The​ ​spark​ ​of​ ​power

In the chapter bang,  Johns Crow Devil Marlon James shows the foreshadowed power that the apostle shown. Marlon james shows us the apostles thought of his new found religious sanctuary known as gibbeah. “Gibbeah was the ark, already built by god” (159) he started a spark in the town giving them a spiritual armor that caused a spark in the town. The Apostle the strength and persuasion he possesses to make men fear and other follow ultimately leading to the stoning of the truck driver. The passage shows the  true intent of his presence and showing his competence of making people follow and do what he wants.
The Apostle shows his competence by his words and persuasion that he possesses with his words making the women scared by his force of voice, and some of the men. He shows his strength by stoning those who did not listen or didn’t want to follow the apostle but the rum preacher were stoned and whipped in front of the town “evil had to be driven out” (161) showing that he wanted everyone that didnt listen would be punished, showing the power and the strength over the town. Marlon James already foreshadowed the coming darkness that would consume the town soon when he writes “you say you saw it coming,yea but still you did not flee” (23). Implying that the new apostle had a darker side then portrayed soon to be revealed in further chapters. But the apostle was also tested in the chapter golgotha or the incident as hector bligh’s or the rum preacher tests the Apostle. The apostle also stops Hector’s challenge by bringing up the past of hector Blighs. This knowledge as he tells bligh “that’s how you become a god” thus telling you an insight of how Apostle thinks of himself, that he is a god in his eyes. Showing that Apostle does not believe in god but is thinking of him as a god of gibbeah and his antichrist preaching persuaded the town to follow him.
Johns Crow Devil shows the competence and persuasion of the Apostle and how he has had  multiple people whipped and stoned throughs this competence he has. He shows a dictatorial trait that is terrifying to the town and makes them follow him. That shows how one strong, persuasive and could have people killed or beaten, this is a human made god from hypocrisy and fright.

Advertisement