History Main / EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory

The concept of "the DeathOfTheAuthor", a concept in literary criticism envisaged by French literary critic and theorist Roland Barthes has helped this state of affairs as it encourages everyone to insist that their pet theories are entirely valid (with or without justification), regardless of how many times the [[WordOfGod author of the text clearly states his or her intentions in writing the work]], or, as in many cases, that the pet theory absolutely ''isn't'' the state of affairs at all. Death of the Author is effective because WordOfGod isn't always reliable; the author him/herself can decide the work means different (even [[FlipFlopOfGod contradictory]]) things and if there are ''multiple'' authors, it's perfectly possible for them to disagree on what the work means and so [[FrenchJerk whoever]] came up with the concept of "DeathOfTheAuthor" has a good point. This is what literary Modernism is about. [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Thus it is proven that the tyranny of God gives way to the freedom of man!]]

The concept of "the DeathOfTheAuthor" has helped this state of affairs as it encourages everyone to insist that their pet theories are entirely valid (with or without justification), regardless of how many times the [[WordOfGod author of the text clearly states his or her intentions in writing the work]], or, as in many cases, that the pet theory absolutely ''isn't'' the state of affairs at all. Death of the Author is effective because WordOfGod isn't always reliable; the author him/herself can decide the work means different (even [[FlipFlopOfGod contradictory]]) things and if there are ''multiple'' authors, it's perfectly possible for them to disagree on what the work means and so [[FrenchJerk whoever]] came up with the concept of "DeathOfTheAuthor" has a good point. This is what literary Modernism is about. [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Thus it is proven that the tyranny of God gives way to the freedom of man!]]

* Most of the works of Creator/{{Shakespeare}}. Try asking your English teacher what Iago's motives are in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'', and what Iago stands for. The obvious one is that he's {{Satan}}, which has a bit of weight to it. Another is that Iago is [[PostModernism the author, trying to engineer a tragic play]]. Or maybe -- just maybe -- he's an intolerant redneck who has a problem working under a black man and a teetotaller, and suspects both of nailing his wife, like he says in the play. Or, he's in love with Othello.

* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': one theory speculates that Snow White stayed dead and her soul was taken to Heaven.

[[caption-width-right:350:Seems right.]]

->''I think I understand now. The Example Folders are there to symbolize the man's curious nature and endless desire for knowledge in pursuit of enlightenment... and [[TvTropesWillRuinYourLife the embrace of their ugliest and most persistent obsessions]].''

** ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'' by Creator/GrantMorrison double and triples down on the previously mentioned Jesus and Moses interpretations of the character whilst throwing in new ones: notably, he defeats both Samson and Atlas in an arm-wrestling contest and must complete a series of episodic tasks over the course of the narrative, putting him in the same league as Hercules, the greatest hero of the Greek pantheon. Morrison also reiterates both within and outside of the text Superman's relationship with the Earth's yellow sun from which he draws his power, connecting him explicitly with sun-gods like the Egyptian Ra and Greek Apollo: the narrative is kickstarted by him [[TookALevelInBadass receiving a major boost to his powers]] [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands as well as several new ones]] [[LivingOnBorrowedTime which will eventually prove fatal]] by [[LiteralMetaphor flying too close to the sun]] (possibly in a nod to Icarus), at one point travels to an underworld dimension (populated by Bizarros) and later has to restart the dying sun using the excess solar energy in his cells, [[MessianicArchetype seemingly sacrificing himself to save Earth from the same fate as Krypton,]] [[SecondComing only for the ending to hint of his survival and possible resurrection]].
* Parodied in ''Magazine/{{MAD}}''`s parody of ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'', where Big Figure and his goons attempt to work out what's going to happen next by analyzing the comic's 'direct, concomitant parallelisms' as pertaining to an owl mask on a previous page. They come up with lots of deep, meaningful suggestions, but are cut off by [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/orejudo/Comix/madprison.jpg Nite Owl's Owlship crashing through the wall]].

Wiki/ThisVeryWiki isn't exempt from inflicting this kind of paranoia either, [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife as all of us here know]]. Is that LateForSchool scene supposed to be a ShoutOut to a similar scene from that other show, where things go immediately wrong after? Is it a {{satire}} of such scenes to demonstrate how cheesy they would be in real life? Are the background elements {{Genius Bonus}}es or just plain AccidentallyCorrectWriting? Did they make the symbolism too obvious to distract from the ''real'' symbolism hiding in the same scene?

The MindScrew series loves this state of mind. It cultivates it intentionally and takes advantage of it every chance it gets. John Lennon once stated that many artists just "stick things in" at random for this reason: "I bet Picasso sticks things in. I bet he's been laughing his balls off for the last 80 years."

