Scapegoat Quote by Scott Cowdell
![“A text structured by the scapegoat effect cannot make a theme of this; [and in turn] a text that makes a theme of the scapegoat cannot be structured by this effect. In the gospels, Christ is so obviously the scapegoat of everyone [in the text] that he can no longer be the scapegoat of the text…” quote by Scott Cowdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ee/scott-cowdell-38548_scapegoat_a-text-structured-by-the-scapegoat-effec_2664727.jpg)
““A text structured by the scapegoat effect cannot make a theme of this; [and in turn] a text that makes a theme of the scapegoat cannot be structured by this effect. In the gospels, Christ is so obviously the scapegoat of everyone [in the text] that he can no longer be the scapegoat of the text, just as the sixteenth-century witch isn’t the scapegoat of the twentieth-century historian.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Literary Theory, 2019
The scapegoat motif shapes narrative structure, but when the subject becomes the scapegoat, the structure collapses.
In simple terms: Scapegoat roles affect story structure.
Key Takeaway
Analyze how symbols shift narrative roles.
Themes
symbolism
structure
narrative theory
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
academic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- storytelling workshops
Key Concepts
literary criticism
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a scapegoat function in modern media?
- Can a story survive without a clear scapegoat?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on symbols may oversimplify texts.
![“Even if Christ is our scapegoat, he is not that of the Father, and [so] the sacrificial understanding is always relative, while the absolute is that which is beyond all sacrifice. Tell me what you think. Is it that the definition of perfect love between the Father and the Son, or the identity of…” quote by Scott Cowdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bb6/scott-cowdell-38548_learning_even-if-christ-is-our-scapegoat-he-is-no_2543991.jpg)
