In the novel Light in August by William Faulkner, Joe Christmas is often depicted as an almost Christ-like figure. There are many thematic similarities between the struggles Christmas goes through during his lifetime and the struggles faced by Jesus as described by the Bible. A notable similarity that can be drawn between the two characters concerns the classic biblical story of the Three Temptations of Christ. These temptations are in many ways embodied by Joe Christmas's relationship with Miss Burden, which is also divided into three segments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The first temptation of Christ is about the Devil trying to lure Christ into turning stone into bread. This temptation takes the form of a seemingly beneficial offering to Christ, but Christ rejects it because he sees it for what it is: a temptation. This idea of ​​temptation through offering appears in the first phase of the relationship between Joe Christmas and Miss Burden. This relationship begins the night Miss Burden discovers Joe stealing food from her kitchen and allows her to have it. This sets the tone that Miss Burden wants to set for Joe in every way possible. Joe, however, suspects that in every manner she gives, she has the ultimate goal of gaining some kind of influence over him – a paranoia rooted in his troubled childhood. So he rejects her. This is seen most clearly the morning after the first night the two spend together. When Joe sees that Miss Burden has prepared food for him, his immediate impression is that the food was "prepared for the nigger" and he throws it at the walls (Faulkner, 239). He sees degrading implications in her offering of food, and by throwing it at the walls he prevents himself from being in her care, and therefore under her control. This refusal to accept his offering, which echoes Christ's refusal to accept that of the Devil, continues in his insistence on entering his house only as a thief throughout the first phase of their life together, although she welcomed him into her home. From Joe's point of view, rather than depending on his hospitality, he acts as an independent agent. Thus, he has power over the “Devil”. Christ's second temptation involves the Devil attempting to make Christ jump from a peak – behavior that is obviously erratic, but allegedly amounts to a declaration of his commitment to God. This temptation mimics the erratic behavior that Miss Burden engages in and insists that Joe Christmas do the same in the second phase of their relationship. During this phase, Miss Burden becomes extremely possessive of Joe, frequently indulges in fits of jealous rage, descends into delusions, and turns their nights of passion into nights of fury. Among the specific things she does, she adamantly insists on having a secret place with Joe so that she can achieve the desirable element of intrigue in their relationship. Joe displays some resistance to this particular issue, and overall he recognizes that he is in a state of severe instability throughout this second phase. He understands that being in this relationship makes him somehow “a man sucked into a bottomless quagmire” (Faulkner, 260). However, unlike Christ, Joe continues this plunge indefinitely. Nevertheless, he maintains a certain emotional distance from Miss Burden during this period, as evidenced by his awareness of the situation – and in this way he imitates Christ. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our.”