* Since its release in the year 2012, there have been many, many videos and blog posts trying to decipher the "true" meaning of the animated short film ''WebAnimation/IPetGoatII'', some of which have tried to dissect it frame by frame: Interpretations range from calling it "prophetic", to others who accuse it of being a work of TheIlluminati in order to [[EvilGloating boast about their plans of world domination.]]

* Since its release in the year 2012, there have been many, many videos and blog posts trying to decipher the "true" meaning of the animated short film ''WebAnimation/IPetGoatII'', some of which have tried to dissect it frame by frame: Interpretations range from calling it "prophetic", to others who accuse it of being a work of TheIlluminati in order to [[EvilGloating boast their plans of world domination.]]

** In the future of ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' where Superman is the inspiration for the heroes of the day, it's even more so. The animated series even has him [[spoiler:end up getting a crown of Kryptonite from his own personal Judas]].

* Creator/BillMurray's ''Film/GroundhogDay'' stands as Hollywood's sole Buddhist message movie. As Phil (short for 'philosopher', obviously, a common name for the Buddha), Murray eventually realizes what takes many lifetimes to understand; namely, that every cycle of birth-death-rebirth (every 'day') is always the same, over and over, depressing, painful, and bound by karma (i.e.- how you've treated others in the past), until you awaken and make a conscious choice to change that destiny. It's interesting that Phil takes the Tantric path, initially using the opportunity of being 'reborn' every morning to simply fulfill all desires, and therefore, to ultimately purge himself of them. Still, over who knows how many 'days' -- how many lifetimes of days -- he eventually comes to see the connectedness of all things, the sacredness of all life, and the joy to be found in knowledge, wisdom, and simply making a difference in the lives of others. By his own effort, and even against his initial nature, over many lifetimes he achieves Enlightenment, and is able to move on. Plus, that scene where he lets the groundhog drive the truck is freakin hilarious.

* Parodied by Creator/BenCroshaw [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkn5hgjhyeo as part of an April Fools joke]], where he examines "Music/TheWhiteAlbum" by Music/TheBeatles as part of his ''Judging by the Cover'' series. With only a blank image to work with, he spends several minutes arguing how the album's title is actually a representation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. [[spoiler:Then things get increasingly weird when Croshaw starts to admire imagery not visible to the viewer and it becomes clear that he has lost his mind.]]

Memories of that overzealous English teacher, who forced you to accept that every character, every scene and every action had a ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory deep inner meaning]]'' have led to widespread fear on the part of readers and viewers everywhere that every tale secretly contains some other story being told in {{subtext}}. The end result of this is a state of mind that interprets every plot as an allegory for the rebuilding of one's soul, every setting as a manifestation of {{purgatory|AndLimbo}}, and every protagonist as a stand-in for [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the Christ]]: [[TitleDrop Everyone is Jesus in purgatory!]]

* The [[KarmaMeter Good-Karma]] storyline of ''VideoGame/{{Infamous}}'' is a lot more interesting if you view Cole as an allegory for (who else?) Jesus Christ. He's a(n [[AntiHero admittedly flawed]]) hero with powerful and unique abilities who helps those around him, despite the scorn he receives from them; but through his actions, he reverses that scorn into admiration. He was [[spoiler:betrayed by a close friend for personal gain (Zeke, who was convinced by [[BigBad Kessler]] that he could get powers like Cole's if he gave him the Ray Sphere) who would later come to regret his decision]], and in the second game, he would [[spoiler:ultimately [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice himself]] to defeat a powerful conduit called [[{{Satan}} the Beast]], with just a hint of a resurrection (the question mark shaped lightning bolt in the final scene) [[note]]Though WordOfGod {{Jossed}} this theory[[/note]]]].
** A Good-Karma Delsin from ''Second Son'' is even called "[[spoiler:The Second Coming of Cole]]".

Memories of that overzealous English teacher, who forced you to accept that every character, every scene and every action had a ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory deep inner meaning]]'' have led to widespread fear on the part of readers and viewers everywhere that every tale secretly contains some other story being told in {{subtext}}. The end result of this is a state of mind that interprets every plot as an allegory for the rebuilding of one's soul, every setting as a manifestation of {{purgatory|AndLimbo}}, and every protagonist as a stand-in for [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the Christ]]: Everyone is Jesus in purgatory!

