The Last Temptation of Christ Writing Style & Techniques

This Study Guide consists of approximately 71 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Last Temptation of Christ.

The Last Temptation of Christ Writing Style & Techniques

This Study Guide consists of approximately 71 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Last Temptation of Christ.
This section contains 241 words
(approx. 1 page at 400 words per page)
Buy The Last Temptation of Christ Study Guide

Kazantzakis combines scenes of graphic realism with descriptions of surrealistic dreams and psychodrama to create this portrait of Christ as existential hero. The realism is often as disturbing as the nonrealistic scenes are confusing.

Readers may find it uncomfortable to encounter Christ being actually seduced by a voluptuous Mary Magdalen; yet it is through such scenes that Kazantzakis is able to vivify the notion of temptation, making it clear what it means to be tempted and to give up everything for a higher cause.

The highly metaphorical nature of the dream scenes also takes some getting used to; fortunately, Kazantzakis uses traditional images (for example, the spirit represented as a bird) to make his points. The jar to one's sensibilities comes once again, though, when one discovers that images of God and those of the devil are the same.

Such daring use of imagery...

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This section contains 241 words
(approx. 1 page at 400 words per page)
Buy The Last Temptation of Christ Study Guide
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The Last Temptation of Christ from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.