BOOK REVIEWS NEW AGREEMENT ADVISOR 1

 

Book Identity

 

Book title: The Gospel of Mark as a Story

 

Authors: David Rhoads and Donald Michie

 

Publisher : Gunung Mulia

 

Published Year: 2004

 

Number of pages : 184

 

REVIEW OPENING

            The Gospel of Mark speaks of the great problems of life and death, good and evil, human success and failure. Man is not a simple story telling of virtue easily triumphing over evil; nor is it a collection of endeavors for the morality of life. The purpose of this book is to help readers re-experience Mark's Gospel as a single story, gaining a better understanding of the story broadly using works on contemporary literary criticism.

 

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

a. Introduction to Translation

            This translation of the book is New Translation, LAI is structured like a short story, in such a way that the reader can experience the story in its entirety. Paragraph division generally marks a change of place, speakers or the conclusion of a conflict. Everything is intended to clarify the elements of dialogue, action and movements in the story. The rhetorical means in this book support the creation of tension and the dramatic character of the story. This translation is intended for shared use, the author advises the reader to read the entire story.

b. Mark's Gospel

            The Gospel of Mark is a book that tells about Jesus Christ as the Son of God, which is marked by various miracles that Jesus did. And Jesus also proved that He would die and rise again on the third day.

2. Rhetoric

     Rhetoric is questions about 'how' a story is told so that it has a certain impact on the reader. In a brief study of the whole story, we can only describe elements of rhetorical techniques such as speakers, storytelling styles and narrative patterns. Yet an understanding of these rhetorical techniques plays an important role in interpreting each episode. Likewise our analysis of rhetoric is useful in further discussion of other facets of the story.

2.1. Narrator

            “Narrator is a literary term for the narrator. The narrator is not an author but a rhetorical apparatus with which the author tells the story and tells it in a certain way. There are several types of narrators, the narrator may be a protagonist (main character) in the story or may also be an insignificant character in the story. There is another type of narrator, namely those who are not characters in the story, they are also called all-knowing narrators. The striking features of the narrator in Mark's Gospel are as follows: the narrator does not appear in the events of the story in the story; speaking in the third person; in telling stories are not bound by time and place; fully present imperceptibly in every scene; able to be everywhere to “tell” events that occurred; appear as all-knowing by conveying thoughts, feelings and sensory experiences to the characters.

 

    ~The Narrator in Mark's Gospel is the All-Knowing Narrator

            The rhetorical characteristic of an all-knowing narrator with unlimited knowledge is consistently maintained in Mark's Gospel narrative. A simple exercise will show you the difference between an omniscient role and a first-person narrator.

~Narrator is not bound by time and place

            The narrator of the Gospel of Mark tells the story using the past tense, the narrator in the Gospel of Mark is not limited by place.

~The Narrator Tells "What's Inside" the Minds of the Characters

            In Mark's Gospel the narrator also expresses the characters' deepest feelings: compassion, anger, wonder, fear, sadness, admiration, or love; Likewise, the narrator tells the times when the characters are confused, happy, afraid, or upset.

~ Narrator Speaks to Readers in “Whispering”

            In Mark's Gospel most of the narrator's stories continue to relate the dialogue, thoughts and actions of the characters. In Mark's Gospel story the "whispers" feel like interruptions in the midst of describing events.

 

~ Narrator Speaks from a Specific Ideological Point of View

            If the narrator is an omniscient narrator and does not appear in the story, readers tend to tend to become oblivious to the prejudices, values ​​of the narrator's tenets of worldview.

~ Narrator Controls Distance

            The relationship that the narrator builds with the reader is different from the relationship formed by the narrator between the reader and the characters of the story. With such a story, the narrator invites the reader to take a distance or identify with different characters.

~ Narrator Sets Events

            The narrator arranges the events in the narrative appear in the order of the stories that the narrator arranges without following chronological order.

