A love story between two voiceless creatures one finned, the other not "The Shape of Water" is a fable to counter the one America long told itself and that some still cling to: of the supremacy of the straight, white, male
Bible-thumper. "Were created in the Lords image," says the married, Cadillac-driving Strickland.
In the early parts of the novel, Joseph Banks, the naturalist, is portrayed as nothing but a thorn in Cook's side, and his replacement on the voyage, the Prussian Johann Forster, fills a similar narrative role, being portrayed as a grumpy, demanding, and censorious
Bible-thumper. Cook himself is portrayed as paragon of English virtue, diligent and disciplined, and not one to make or tolerate mistakes.
He thundered his way up and it would be quite a while before cool observers noted that there was also a very astute and ambitious politician behind the
bible-thumper.
A goody-two-shoes who doesn't believe in evolution until she undergoes a mind-melding exchange of consciousness with Paul that turns her understanding of faith and science on its head Ruth goes from being a self-righteous
Bible-thumper to a foul-mouthed libertine overnight.
I would describe him as an old-style preacher, but not a
Bible-thumper. He's quite considered in his preaching."
He certainly was no
Bible-thumper, but he was regarded by all the denominations as a friend, or at least not an enemy.
The Evangelical
Bible-thumper preaching that we should endure hardship now, for our reward will be great in the next life, is in need of the Chinese proverb rejoinder, "Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow."
And even that had a wholesome message - the 'Man in Black' becoming a
bible-thumper in the end.
Von Bargen is equally impressive as the twitchily neurotic
bible-thumper, while Laila Robins as the gold-hearted diner owner, and Peter Gerety as the kindly town drunk do their level best to humanize their stubbornly archetypal good guy roles.
I'm not a
bible-thumper, but I do believe that the force is with us.
In another episode, a gun-toting, racist
Bible-thumper named Mrs.
But the
Bible-thumper has so far remained largely untarnished in the gospel hall of fame, which has seen so many supposedly God-fearing idols fall from grace.