Child of God

I won't feed you. I won't love you. I'm a child of God. ...Aren't I? By: [[START]] || [[Assignment Information]]

You have to get ready for Church. You have to get ready. You have to be ready. What will you wear? [[Your Sunday Finest]] or [[What you have left]]?

Your clothes are all dirty. What will Father think when he sees this? Children of God don't make messes. He'll clean you right up. [[Head to Church]]

You're going to make us look poor. You act like we don't provide for you. You act like God isn't helping you. Like He isn't helping us. That isn't enough for Father. That isn't enough for anyone. You were never enough for anyone, were you? Return to [[START]]

This interactive work is based off of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Like my powerpoint of the original story, this focuses on how people exploit their religion for their own gain (or detriment). While shorter than a normal work, it also has themes of Religious Guilt, Death, and Child Abuse. This assignment focuses on not the exploitation of angels, but those who follow them. The text is almost entirely dialogue besides the options. It switches from first to second person point of view (it will be labeled when it does). This text isn't symbolism or an allegory. It has the possibility to be a real life situation. It relies on situational irony by creating a juxtaposition between how religion wants their followers to act versus how the mother acts. The repitition of "Child of God" ties into the religious guilt the child is already gaining. Pleasing God is all you think about when you have it. The theme of the original text focuses on exploiting angels for financial gain. This is only slightly touched on during the church scene. I felt that the original story was more focused on monetary exploitation, so I focused this on spiritual exploitation of a follower. I tried to make it feel as personal as possible as if the reader is the one in the situation. I feel it brings another take to the original story. When you exploit an angel, that's something that you can't exactly relate to. It's a Biblical figure, you can't exactly feel like you're in it's shoes. The most I personally felt while reading it was "wow, these people will spend money on anything". So I took my story and changed the target. It's you. It's me. It's some poor child who is being spiritually manipulated and exploited. We were all children once. This takes the meaning of the original story and makes it easier to understand from a first-person perspective. [[START]]

Be a good child of God. Sit in the pew. Don't move this time. Father hates it when you disrespect Him. Father is coming. [[Bow your head]] or [[Look straight]]?

Bow your head. Good evening, Father. Yes, sometimes God doesn't want us to look our best. We musn't be too vain. Of course, Father. This will not happen again. You won't make mistakes again. You'll be a good child of God. You promise. Pay your offering. [[Pay your offering]]

Have you no shame? Do not disrespect Father. Do you want to go to Hell? I thought you were a child of God. This is not how good children act. [[Head to Church]]

What do you mean you don't have enough? We aren't poor. Do you want people to look down on us? God always gives His children enough. What about your school lunch? If you can't afford it, Then God doesn't want you to eat. You'll be a good child, right? [[Be a good child]].

This is what God would want. You're a good person, aren't you? Ignore the hunger pain. Ignore your vision blurring. You're a child of God. Ignore the way your heartbeat slows. Ignore your breathing getting shallow. You've done as God wills. You've done as we made you will. It's okay. God is coming. He wants you right here. END [[Assignment Information]]

That's it. You don't need the money anyways. The Church has to live on, doesn't it? If God wants you to eat then He will let you. Now focus on the service. He is watching. [[FOCUS]]

Did you pay attention? Do you pay attention? You seem to lack God's will. What verse was Father talking about? [[Colossians 3:20]] [[Galatians 1:10]]

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." Exactly. When you obey us. When you obey Father. You're giving God what he wants. Now smile. I have to update the Church blog. [[Smile. You have no choice.]]

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Don't you know? You have to please God through man. That's why Father is here. You seem to lack focus. That isn't enough for Father. That isn't enough for anyone. You were never enough for anyone, were you? [[FOCUS]]

Your clothes are still awful. How could you let yourself been seen like this? You didn't pray enough last night. I'm sure if you did God would have given you a blessing. That's why you're a curse to me. [[Smile harder]]

Good. At least you can do something right. Next week. Try not to look poor. We can't have people thinking we aren't children of God. [[NEXT WEEK]]

Your clothes are still dirty. Why? Do you think Father will be pleased? How can you call yourself a child of God? Take yourself to Church. You'll ruin our good reputation. [[Walk to church]]

(Narrator POV switch - second person) The cold is biting. Is your God not so loving enough to give you a jacket? Does He not love all his children? Maybe you are bad. But despite that, you're still hungry. Starving. Your mother would say it's hunger for closeness to God. All you know is it's what's about to take you to meet Him. [[Scavenge for food]]

You try to tell yourself this isn't wrong. You know thou shalt not steal. What is a law to hunger? What is an all-loving God to a child starving? You find a piece of rotted meat. Your fingers freeze from the bitter cold. But you need this. Should you [[take it]] or [[be good]]?

You don't touch the meat. How could you? That's stealing. It's against the commandments. It's against God. A small meow alerts you from your thoughts. A cat, small and frail, like you. It can't feed itself like this. You can find another way. You pick up the meat. You have to be a good child. You have to please God. [[Feed the cat]]

You take the meat and examine it. It isn't edible at all. But it's something. A small meow alerts you from your thoughts. A cat, small and frail, like you. It can't feed itself like this. You can. But you're so cold. Wouldn't God want you to help others? Don't be selfish. [[Feed the cat]]