Background and Summary
What
would it be like to meet Jesus? Sunday school teacher Elizabeth George Speare
could not get the question out of her mind. Speare was struggling with doubts
about her faith, and wondered how effective she was as a teacher in church. She
wished she could meet Jesus; she wanted to introduce her Sunday school class to
Him. As she listened to the majestic music of the church organ echo through the
church, Speare imagined she was hearing the voice of Jesus ringing through a
synagogue in Galilee. It was then she was struck with the idea for her
beautiful novel: The Bronze Bow.
Elizabeth
George Speare was born on November 21, 1908 in Melrose, Massachusetts. She started
writing stories in high school, and went to college for an English degree, but laid
aside her literary dreams to marry Alden Speare and raise a family. When her
children were grown and left the home, however, Speare once again started to
write. The Bronze Bow, her third book, was published in 1961 and won the
Newbery award the following year.
Set
in First Century Judea, The Bronze Bow
tells the story of eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin, who lives for the day
when his country, Israel, will rise up against the occupying Roman armies and
drive them from the land. But Daniel’s passion goes deeper than his patriotism.
He holds a personal grudge against the Romans because they destroyed his
family. When Daniel was just a boy, Roman soldiers brutally crucified his
innocent father, and Daniel’s mother died of grief a few days later. Daniel and
his sister Leah, now orphans, were cared for by their only living relative,
their grandmother. But Leah, terrified from what she had witnessed, refuses to
leave the house and develops a mental sickness. Daniel cannot stand living in
town, and he runs away to join a band of rebels in the mountains, vowing revenge
against the Roman government who took away his family.
Years after Daniel’s parents’ death, Daniel meets some of his childhood friends, Joel and Malthace, twin sixteen-year-olds who come to the mountain to celebrate a holiday. Daniel’s friendship with the twins grows after he is wounded by a Roman soldier and comes to their house for refuge and healing. After Daniel shares his story with the twins, they vow to aid his quest for revenge. The three dream of a powerful weapon, like the bronze bow King David sang of, that will destroy the Romans. Through Joel and Malthace, Daniel begins to reconnect with his village. He comes down from the mountain to visit another friend, Simon, who takes him to listen to the powerful teaching of Jesus, a new Rabbi. Daniel also visits Leah and his grandmother. He finds Leah still suffering from the strange sickness that causes her to be afraid of people and mentally child-like. Daniel returns to the village permanently to care for his sister when his grandmother dies. He settles into life as a tradesman, taking over the blacksmith shop of his friend, Simon, who has left town to follow Jesus.
In the village, Daniel gathers his
friends to start an underground system of opposition to the Romans. His
feelings of hate are strangely shaken, however, whenever he listens to the
teachings of Jesus. Daniel also finds himself falling in love with Malthace. Unable
to handle all his feelings, Daniel is at war with himself. He finally explodes
when he finds out a Roman soldier named Marcus has been secretly visiting Leah,
who has fallen in love with Marcus. After Daniel yells at her for befriending
Marcus, Leah falls into a seizure and starts to die. Faced with the loss of
everything he holds dear, Daniel cries in despair. But then Jesus arrives,
brought by Joel and Malthace, and heals Leah. Through his tears, Daniel thanks
Jesus, and Jesus says He wants to heal Daniel as well as his sister. Jesus
talks to Daniel, and Daniel realizes his hate is the true enemy, not the
Romans. Daniel then understands that love is the most powerful weapon because
only love can truly set someone free. The book ends with Daniel taking Jesus’
teachings to heart and inviting the Roman soldier, Marcus, into his home.
Interest
This
novel is appropriate for a wide audience. It is very well written, and young
adolescents can understand it and enjoy the book, although they might be
daunted by the length (over 200 pages) and some of the complexities of the
plot. Middle adolescents would probably appreciate the book more because they
will be able to relate to the characters better. The book’s main characters
(Daniel, Leah, Malthace and Joel) are between 15-18 years old, the same age and
a little older than middle adolescents. Middle adolescents will also enjoy the adventures
in the book, especially the fighting scenes. The historical setting will
intrigue adolescents because they will be able to read about teenagers growing
up in the culture of Ancient Israel. Even older adolescents will connect with
the book, because the conflict centers on Daniel’s personal struggles to
establish his values, and let go of his hate. Older adolescents will also
relate to Daniel’s transition into adulthood as he takes responsibility for his
family and a career.
