"The Parable of the Prodigal Son" as recorded by Luke in Luke 12:11-32 of the Bible, is one that is known worldwide. The central theme of this story is one that can be applied many ways. Because of this, many religions have some form of this story in their religious text. This story tells of how a father's love for his children will always accept them no matter what they have done. Whether this love is a religious symbol or not is up to the reader. Moreover, he will receive them with open arms and rejoice because they were once lost, but now are found.
             This story was told by Jesus as a parable, a story that tells a lesson by using an example. Jesus used parables in order to more clearly illustrate his point. As a parable serves as an example, there are many symbols used in a parable. In order to fully understand this story's central theme, you must first know several of the main symbols in the story.
             First, there is the father, who represents God or some other type of controlling deity. Second, the older brother symbolizes Christians or other followers who have stood strong in their religious values. The story also tells of a famine, which represents the hard times that people face in life. In addition, and probably most importantly, there is the younger son, who stands for those who have strayed from what is considered righteous in their religion.
             The youngest son is first described in the title of the story as prodigal. When someone is prodigal, he is wasteful and lives a lavish lifestyle. This indicates that the son is someone who likes to have fun, no matter what the cost. The younger son, most likely tired of life on the farm and anxious to move into the lively city, asks his father for his share of the inheritance so that he may pursue a life elsewhere. This further develops the idea that the younger son is foolish. His immaturity is further shown by the fact that he is the younger...