so im unsure if ponk meant the “13 pillars of salt” line to be a biblical reference, but either way, i think its a really good analogy for ponk’s relationship with sam, and their character as a whole. the “pillar of salt” refers to the story of lot, in which lot and his family are warned by an angel to leave their city before god destroys it. while fleeing, lot’s wife looks back, is turned into a pillar of salt, and is consumed along with the city.
ive always liked the slaughterhouse-five interpretation of this story, which is that lot’s wife was so attached to the city that she looks back instead of choosing to be saved. and i think that is a flaw of ponk’s character: they are constantly coming back to the past. they still love sam despite being hurt by him, they rebuild their lemon trees after they’re continuously destroyed, they’re the only smp member to be tied to reincarnation. ponk has the compulsion to look back. they know doing so will only hurt, but they look back anyway, because they are so very human.
