The Prodigal Son in English Literature

This new work is an exploration of the way the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) echoes through literature in English across the ages. As well as offering a survey of the intertextual instances, it explores in depth the specific periods when the trope is particularly powerful and widespread, such as in Elizabethan England. The book assesses which elements of the parable have been popular at given points in history and why other aspects of it have been ignored and why. The parable of Prodigal Son is a powerful biblical teaching on family, rebellion, acceptance and jealousy and by exploring its literary influence, Alison M. Jack highlights English responses to the same important themes.