The Slave

I just finished The Slave, and I've never read a book that details the life of a devout Jew so well. I've decided the Jews as a whole have had a pretty rough history. But along with the suffering and oppression the Jews underwent, the book details follies as well—swindling, bribery, trickery, thievery. The stereotype of a Jew who follows the laws about what to eat devoutly but ignores the laws about treating other people is definitely represented by people like Gershon, while Jacob is so devout it's almost sickening.

When I first started reading the book, Jacob's painstaking devotion to his religion was strange to me. I found it interesting that the "heathens" he lived among were actually Christians, but their primitive ways were pretty disturbing as well. When Wanda appeared and their love for each other was apparent, I was impressed that Jacob was so devoted to God he would not touch her, even when they talked about it openly. The fact that he had a wife in his hometown seemed like a legitimate reason to avoid Wanda, but when it was revealed that his wife was basically a spoiled whiny child, Jacob seemed almost too perfect a Jew to be real.

Then came Jacob's ransoming. It was timed almost perfectly to be most tumultuous for Jacob and Wanda. He seemed on the verge of leaving town with Wanda when he was taken away, and what he had wished for for years ironically came when he probably didn't even wish for it anymore. I was glad when he returned to Wanda, but of course as they had been separated for so long things were a little awkward between them.

The fact that Wanda changed her name to Sarah and pretended to be a mute was the ultimate sacrifice of love to Jacob. Honestly, although she always said she wanted to be a true Jew, I'm not sure if I buy it. She only said that because she knew how much Jacob cared about his religion. Personally, as somebody who is not religious, I thought this sudden devout interest in Judaism would never have happened if it hadn't been necessary for Wanda to be with Jacob. She obviously did not let the laws of religion hold her back—she kissed him during the "unclean days" of her period, for example. She tried, but only for Jacob.

When Wanda accidentally talked in front of Pilitzky, I thought for sure she and Jacob were doomed. But they somehow continued their charade. I never was a fan of this charade, because I felt like Wanda was being punished, basically sacrificing her life, because her husband loved his religion more than her. Maybe among Jews that is honorable, but I felt it was cruel. The fact that they kept it up for so long seems a worse sin than admitting the truth. Isn't lying a sin?

As expected, Sarah/Wanda's death was tragic, and I almost thought Jacob was going to fail entirely and forget about his son. Luckily, he remembered him and miraculously brought him to Jerusalem. I'd say the book is a comedy, because Jacob ended up buried next to Sarah/Wanda. What more can you ask for?

The title is a recurring theme throughout the book. Jacob starts as Wanda's slave. Wanda becomes Jacob's slave, or at least a slave to his religion. When she dies, she appears to him and calls him "Jacob, my slave," which I didn't quite understand but I felt it was powerful. After Sarah/Wanda's death, Jacob never remarries or is with another woman, so I suppose in that respect he is a slave to her memory.

Anyway, I liked the book. It's so full of Biblical allusions I'm not sure I'd be able to tackle a term paper on the subject and be able to focus it enough, but it was definitely an eye-opener about the Jewish faith.