to try to bring himself overmatch to Macks level. Through the symbolism in this story traffic with the trinity, Mack begins to start the road to restoration nd healing. The whole meeting in the shack is symbolic in itself because it is possible that it did not flat fall in reality. Mack discovers that his accident was on Friday night, and also when he wakes up wakes up in the shack and it is cold (237) and also he appears to be in the same spot on the floor where he fell asleep (79) near the old blood stain. This leads to the conclusion that the manifestation of the trinity, may have occurred just not as a fracture of reality, more as in a visionary meeting.These events are plain real as Mack experiences them and he is able to grasp that there is a truth being represented here through this weekend at the shack and from that he reaches the truth about his relationship with God. regular(a) though it is possible to conclude that the actual meeting did not occur, there is a reality here in the truth of the concepts and life changes that occur because of this meeting. The purpose of this metaphorical vision was to save Mack, so he could set free and mend his relationship with God. Parables, symbols and metapho rs are all essential elements in The Shack.They support to intertwine the pieces of the story together and allow for greater significance. Although some of the symbolism is blatant and quite obvious there are other pieces of symbolism that are vaguer and harder to pick out. The Shack is a story about, healing and forgiveness, and within the tale of anguish and spiritual redemption there are symbols that act as signposts helping to lead Mack to conclusion and build a stronger relationship with the Trinity. Works Cited Young, William P. The Shack. Newbury Park, CA, 2007