From: khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu <khorning>
Date: Wed, 09 Jul 1997 10:15:06 -0500

Regarding "The Bronze Bow" Ruth Gordon wrote: take on Judaism. Now, having re-read it, I am once again insulted. ... a unanimous choice of the group(s) discussing it?

To respond: Yes, the book's insult to Jews (and to Blacks -- remember the devoted mute slave who is portrayed as sub-human?) was duly noted in the discussion, as well as in the follow-up reports. This is a detail, however, that did not stand out to everyone in the discussion groups who had read
"The Bronze Bow." Those of us who had grown up in Christian families were not sensitive to the issues and didn't see the book as anti-Semitic until we were informed of such by Jewish readers who found the book insulting. (One critical reader in the group I facilitated had pages of notes to back up her claims -- it was very enlightening for all of us!)

Overall, this underscores the importance of criticism from individuals with diverse points of view, who see the same book differently, so that group discussions can become the sort of critical examinations to which Ruth referred.
Received on Wed 09 Jul 1997 10:15:06 AM CDT