Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Violent Bear It Away
After class today I started thinking about what it means to be baptized. In the catholic faith when a person is baptized they are formally becoming a member of the Church. However, does baptism have any significant meaning to anyone other than the person being baptized? It seems to me that the act of baptism and the responsibilities that come along with it only has meaning to the person who is being baptized. To them, they are now a member of the Church, they are cleansed of their sins and they can start new; they are reborn. On the other hand, this action has no affect on anyone else. It does not alter the way someone else interacts with this baptized person, nor does influence others in any significant way. This leads me to my question: If Bishop were baptized, would he really know what that meant? It would mean something to Rayber, simply because he is extremely anti-religious, but would Bishop be affected? Bishop was already (in a way) baptized when Rayber tried to drown him. He died and was reborn, which is a baptism. However, Rayber does not see this act as a baptism, even though it is. This drowning and rebirth has no affect on Rayber and if he did not care so much about religion, a real baptism would have the same affect on him as well. By baptizing Bishop, Tarwater would be happy because he would feel his mission is fulfilled regardless of whether or not Bishop continued a Christian lifestyle. Tarwater simply wants to perform the act of baptism. I am sorry for the rambling and somewhat nonsensical ideas. I am not quite sure where to go with this but I felt as though there was something there, now as I continue to ramble I feel as though I am not making any sense. Does any one else see where I’m going with this?
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2 comments:
Good point. I think you're tapping into the ritualistic significance of baptism. You're right. Taking a baptism at face value, it has meaning to one person only--the person being baptized. But culturally, this has very little to do with a baptism.
Being raised in the Catholic tradition, I was baptized soon after my birth. I don't remember it, and I certainly didn't choose to be baptized. So what does the event really mean?
For me at the time, nothing. The event is for the family members, in particular the family elders who want to impose their beliefs on the newborn child.
This is where the struggle comes in for Rayber. It's an imposition of values to which he doesn't subscribe. The act of baptism is symbolic, and if he permits the baptism of Bishop, then a culture he disagrees with will have imposed its values on him against his will.
It's quite the chess match O'Connor has given us, with Bishop unknowingly caught in the middle.
I think you make a valid point as well if someone is baptized it does not mean they have to accept the baptism or the ideals that follow. But I think the idea of baptism goes further to that idea of "what if there is a God" baptism supposedly saves ones soul and I think that some religious people could look down on someone for not being baptized or baptizing a child because of that fear of hell or limbo. And like Rayber says in the restaurant if it matter to Tarwater he can do it because its just water and words to someone whom doesn't believe in it.
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