George Eliot's novel Daniel Deronda is the story of Daniel who has been adopted by Mr. Deronda, a wealthy man of London society in the 1800's. Throughout the story, Daniel essentially strives to understand other people and ideas, finding the social rules of London restrictive. Daniel's travels and acquaintances lead him into the Jewish ghetto of London, where he learns much about family and philosophy from friends he makes there. Ultimately, Daniel discovers the origin of his birth parents, and figures out how to balance what he has learned from the Jewish community within his own life.
I brought it up in class because it's a really interesting story, and corresponds with our discussion of Judaism, especially the disparity between European majority groups and Jewish minorities.
The BBC and PBS have made a miniseries of Daniel Deronda starring Hugh Dancy (The Jane Austen Book Club and Ella Enchanted) and Romola Garai (Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights). I actually own the DVD, so if anyone would like to borrow it and watch (it's really good!), just let me know!
Link to the PBS/Masterpiece Theater site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/deronda/
1 comment:
Thanks! I'll try to get it on my nightstand for the summer and, since I've come to trust your judgment when it comes to movies, I might just borrow the DVD over break, too. Thanks again for making great connections and sharing them with the class!
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