Dream of Scipio
The 'Dream of Scipio' is an excellent historical novel which portraysa gripping account of three protagonists each placed in a different timeframe. The whole plot is woven around the theme of the horrendous crimesthat are committed by mankind as civilization succumbs to the dark periodsof each era. The pitiable plight of the Jews is neatly bought to the foreby the author. Particularly the author has projected a clear picture of theloss of discriminating capacity that results from religious prejudice.Manlius (fifth century), Oliver de Noyen (fifteenth century) and JulienBarneuve (20th century) are the three main characters who are affected bythe disintegration of society and the upsurge of religious intolerance. Pears recounts how Judaism has been the target in all th
We find that the Jews were discriminated throughout the history eversince the Roman era when Christianity became the main religion. The whole novel isactually a learning process with the distilled wisdom of Sophia, thephilosopher influencing and shaping the lives of the three protagonists(albeit in different eras). ese threeperiods of civilian unrest and how the rise of Christianity has led to thegradual alienation of the Jews and as to how the politics within the papacybrewed religious opportunism. The protagonists of the novel who happen to love Jewish women happento face the sad reality that civilization has etched out. Themessage that pears conveys through this heart rending novel is thatcivilization is bound to crumble from time to time and it is left to a fewcommitted people to brave the opposition and to risk the danger in itsrestoration. The whole religious setup was plagued bycorruption to such an extent that even the Popes, the cardinals, and the socalled leaders of Christian faith contemplated on exterminating a wholegroup of people (Jews) with a view to political gains. (Althoughinstigated by personal motives). Pear's has succeeded in depicting thepathetic situation that awaits man time and again in the annals of history. Both Oliver andJulien are forcibly separated from their beloved. Scores of Jewswere held up as even so much as a natural calamity such as the plague wasascribed to the Jews. In particular the author recounts the grave hardships that the Jews had toput up with for their continued allegiance to their religion in spite ofthe hostile environment and the unrelenting pressure to convert. Similarly Julien finds that he is helpless to savethe impending danger awaiting Julia (his love) as she is deported alongwith thousands of other Jews to the concentration camps to be put to death. Theinsistence on conversion has been so strong right from the Roman period. The two characters Oliverde Voyen and Julien have a lasting influence on the reader in that theyrisked everything and even gave up their lives in their quest.
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Acceptance Essays
