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lest the snake shall bite

so, i’m reading this book- “how to read literature like an english professor“ in preparation for this 4,000 word essay i’m writing. it’s about virginity, sex, and dicks- so of course when i stumble on the section concerning religion and religious symbolism, i read between the lines as if it was the new testament THE CHRIST FIGURE the definition of a “christ figure” is someone who is attempted, intended, or implied to be biblical to an extent and envelopes the hallmarks of jesus christ himself. however- as you will, in mere moments, see for yourself, such a list is anything but narrow. • (roughly) 33 • good with kids • sacrificial • miraculous • virtuous • last seen in a company of thieves ( i get the reference ) • good with bread • good with fish? • good at carpentry / fishing • humble ( especially economically ) • in agony • crucific wounds • wounds on the hands, sides, head and feet • outstretched arms • sent to redeem an environment • rejected by society • celibate • in some sort of wilderness, perhaps accosted by the devil woah! what a list. jeez, i know. so 22, why do christ figures exist in literature? really interestingly enough- mostly in an ironic way. it’s supposed to make a character who’s very grandiose look tiny. otherwise, it’s a pretty regular reason, and the reason authors do anything, to make parallels. to deepen a sacrifice, or explore and substantiate why a character needs to redeem himself; or just to make a text biblical in general. the point is more so that such a list is so extensive and applicable that any and all may be christ figures themselves. pull a character out of your head, and go back to the list, usually one will apply. off the top of MY head, Humbert Humbert. He is 1 ) good with children ( lol im joking ) 2 ) rejected by society 3 ) sacrificial ( tonally, in reference to how he portrays his story throughout his trial) 4 ) accosted by the devil ( implicitly argued ) 5) last seen in a company of thieves ( prison) 6 ) in agony now, no one here is arguing Humbert Humbert a “good” guy, or that he is in any way holy or similar to christ in his actions. that is the argument entirely. the requisites for a christ figure allow villains or just, bad people in general, to consist in the same realm, and that is the purpose entirely!!! i am a christ figure, as are you, and to see firsthand how so much of common intertextuality is rooted in the bible, which, let’s be fair, isnt the only religious work in circulation. so why? why the bible? why jesus? well, in literature, the bible interestingly enough is kind of just a storybook with the first explicit references to basic human themes love, hate good v evil forgiveness redemption betrayal power it’s also rich with metaphorical elements, like the garden of eden, the lions den, earth ITSELF! anyway, i was a hardcore hater of the bible and in its application i still kind of am, but it fucking rocks for literary analysis.

@22

Feb 19, 2025

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Reading the bible as a really detailed fantasy au

Doing my apocalypse religion class readings and lowkey the book of Genesis is tea

@emibee

Feb 5, 2024

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classic novels

reading pride and prejudice for the first time, i’m very stoked! feels very academic and feminine

@milkbags

Mar 14, 2024

Top Recs from @verygoodvalentina

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finding old youtube videos and looking at the comments section like a historian

I adore finding a random video from like 2005 and reading through the comments the way a historian would examine an old manuscript from the 1700s. Are these people still active YouTube users? Or are they forgotten accounts? What did @jjlwis mean by "awww im gonna miss rob too!!!" ? Who even is Rob?? Anthropology in the digital age... so many questions... it's fascinating. The important thing for me is not to add new comments. I feel like I'm disturbing an old archeological dig site and my sticky modern commentary will make the video crumble away into oblivion. More importantly, I don't want the algorithm to suggest the video to a bunch of people who will spam the comments section– major yuck 🤢

@verygoodvalentina

Jan 25, 2024

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old pickup trucks

early 80s to early 2000s truck models are the perfect sizes imo. current trucks are transformer-sized behemoths that could easily crush normal vehicles into smithereens upon impact and i legit don’t know how those things are even street-legal. also, idk if it’s their design, reliability or the nostalgia factor per-se, but there’s a certain sazón those older trucks have that newer ones don’t. 2024 Ford F-150? 🤮🤢 1980 Ford F-150? 🫦🫦

@verygoodvalentina

Feb 9, 2025

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Prioritize in-person experiences

with social media being this pervasive entity that has weeded its way into our daily routines for the past 20ish years (plus a global pandemic that really solidified those habits), many young adults today have spent a large amount of their lives living online. it has become the new norm and i’m not gonna pretend i’m above any of this because it’s so easy to fall into it (i am literally writing this rec on my phone whilst it’s a perfectly sunny day that i should probably go out to enjoy). with that being said, in the larger scheme of life, being in your 20s is still in a weird way the beginning stages of your life. it’s a period to try new things, make mistakes, learn from them and develop an identity that’s independent from the environment and people who raised you. though you can learn to do some of those things online, they don’t hold a candle to actually experiencing those things for yourself in real life. all in all, the best way to not sleep thru your 20s is to prioritize in-person experiences that allow you to get a better understanding of yourself and your values. whether that be getting your first tattoo, moving to a new city or country, exploring your personal style or taking up hobbies you couldn’t or would‘ve never done as a kid, this is an important formative time to venture out and get a sense of who you truly are.

@verygoodvalentina

Sep 30, 2024