Friday, October 23, 2009

The Lion and the Lamb


I thought of connection between the lion who protected Una and her figurative representation. In the beginning of Book I, Una is described as a virtuous woman in white leading a lamb behind her. Lambs are a symbol of purity, innocence, and sacrifice in the Christian faith. Una is the epitome of purity and wholeness (her name means "one"). I was reminded of a bible verse from Isaiah when reading of Una's journey with the lion, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together..." -Isaiah 11:6 I think that Una figuratively represents a lamb when considering her relationship with the lion who protects her until death. The mighty lion is her constant companion until the end of his life, their relationship echoes that of the frightening beasts and frail small animals in the Bible.

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