(no subject)

[prismakaos]

I'm guessing a large portion of my flist has read American Gods. I was having a conversation with someone today about why Jesus wasn't a big player in that book. We also ranged on topics such as how Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln should have been gods, and maybe Celebrity (with a changing face of Monroe, Paris Hilton, etc). In any case, does anyone have much insight into why Gaiman chose the gods he did, but left Jesus out of the book almost entirely? (Also, on a side note, Wikipedia suggests that Cthulu was referenced in the book -- does anyone know where?)

Comments

[darkest-light.livejournal.com]

He's one lucky son of a virgin, is all I'm saying.

My understanding was that Jesus didn't really play a large part in the book because he was pretty much outside the struggle. He wasn't one of the small dying-out gods and he wasn't one of the new guys trying to get their name out there, so he didn't take part in the war at all.

I can't remember where Cthulu was referenced, but I know where Delirium has a cameo.

[punkosopher.livejournal.com]

The explanation of Jesus being rather outside the fray makes sense. Of course, you'd expect him to be pretty *#%$ing powerful in the U.S., given religious sentiment here. My guess is he mainly didn't fit thematically. Gaiman didn't set out to write a book with a lot of Judeo-Christian content in it; it's really themed around paganism (gods representing certain aspects of the world, etc.) and the modern version of thereof. If his book had Jesus as a big player, it would really change the mood, IMHO.

I think Celebrity would have been a great candidate for a modern god...

[spamchang.livejournal.com]

maybe celebrity, fame, or attention could have been a modern god, but the essence of godhood, it would seem, was just that--fame or attention. i mean, i think that would have counted as worship. you could make an argument that thinking about God in a positive light would be worship. as long as the gods got fame, recognition, etc etc, they were powerful. a metaverse? would the god of gods be fame/attention/worship/power etc? hmm. that which you crave becomes your god.

i doubt gaiman would want to weave something as culturally complex and nuanced as "God" or Jesus into his pantheon, and i think the story may be better for it. i mean, no one's reading this for theology :p it's a narrative of the life and death of ideas in their marketplace. gaiman's gods were mortal in the end. in that sense, at least, Jesus does not belong.

[pandoradeloeste.livejournal.com]

gaiman's gods were mortal in the end. in that sense, at least, Jesus does not belong.

Not necessarily. Just because zombie!Jesus rose from the dead once doesn't necessarily mean he would rise a second time. Might have just been a 1x/game ability.

(Dang, I always forget about the Flying Spaghetti Monster icon until after I post. I <3 the comment-editing ability.)

[spamchang.livejournal.com]

haha, nice. but for you and your Jesus posts, i should probably assume an FSM icon...at least for now anyway ;) i dunno. maybe you'll go ultraorthodox and find a bash icon, or maybe you'll swing messianic and then find a heart icon... :P