The book of Job from The Kings James Bible and the play J.B. correspond to each other very well in respect to the theme of staying faithfully towards the lord. Specifically, in chapter 1-3 in the book of Job, faith and suffering is ultimately tested for the protagonist, Job. Furthermore in the play J.B, scenes 6-9 explain a similar story where suffering is questioned and trust in the lord is lost. Both of these texts compare in a similar manner to the main theme of trusting the lord through misery.
First in the book of Job chapter 1, Job, a man who is wealthy and prosperous was known to fear God but shun evil. He had everything great going for him until Satan came along. Satan was known as the son of God at this point in time, and was given permission from God to test Job’s faith. Chapter 2 starts as satan, “went forth from the presence of the Lord, and Smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he said down among the ashes”(Jobs 2:7-8). This quote illustrates that Satan endured pain on Job to see if his faith would last. At the point Job began to question his faith in the Lord. Similarly in the play J.B an atomic bomb hits the city and destroys an entire block of buildings. J.B’s bank is destroyed completely and his last remaining child Ruth dies. It is obvious that J.B did not do anything to deserve this and his friends believe that he was stop praising God and question God himself. Familiarly enough in chapter 9 he states “If God is God He is not good, If God is good He is not God; Take the even, take the odd….” (MacLeish.: A Play in Verse). This quote establishes that J.B loses his mind and demands God for an answer to his misery. To the reader, it is pretty clear that J.B did not do anything to deserve the pain he is being put through but it was a test from God to see if they would stay faithful. Both of these texts have very similar encounters that relate to each other heavily.
First of all both of these readings have a causal factor that affects the protagonists mental state. In the book of Job the causal factor is Satan tempting Job himself. In J.B that causal factor is the atomic blast that ultimately ruined J.B’s life. Similarly both of these causal factors cause the same response in each of the main character’s. This response was to repent to God. Both were warned by close friends of theirs not to go against the Lord or question him. However, this did not last so long as the pain seemed to takeover each of the protagonists. Job ends up questioning God and loses his faith. he asks God why this is happening to him and that he did not deserve any of this. Similarly, in the play, J.B also questions God and demands an answer to why this is happening to him. He believes that God is unjust and that he did not deserve any of this.
Both of these readings can compare to each other very easily as each situation is moreover the same. Both protagonists are dealing with the same issue, still having faith in the Lord when suffering.
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