Exercises: Let’s Retell Jonah
This week’s Theology of Storytelling article will help you break down the story of Jonah and remix it into your own retelling. Overall, this article is merely a guide and an exercises; it is not perfect and there is no need to make a perfect project from it. Practice having fun and enjoy the process of recreation in a God-glorifying way!
When developing a retelling, the first step and the first question to ask are inextricably linked. The first step is to know the original story inside and out. Read it, pull it apart at the seams, take notes, study the characters, plot, and worldbuilding. If it is a Bible story, perhaps read different translations, commentaries, and sermons on it as well. The goal of this first step is not just to understand the surface level elements of the story — characters, plot, and worldbuilding — but also understand the story’s message or, even, messages if it has more than one. Which answers the first question of writing a retelling: what is the original story’s message?
For this exercise, we will break down one of the more famous Sunday school Bible stories: Jonah and the Big Fish. First, we will pull apart and analyze each story element from the characters to the worldbuilding. Then, we will take a look at the different messages in Jonah, and finally assemble the whole story.
Characters
The two principle characters include Jonah the Prophet (Main Character) and God (Mentor/Leader Character). Additionally, there is the big fish (Instrument of Jonah’s destiny/Symbolic Element), the ship’s crew (Innocents), and the Ninevites (Embodiment of Evil).
Major Story Beats (Plot)
Refusal of the Call - Jonah receives God’s commandment to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there and rejects it.
The Flight - Jonah decides to go to Tarshish to escape God’s commandment.
The Storm - The ship that Jonah is on faces a deadly storm. The crew cast lots and determine that the storm is Jonah’s fault. Jonah tells them to tie him up and throw him in the sea.
The Fish - God causes a big fish (or whale) to swallow Jonah, where he spends three days and three nights praising God.
Arrival - The fish spits him out on land and Jonah is given the opportunity to repent and preach the Word of God to the Ninevites.
Chance for Redemption - The Ninevites turn from their wicked ways and repent.
The Plant - Jonah goes off a ways to watch God destroy Nineveh. God provides Jonah with a shade plant to keep the hot sun off of him.
The Worm - God sends a worm to destroy Jonah’s shade tree. Jonah throws a fit, demanding to be killed. God explains that He will not destroy Nineveh because they repented.
Worldbuilding
The story of Jonah is actually rich in worldbuilding. From the start there is Nineveh, a hedonistic pit of villainy, the embodiment of cruelty, and “no place for a prophet of God” (at least in Jonah’s mind). Then there is Tarshish, Jonah’s perceived haven that stays just out of his reach. There is Joppa and the ship he books passage on, both neutral locations and innocent to his crimes and sins. Even the belly of the fish is a place rich with both symbolism and worldbuilding, serving as both punishment and a chance for redemption for Jonah as he praises the Lord for three days straight. And, finally, there is the scorching heat outside Nineveh as God tries to get His message of mercy through to Jonah’s angry head, and the plant He causes to both grow and be destroyed.
There are endless different takes on each of these locations depending on the genre, story format, and overall storytelling aesthetic. Think of the VeggieTales’ classic movie Jonah, where Nineveh is reimagined as a city of “fish-slappers” (i.e. people who slap each other with fishes to represent the hedonism and sin). The point of Nineveh is made while staying appropriate to the audience, genre, and level of comedy.
The Message(s)
The story of Jonah has two, from what I personally can see, although most Bible stories have layers upon layers of meaning. The first is the consequences of running from God’s calling in one’s life. Jonah ran, and not only was he punished, but it affected the lives of those around him, namely the ship crew innocently taking him to Tarshish. Ultimately Jonah had to sacrifice himself to save others in a situation that would not have occurred if he had been obedient to begin with. The second message is that God is merciful. He was merciful not only to Jonah, by allowing him to live in the belly of the fish and giving him a second chance to obey, but He was also merciful to Nineveh. He gave them a chance to repent and they obeyed (more quickly than Jonah, to add).
Assembly
Now that all of the pieces have been gathered, take while to study them. Go back to Scripture and see if this list missed anything (it probably did!). Identify what among all these elements stands out the most to you, what you would like to see in a retelling, and what is necessary to preserving the story’s message.
The vast majority of the surface level elements (both characters as well as worldbuilding: Jonah, Nineveh, the big fish) can be changed to any number of things to fit any number of genres and story formats. Instead of a prophet of the Lord, Jonah could be a imagined as a messenger from a powerful kingdom, sent to the dangerous borderlands to quell a festering rebellion. Nineveh could be the dark web, a digital cesspool of cruelty, amorality, and disgusting behavior, infected with a horrific virus. The big fish could become metaphorical, a cloud hanging over a garden in desperate need of sunshine, or it could be a cave, tanker truck, or giant alien. There is just about free reign to change these kinds of things into something different. So long as one of the two (or other) identified, Biblical messages are presented, there are a plethora of ways to spin the tale to create a story that touches the heart of the audience.
Additionally, the stakes do not have to be as high as they were in the original story of Jonah. The basics of disobedience = consequences for all involved (either directly or indirectly) and the value of mercy to both friends and enemies can involve warring interplanetary empires or errant birthday party invitations with ease. From the epic to the mundane, from the contemporary to the fantastical, the core messages and key plot points can be changed and added as necessary.
A Final Note on Retelling Identification
Now, while the core of a good retelling is a message, an important question that the creator of the retelling needs to be aware of is whether or not they want their story to be identifiable as a retelling. Like this article has emphasized, there are about as many different ways to tell the exact same story as there are stars in the heavens. However, only a percentage of them are going to be easily identifiable as the story of Jonah. It may be that the story you are telling needs a lighter touch or you simply want a highly abstract retelling. This is a completely legitimate way to go about it, however, there is the risk that the audience is not going to pick up on what the story is. Some members will, some won’t, it depends on what elements of the retelling catch their attention.
If you want a story that is identifiably a retelling, then you will want to be aware of an include key elements of the original story of Jonah to make it identifiable. Think back to what pieces of the story make you go “yes, this is the story of Jonah”. Is it three days and nights in solitude? Is it the big fish? Is it Jonah’s attitude or being thrown into the sea for disobedience? These are major elements of the story that other people in the audience will be able to identify as being from the story of Jonah as well. If you need help narrowing the list down, look for other retellings of Jonah and see what key elements they pull out of the story to make it identifiable.
Now to Create!
Christian creative, hopefully you now feel equipped and ready to take on this project! Take as much or as little time as you need, dig into the historical background of Jonah or the theological impact of his story on the rest of the world. Use this exercise to worship God, praising Him for His mercy on friend and enemy alike. Dig into how He, the ultimate Author, tells stories and gives us lessons in ways that we can understand. Spend time in His Word, praying that you recreate the story in a way that honors His message and glorifies His sovereignty and love.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Brainy Pixel through either our website’s contact form or through our Social Media. Enjoy!
