Use of Biblical Imagery in Cather’s Sapphira and the Slave Girl :: Cather Sapphira Slave Girl Essays

Use of biblical Imagery in Cathers Sapphira and the striver GirlThroughout Sapphira and the Slave Girl, Cather uses biblical resource to pass critical points. Specifically, Nancys flight to freedom, and bloody shames overcoming a potentially fatal illness. Cather continually uses Biblical imagery when describing Nancys journey out of slavery and into freedom. For example, Mr. Colbert sees Nancy as going up out of Egypt to a better land, clearly connecting her with flight of Hebrew slaves out of Egypt in the Bible. Connecting Nancys escape to the Biblical pilgrimage of Moses to the promised land serves to strengthen the underlying right of her actions-- as well as the inherent loathsomeness of slavery. In depicting her actual journey, the reader once again encounters Biblical allusions. This occurs in Cathers description of the lightlessness preacher who will protect Nancy on her way to Canada. Cather portrays this man almost as a disciple, his voice organism described as so lemn yet comforting sounding manage the voice of prophecy (239). Ascribing such a sage-like persona to this man solidifies the righteousness of both Nancys, and Mrs. Blakes, efforts to defy slaverys bonds. Marys communion strikes me as another important event whereby Cather uses Biblical imagery. In this particular incident-- which invariably saves Marys bearing-- she walking in her sleep drinks the bowl of broth intended for Mr. Fairhead (259). Cather depicts Mary as preternatual, being a white figure which drifted--rather than walked-- across the indoor duskiness of the room (259). Mary, obviously in an altered state, in guided by what one fanny interpret as instinct, or divine forces, which lead her to the soup. Similar to the black preachers voice, Mr. Fairhead sees Marys actions as something solemn. . . like a communion service (259). From a Catholic perspective, the purpose of communion is receiving the body and blood of Christ, thereby receiving new intent. One can see, in this instance, why Cather would deliberately paint this view in Biblical terms, because Mary-- wuote literally-- receives a new chance at life from the soup she drinks. Similar to Nancys flight from slavery, Marys drinking of the soup is an instance of an man-to-man defying detrimental societal conventions. While taken as determine, the remedy for Mary and Bettys illness is not only wrong, but fatal. Cather thereby uses Biblical imagery to reinforce the righteousness of Marys actions, even though they go against what society--specifically medicine-- sees as the correct course of treatment.