In William Faulkner's novel Light in August, Joe Christmas is often depicted as an almost Christ-like figure. There are many thematic similarities between the struggles Christmas faced during his life and the struggles Jesus faced as described by the Bible. A notable similarity that can be traced between the two figures concerns the classic biblical story of the Three Temptations of Christ. These temptations are in many ways embodied in the relationship Joe Christmas has with Miss Burden, which is also divided into three segments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first temptation of Christ concerns the Devil's attempt to entice Christ to turn stone into bread. This temptation takes the form of an apparently beneficial offering to Christ, but Christ rejects it because he sees it for what it is: a temptation. This idea of ​​temptation through offering emerges in the first phase of the relationship between Joe Christmas and Miss Burden. This relationship begins the night Miss Burden catches Joe stealing food from her kitchen and allows him to take it. This sets the tone that Miss Burden wants to set for Joe in every way possible. Joe, however, suspects that in all the ways she offers herself, her ultimate goal is to gain 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 some food for him, his immediate impression is that the food was “prepared for the nigger” and he proceeds to hurl it at the walls (Faulkner, 239). He sees degrading implications in his offering of food, and throwing it on the walls prevents him from being under his care, and therefore his control. This refusal to accept her offer, which echoes Christ's refusal to accept the Devil's, continues in his insistence on entering her home only as a thief throughout their early phase together, despite her having welcomed him into her house. From Joe's perspective, instead of depending on his hospitality, he acts as an independent agent. Therefore, he has power over the “Devil”. The second temptation of Christ involves the Devil's attempt to make Christ jump from a pinnacle: evidently erratic behavior, but presumably equivalent to a declaration of his commitment to God. This temptation imitates the erratic behavior in which Miss Burden engages and insists that Joe Christmas also does the same in the second phase of their relationship. During this phase, Miss Burden becomes extremely possessive of Joe, often has fits of jealous rage, plunges 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 shows some resistance to this in particular, and overall recognizes that he is in a serious state of instability throughout this second phase. He understands that being in the relationship is making him somehow “a man sucked into a bottomless swamp” (Faulkner, 260). However, unlike Christ, Joe continues with this indefinite dive. However, during this time he maintains some emotional distance from Miss Burden, as evidenced by his awareness of the situation, and in this way imitates Christ. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The third temptation of Christ concerns the Devil's attempt to convince Christ to.”