Post #9- Cannongate Open Question

In Michel Faber’s The Fire Gospel, linguist Theo Grippen releases never before seen documents about Jesus Christ’s final hours on Earth, thrusting him into a spotlight of religious fanatics and sensationalist reporters, despite the consequences he might face. Using Grippen’s journey Faber exposes an intrinsic greed for material goods so strong it trumps any negatives that might occur when on their path for money and fame, all in the hopes it would better their lives and make them happier. Upon publishing his work, Grippen is so caught up in the numbers and sales of the book that he ignores any detrimental effects it might have on a reader. Faber establishes this scene through using a frame device of online Amazon comments, one of them stating “before I read book I was saved and steadfast in the Lord… Now I am lost and alone”. Using the device of online reviews, Faber paints a picture of a writer reaping all of the benefits of his book, just reading reviews from people he’s negatively impacted, purely for his amusement. The computer screen provides just enough detachment for which Grippen would not have to confront his greed, instead he just continues on his materialistic journey. Throughout the piece, Grippen reveals he is willing to make changes to his core being, all for the sake of being more marketable. When talking to publishers, he agreed to change his last name from “Grienpenkerl” to “Grippen”, all to present less chances at misspellings and being more memorable when just looking up the book. The conversations had when leading up to this decision were incredibly short and brief, demonstrating how Grippen did not even need to consider something that would lead to him making more money. Faber chose this rapid, fast-paced dialogue to really symbolize the lack of thought put into the decision. Deciding to improve chances of a sale, Grippen showcases that making money is more important to him than his family name and heritage. Furthermore, Grippen’s thoughts and views on places depend entirely on their opinions on his book. Faber juxtaposes Grippen’s views on Baltimore before and after assaulted by someone who does not like his book by using parallel structure, with the sentence structure of the first opinion mimicking that of the second. Originally, Grippen embraces the dangers of the city of Baltimore, stating it adds character and that he can relate to it. When in reality, he just wants to use the residents of the town to add more money to his bank account. After receiving a reality check on how he is not invincible and not everyone in Baltimore is welcoming to him, his opinion changes. Going from loving a place to hating it once he can no longer profit, Faber showcases this mentality through his use of parallel structure. Grippen constantly had a desire for more- more money, more women, more respect. Despite already gaining more money than he ever had before, Grippen still wants more, not yet sated. To encapsulate this, Faber writes short, stream-of-conscious type sentences that symbolize intrusive thoughts in Grippen’s mind. Constantly, Grippen will have fleeting thoughts about getting in bed with a variety of women, despite being in a relationship. Rather than embracing what he already has, Grippen desires even more, viewing the women as objects for his pleasure, just another material gain, than anything else. Not worrying about how it might impact the remainder of his life, Grippen still lusts for these women. From the start, Theo Grippen, an author desperate to finally achieve his material desires, knew his actions would have negative consequences. Yet despite facing outrage, assaults, and negative reviews he still pursues with his publication simply due to that allure of materialism he faced.