Godhanger_-_Allegory

The novel, Godhanger, is said to be an allegory of the story of Christ. Explain how the story of Christ is reflected through the narrative. Dick King-Smith, author of Godhanger, weaves his narrative around the Biblical account of Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection. The woodland creatures are used to depicst Jesus, His twelve disciples, mankind and Satan. Accordingly Godhanger is an allegory - a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, characters, and events in the narrative link with meanings outside the story itself. Godhanger has two meanings: Firstly, the literal account of the animal’s deliverance from the Gamkeeper and significantly, its symbolic representation Jesus’ redemption of mankind. Godhanger is orientated in a British Woodland, where talking animals fear the hateful Gamekeeper (the antagonist) who violently kills vulnerable creatures, just as Satan “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10.10) In contrast the all-loving, all-knowing Skymaster teaches charity, wisdom and morality, to his twelve followers, in The Cedar of Lebanon (symbolically, the temple). The setting, characters, conflict, climax and resolution clearly correspond to the narrative of Jesus’ life. Skymaster, the protagonist, clearly parallels Jesus. His humble birth and the visitation of the wise men, bearing gifts (a pine-cone, seashell and bell-heather), led by the star of David is depicted when the Skymaster tells of his birth in “a nest built of pine branches and twigs” (P. 72) when “on the night before… the sky had been ablaze with strange lights” (P. 72) and three birds “carried an offering” (P. 72). This mirrors the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 2:9-10 “and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them…they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” The rising action of the narrative describes the untimely death of woodland creatures and the constant love of the skymaster. A rabbit, jay-birds, the roebuck, Rippin the polecat and Flem the fox are all killed by the Gamekeeper. The Gamekeeper is intent on killing. “But above all the gamekeeper longed to see one great spread-eagled body nailed to the wooden crossbar,” (p116) foreshadowing the death of the Skymaster just as Jesus’ death is predicted in the Bible. Meanwhile, The Skymaster, like Jesus guides, comforts and strengthens (P.149) the creatures, showing care and compassion in his words: “Your affairs are my affairs” said the Symaster. “I want to protect you… as I would protect any of the creatures of Godhanger wood.” (p.36) Loftus the Raven reveres the Skymaster’s friendship, “Friendship of a great strange bird of Godhanger Wood whose words had somehow filled him with hope.” (p.83) and Glyde recognizes his omnipotence, “A sparrow does not fall to the ground without his knowing,” (p68) a direct reference to Matthew 10.29, “But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Godhanger reaches a climax when the Skymaster is killed and the Gamekeeper crushed. The Skymaster, like Jesus, lays down his life for the disobedient and “spread his great wings wide over the little owl…and threw back his head and stared without fear into the twin mouths of the gun.” (p.159) The metaphorical spreading of his great wings allegorically refers to Jesus hanging on the cross and can also be correlated to Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” The allegory continues with a striking reference to the rent veil in the temple when the “branch of the cedar of Lebanon, the branch upon which the Skymaster had always sat, fell with a shattering crash upon the gamekeeper and crushed the life out of him.” (p.164) The powerful and symbolic resolution of the narrative is obvious in the glorious resurrection of Skymaster and the restoration of peace to Godhanger wood. “Loftus…saw beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was the Skymaster, who had surely died, yet even now was rising into the morning sky.” (p171) Just as Jesus riese from the dead to bring salvation, rebirth and hope to the lost, the Skymaster’s death and resurrection brings “birdsong everywhere, heralding the birth of new life, new hope” (p171) Godhanger effectively re-tells the story of Christ using allegorical characters and events that clearly correspond to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Familiar parallels with Biblical references are depicted throughout the narrative and reflected in the triumphant theme of deliverance, hope and new beginnings.