Throughout this course, we've looked at moments in texts where either characters or readers are informed that they are not who they thought they were. Think of Fedalma in The Spanish Gypsy, Manrico in Trovatore, or Arline in The Bohemian Girl.
Deronda, however, seems different, partly because Deronda's identity (his sympathy, his ethics etc...) are tied to the uncertainty of his origins. I'm wondering how you read the effect of this revelation on how the reader understands Deronda's character, on how Deronda understands himself, and how others see him. In the quote I've used for the title of this post, "glad to find myself a Jew" (783), Deronda associates a kind of self discovery ("find myself") with a discovery of racial difference. There are a number of issues involved here that I'd like to discuss. A couple questions:
1) Pay attention to Deronda's understanding of his inheritance. How does he characterize it? I'm thinking of his meeting with Kalonymos on pages 724-725, as well as the discussion with Mordecai on pages 750-751. What exactly is inherited? How does inheritance impact identity?
2) How do characters respond to Deronda's Jewishness? How does it affect familial and affective (romantic) ties? Think of Gwendolen's reaction (801-802). Does Deronda ascribe to the same ideas about the relationship between identity and Jewishness that we've seen in this book so far?
We'll also talk about the effect of all of this on Gwendolen (803-804).
--Enjoy finishing Deronda!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I reacted with thanksgiving for the structure of the marriage plot when both Sir Hugo and his wife expressed their hope that Deronda would marry Mrs. Grandcourt. When Deronda and Gwendolen meet together and Gwendolen cries, I found Eliot's shift from the marriage plot to a more deep national identity adventure to be a bold statement. Mirah's reaction to Deronda choosing to marry her is very humble in itself. Deronda seeks soemthing that transcends English norms, but he completes a personal destiny, something to be admired.
Post a Comment