48 pages • 1 hour read
Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHayeLeft Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1995A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Human and Divine Manifestations of Forgiveness
LaHaye and Jenkins include numerous descriptions to forgiveness in Left Behind. Forgiveness is described in interpersonal, familial contexts as well as global and divine contexts. The authors use descriptions of forgiveness to suggest that a forgiving spirit is symptomatic of faith in a forgiving deity, implying by extension that human acts of forgiveness therefore function as a microcosm of divine forgiveness. References to interpersonal forgiveness initially tend to be associated with characters who have been taken in the Rapture. For example, Buck’s brother, Jeff, is surprised at the forgiveness exhibited by his wife, who was a Christian and has now disappeared. Jeff feels underserving of his wife’s forgiveness, and this sentiment foreshadows the novel’s discussion of the biblical message that divine forgiveness is based on the strength of a person’s faith, not on a final tally of their good deeds.
Interpersonal forgiveness also functions as an indication of certain characters’ belief in Christianity. After Rayford’s conversion, for example, he mentions forgiveness increasingly often, and Hattie notices this preoccupation when he asks her several times to forgive him. The authors suggest a contrast between his specific, Christian-based understanding of forgiveness and her more generalized, secular definition of the word, emphasizing the different points each character occupies on the continuum from skepticism to faith. For example, when Hattie suggests that she won’t hold a grudge and says, “I guess that’s forgiveness” (375), her offhand tone suggests that she does not hold as nuanced an apprehension of the concept as Rayford does.
Similarly, Bruce’s story reflects an intersection between a flawed, human view on forgiveness and its broader religious implications. He tells Rayford and Chloe that he “especially liked the parts about God being forgiving. I was a sinner, and I never changed. I just kept getting forgiveness because I thought God was bound to do that” (195). Bruce reflects on his previous simplistic view of forgiveness as a given that doesn’t require believers to undergo a personal transformation. This sentiment is reminiscent of Hattie and Jeff’s lack of understanding about human forgiveness. Bruce then emphasizes the dichotomy that “God is a sin-forgiving God […] But we are to receive his gift, abide in Christ, and allow him to live through us” (197). The contrast between Christian worldviews that are faith-focused and those that are works-focused is an important and polemical dichotomy. Evangelical Christianity proposes that faith rather than good deeds is required for salvation; however, true faith should also inspire good deeds, for righteous actions are symptomatic of the belief in Jesus’s sacrifice. Bruce’s detailed narration about his previous views is designed to provide readers with a more explicit explanation of a complex theological topic. Overall, the authors’ inclusion of a variety of descriptions of both interpersonal and divine forgiveness is an attempt to explain an eschatological point in relatable terms.
The Balance Between Skepticism and Faith
Rayford, Chloe, and Buck all undertake a character journey from skepticism to faith. This progression is the central aspect of each individual’s trajectory as the events of the novel unfold. Collectively, the characters represent the internal conflict of moving from doubt to belief. Each initially espouses skepticism, partially on the basis of their personalities and career roles. (Specifically, Rayford is an intelligent and technically minded pilot, Chloe is a sharp Stanford student, and Buck is an incisive investigative journalist.) By showing these characters’ progression from skepticism to faith and highlighting their various doubts along the way, the authors suggest that the progress from skepticism to faith is a difficult and personal journey that involves profound internal struggles.
Each of the three primary characters experiences the progression from initial skepticism toward acceptance of the form of salvation espoused in Evangelical Christianity, but they each undergo this transformation in a different way and undergo conversion at different times. Narratively, the staggered timeline helps drive the novel’s plot, as the authors create suspense about which characters will come to believe in the Rapture and when. In Buck’s case in particular, the fact that he prays for salvation only moments before the meeting with Carpathia creates narrative tension. Bruce has already warned that Carpathia’s powers as Antichrist may include hypnosis and supernatural influence. Therefore, Buck’s decision to become a Christian is framed as a timely form of protection against Carpathia, as is implied when Buck is the only one to resist Carpathia’s brainwashing.
In terms of character development, Rayford, Chloe, and Buck all have their own pathways to faith. Within the context of the story, Rayford is the closest to belief at the beginning of the novel, having always known on some level that Irene’s worldview was correct; in his mind, the event of the Rapture and the early events of the book confirm this. He fights against his tendency to value intellect over faith and reevaluates his preconceived notion of “born-again Christians” in order to find his way to a full conversion. Similarly, Chloe contends with her worry about what her friends would say about her journey towards faith, given that critical thinking and skepticism are both important to her identity. Unlike her father, she requires supernatural “proof,” which comes in the form of Buck sitting next to her on the flight right after she asks for a sign from God. Buck also considers himself incisive and discerning, especially in his function as a journalist. He becomes a Christian at the last possible moment before the critical meeting with Carpathia. The purpose of these different journeys is to suggest that everyone has an individualized path to belief. Thus, the authors work to normalize doubt and suggest that the progression from skepticism to faith is a worthwhile struggle to undertake. The inclusion of Bible study, doubt, and critical thinking in advance of acceptance functions as an authorial suggestion that faith can be thoughtful rather than “blind.”
Corruption and Instability in a Post-Crisis World
Nicolae Carpathia’s rise to power suggests the vulnerability of a world in crisis. Because humanity is seeking strong leadership in the face of turmoil, Carpathia capitalizes on this widespread fear and need for stability in order to achieve his own political ascension. LaHaye and Jenkins therefore include several depictions of post-crisis opportunism that range from petty crime to Carpathia’s meteoric global rise to power, and this narrative pattern is designed to suggest how vulnerable a post-crisis world can be to the lure of exploitative power.
Nicolae Carpathia therefore epitomizes a shift in how power is acquired. An early reference to his political ascension is a newspaper article that notes “democratic elections became passé when, with the seeming unanimous consensus of the people […] a popular young businessman/politician assumed the role of president of the country” (113). Although this passage occurs long before the authors introduce the overt suspicion that Carpathia is the Antichrist, the characterization suggests the tyrannical elements of his rise to power.
In addition to the looming figure of Carpathia, the novel includes several descriptions of low-level opportunism, like looting. As the narrative states, “People checked the graves of loved ones to see if their corpses had disappeared, and unscrupulous types pretended to do the same while looking for valuables that might have been buried with the wealthy” (207). This passage reflects an affluent and naïve view of a shift from security to insecurity. In the context of this theme, the description is significant because it highlights the fact that the realities of a post-crisis world facilitate more open criminality. Rather than looting graves at night, perpetrators are able to do so on the pretense of checking whether their loved ones have been raptured.
Similarly, on the videotape, the pastor notes the probable appearance of martial law and other “emergency measures trying to keep evil elements from looting and fighting over the spoils of what is left” (212). As the pastor warns that “Governments will tumble and there will be international disorder” (212), his words become significant because of the implied connection between concepts of petty criminality, like looting, and broader issues of governmental disorder. The passage suggests a universality to the concept of evil that will operate when the opportunity presents itself on both a small and large scale.
The pastor’s tape also highlights that the rise of the Antichrist is uniquely possible due to the chaos of the global context. As the pastor states, “I warn you to beware now of a new leader with great charisma trying to take over the world during this terrible time of chaos and confusion” (213). Throughout the novel, Carpathia is characterized as self-assured, and his ascension is nearly frictionless. The fact that even members of the news media, like Steve, believe in Carpathia implies that the world has changed drastically after the disappearances, leaving even critically minded people susceptible to opportunistic bids for power.
Related Titles
By these authors