Memories of that overzealous English teacher, who forced you to accept that every character, every scene and every action had a ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory deep inner meaning]]'' have led to widespread fear on the part of readers and viewers everywhere that every tale secretly contains some other story being told in {{subtext}}. The end result of this is a state of mind that interprets every plot as an allegory for the rebuilding of one's soul, every setting as a manifestation of {{purgatory|AndLimbo}}, and every protagonist as a stand-in for [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the Christ]]: [[TitleDrop Everyone Is Jesus In Purgatory]]!

[[MeasuringTheMarigolds Rampant paranoia]] results from this state; one cannot look at anything without being suspicious that this is some kind of allegory brainwashing you into learning AnAesop ''[[SubliminalSeduction against your will]]''. Is that box of Corntos one character is handing another a mere confection or is it a blessing from On High, manna sent from a merciful {{God}}? Or wait... it could be a DealWithTheDevil; short-term pleasure resulting in permanent bodily ruination! [[FauxSymbolism What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?]] Thus the EpilepticTrees are planted.

Rampant paranoia results from this state; one cannot look at anything without being suspicious that this is some kind of allegory brainwashing you into learning AnAesop ''[[SubliminalSeduction against your will]]''. Is that box of Corntos one character is handing another a mere confection or is it a blessing from On High, manna sent from a merciful {{God}}? Or wait... it could be a DealWithTheDevil; short-term pleasure resulting in permanent bodily ruination! [[FauxSymbolism What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?]] Thus the EpilepticTrees are planted.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'' has one particularly horrifying interpretation of the film: [[spoiler:The earthquake near the beginning was a result of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, AKA the extinction of the dinosaurs. Meaning everyone was DeadAllAlong. The film is their journey through Purgatory towards Heaven, represented by the Great Valley. The dinosaur that comforts Littlefoot directly after his mother's death is an angel trying to get him to overcome his anger over his mother's death, for which he blames both her and (secretly) himself. Hell is represented by "the wrong way" that leads to the lava field where Cera overcomes her sin of excessive pride, and where the rest of the group learns that there are no "shortcuts" to Heaven and that they must go on the path set for them and have faith in it or else they'll never get there. The Sharptooth is representative of the kids' fear of their own mortality and of the regret of being separated from their families that they may never see again, and by killing him, they have finally let go of all of their earthly attachments, aside from Littlefoot, who still has guilt for the death of his mother. When he finally accepts her death, he finds the Great Valley, along with everyone else, where the rest of their families are waiting for them in the afterlife.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'' has one particularly horrifying interpretation of the film: [[spoiler:The earthquake near the beginning was a result of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, AKA the extinction of the dinosaurs. Meaning everyone was DeadAllAlong. The film is their journey through purgatory towards heaven, represented by the Great Valley. The dinosaur that comforts Littlefoot directly after his mother's death is an angel trying to get him to overcome his anger over his mother's death, for which he blames both her and (secretly) himself. The lava field is where Cera overcomes her sin of excessive pride, and where the rest of the group learns that there are no "shortcuts" to heaven, and that they must go on the path set for them, and have faith in it, or they'll never get there. The Sharptooth is representative of the kids' fear of their own mortality, and by killing him, they have finally let go of all of their earthly attachments, aside from Littlefoot, who still has guilt for the death of his mother. When he finally accepts her death, he finds the Great Valley, along with everyone else, where the rest of their families are waiting for them in the afterlife.]]

** There's [[http://www.zeldauniverse.net/articles/the-stone-tower-why-termina-was-doomed/ a theory]] with popularity that says the Stone Tower temple of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' is an allegory of the Tower of Babel. It also turns the mask into a punishment from the gods and Link into a messianic figure sent to "redeem" Termina from their "sins".
** The Game Theorists channel on Website/{{Youtube}} pulls the purgatory card with its theory that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S1SVkysIRw Link is dead in the game and the real quest is to accept his death and move on]].[[note]]This theory has been completely debunked with the revelation that the Hero's Shade seen in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' is actually "VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask"'s Link, which means he survived the events in that game, at least long enough to grow up into an adult; Termina's nature as a parallel dimension to Hyrule also contradicts the theory.[[/note]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

See FreudWasRight (for sexual/phallic, subconscious symbolism when it's referenced in-story), GettingCrapPastTheRadar (for crowdsourced sexual/phallic, subconscious symbolism), WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical (for political symbolism), RainbowLens (for LGBT+ symbolism), and WildMassGuessing if you really want to blow your mind. Compare MessianicArchetype for characters with more obvious parallels to a Christ figure. Not to be confused with EveryoneIsSatanInHell, where something good is portrayed as bad, (relevant that it is not confused due to the popularity of "everyone is ''Dante'' in hell" as an alternate form of this) and DracoInLeatherPants when something bad is portrayed as good.