 

2.2. Point of View and Judgment Benchmark

            Point of view is one element that is closely related to the narrator. The “point of view” in a narrative is expressed in the following ways: the value system of the ideological belief and value system of the narrator and each character; a distinctive style of speaking that reveals the identity of the speaker; from where and when the narrator or character views something; and mental actions or emotional states such as thoughts, feelings or experiences.

 

2.3. Storytelling Style

            Storytelling style is an integral part of the rhetoric of a story. The storytelling style of Mark's Gospel is simple, the words used are concrete and not abstract.

 

2.4. Narrative Pattern

            The narrative pattern will be known by the reader in line with the iterative process, some of the most interesting elements of the narrative of Mark's Gospel are the rhetorical means used to organize and compose the story.

 

 

2.5. Other Literary Characteristics

            There are several other features of rhetorical literature in Mark's Gospel narrative that need attention in interpretation, including:

 

2.5.1. Riddles or Parables

            That is, a character tells a strange story or conveys a dream whose meaning is hidden in parables.

 

2.5.2. Quotes from Writings

            That is to give instructions to the reader to understand the meaning of the story through quotations.

 

2.5.3. Prophecies

            Some of the prophecies in the story are quoted from the writings of the characters in the story.

 

2.5.4. Irony

            One of the dominant characteristics of Mark's Gospel story is irony, in Mark's Gospel story there are two types of irony, namely verbal irony and situational irony.

 

3. BACKGROUND

The setting of a story is the context for the conflicts and actions of the characters.

3.1. Street

            Travel provides a systematic structure for the story

3.2. Places Reminiscent of the Past

The setting in the Book of Mark creates a certain atmosphere in the story being discussed, also creates conflicts and reveals the identity of the characters. The setting is: rivers, deserts, seas, and mountains.

3.3. Private and Public Background

            In Mark's Gospel story the setting provides a personal atmosphere or place for Jesus and His Disciples.

3.4. Movement Patterns

            The patterns of movement in Mark's Gospel story can be seen from: Galilee, Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem.

3.5. End of Journey

            Jerusalem and the Temple, Jerusalem was the Capital of Israel, the large temple complex was the center of power for the high priests and scribes to dominate the city.

 

4. STORY PLAN

Some events from the storyline form the background or context for the story, while other events form a series of actions or actions that are at the same time the foreground of the story.

4.1. Background and Origins of the conflict: God's Reign

            The direct cause of the conflicts, but the story shows that it is actually God who is the ultimate originator of many of the actions and events in the story.

4.2. Jesus Against the Forces of the Evil Spirit and Nature

                        In Mark's Gospel Jesus fought the forces of evil spirits when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, and the victor was Jesus.

4.3 Jesus Against Rulers

            In the Gospel of Mark Jesus' conflict with the rulers continues to be in tension, the conflict is not resolved until the end of the story. Because of His righteousness and Wisdom, Jesus proved to be a Victor.

4.4 Jesus Against the Disciples

            In Mark's gospel Jesus puts the disciples into a conflict situation by calling them to follow Him and expecting many from them, Jesus expects them to become fishers of men and that they understand Jesus and have strong faith.

 

5. Characters

                  The characters are the central element of the story world, the analysis of the characters in Mark's Gospel story cannot but overlap with the analysis of conflicts.

5.1. Jesus

            In Mark's Gospel story the central figure is Jesus, because From the beginning of the story it is said that Jesus is the 'Christ', the Son of God.

5.2. The rulers

              The enemies in Mark's Gospel story include the Jews as well as the Gentile rulers in Israel, namely: the Scribes, Pharisees, Herodians, Elders, Chief Priests and, High Priests, Sanhedrin, Sadducees, Soldiers, Gentiles (Romans), and Pilate.

5.3. Disciples

             In Mark's Gospel account the disciples refer to the twelve whom Jesus chose to follow Him.

5.4. Dina's People

             In contrast to both the opponents and the Disciples, the Dinah characters in the Gospels consistently practiced God's government.        

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