Theological Response B: Scripture Character Comparison

“Captured by the Indians” has many theological undertones. One character comparison that represents this is the correlation between Melanie and Peter the Apostle. Throughout the story, Melanie continuously struggles to tell Sean that she is pregnant. In chapter 26 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to Peter, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (Matthew 26: 34). Peter completely denies that he would ever do such a thing, but just as Jesus predicted, he does. Melanie is desperate to tell Sean that she is going to have a baby, but she is nervous about his response. Since Sean is in school, she believes that he will not want her to have the baby until he is done with his dissertation. He is so caught up in his “Theory” that he loses touch with what should really be important. Melanie wishes to have the child, so she tries to wait for the right time to tell Sean so that he will comply. However, in “Captured by the Indians,” she never follows through. Peter the Apostle faces a similar dilemma. While he believes that he has unshakable faith in Jesus, he is told that he will deny being his acquaintance three times before the rooster crows. Peter cannot believe it, and after his third denial, the rooster immediately crows; Peter then goes “outside and [weeps] bitterly” (Matthew 26: 75). Just as Melanie cannot bring herself to tell Sean that she is pregnant, Peter cannot tell other people that he is a follower of Jesus. He was supposed to be the most loyal of Jesus companions and the “rock [on which Jesus] will build [his] church” (Matthew 16: 18), yet he still could not stand by his word and fully embrace his relationship with Jesus. Both Melanie and Peter were scared of what other people thought rather than their own true feelings; Melanie did not want Sean to tell her to abort the baby and Peter did not want to be condemned for being a follower of Jesus. They carry burdens that they know are heavy, but they both cannot fully face their fears (this fear of other people’s opinions of them is also highlighted by Sean, who convinces himself that he agrees with Dr. Brinsley-Schneider’s views on the disposability of human life because of his studies on “Theory”).
One key difference between the stories of Melanie and Peter is that “Captured by the Indians” abruptly ends whereas the Gospel of Matthew continues past this account. The reader never knows when Melanie tells Sean about the pregnancy or what his response will be; however, the reader does know the rest of Peter’s story, and he eventually is crucified just as Jesus was. Both Melanie and Peter are overwhelmed by their situations, but as readers, we do not know whether Melanie overcomes her problem, whereas we do know that Peter does.