Girls and boys alike will enjoy the
novel. Boys will like the fact that the main character is a bold, young man
whose life goal is revenge. Boys will also appreciate that the characters in
the book travel around Israel, and the book has several settings. The novel is
also full action, describing the clashes between the Roman soldiers and the
underground opposition.
Although the main character is a
boy, girls will also like this book because there is a strong and adventurous
female character, Malthace, as well as the shy and sweet Leah. Girls will
appreciate the book’s focus on the characters’ emotional reactions to their
circumstances, and the descriptions of the characters’ thoughts and feelings. The
romance between Daniel and Malthace will also appeal to girls.
Developing Mature Readers
The Bronze Bow explores many
aspects of developing maturity in adolescents. One topic relevant to
adolescents that is covered in the book is independence from parents. Orphaned
at a young age, Daniel must survive on his own. However, Daniel misses his parents
and often wishes that they were alive to comfort and guide him. Adolescents in
today’s society of broken families will connect with Daniel’s longing to be a
part of a family. All adolescents, whether they realize it or not, want the
comfort and structure parents provide. Not by choice, Daniel is on his own and
he has to make decisions and shoulder responsibilities that end up helping him
to be stronger and more mature adult.
As
with any adolescent novel, relationships between characters form the dynamics
of the plot. Daniel lives on the mountain with the rebels, most of who are much
older than he is, so he does not know how to have a relationship with peers his
own age until he reconnects with Joel. Daniel has to figure out how to be a
friend to Joel, who comes from a much wealthier and stricter lifestyle. Daniel
learns to that just because Joel thinks differently does not mean Joel is
wrong. Adolescents can identify with Daniel’s struggles to be a good friend to
Joel, learning how to listen, respect a different person’s viewpoint and the
importance of sacrificing for the other person. Daniel also learns how to
develop a relationship with the opposite sex, as he takes care of his sister,
Leah, and befriends Malthace. Boys who read the book will relate to Daniel’s
struggles to figure out Malthace because he has no idea how to relate to the
opposite sex. Girls will delight to see Daniel become more sensitive to the
women in his life, especially Leah, who needs his support and love.
Another
task the book deals with is finding a paying job. Daniel has a make-shift forge
up in the mountains, but it is not until he moves to town and takes over
Simon’s shop that he gets his first real, paying job. Daniel likes his
blacksmith work, but dreams of one day becoming skilled enough to work as a
silversmith. Most adolescents can relate to Daniel’s job situation because they
are looking for or working in jobs that meet their needs, while dreaming of
someday doing something greater.
The
most prevalent task in The Bronze Bow
is Daniel becoming aware of and living consistently with his beliefs.
Throughout the book, Daniel struggles with developing his own set of values.
While living in the mountains, he follows the leader of the rebel band in
stealing food from farmers and robbing traveling caravans. When Daniel moves to
town, however, he gets to know the farmers and realizes that stealing is wrong.
He later returns to the mountain to confront the rebel leader about his
thievery. Daniel’s biggest struggle, of course, is dealing with the hurt and
hate in his life. Jesus’ teachings help him sort through his bitterness and
learn to forgive. In the end, he acts on his new values by reaching out to the
Roman soldier, Marcus. Adolescents can learn much from Daniel’s growing sense
of values in the book. Every teenager has some hurt or anger bottled up inside
of them, and unless they learn to deal with their feelings, they will explode,
hurting others and themselves, as Daniel did to Leah. By reading about how
Daniel eventually gave up his hate and forgave, adolescents can see that there
is a better way to work through their hurt and anger.
Potential Issues with this Book
Although the book deals with heavy
topics such as capital punishment, rebellion against government and revenge,
these topics are presented in subtle and masterful ways. Daniel’s father is
crucified but the scene is never described, it is simply stated as fact. The
horror of the crucifixion is seen rather in its effects on Daniel, his mother
and Leah. There are fighting scenes, but they are not graphic and readers
instead get a sense of what is worth fighting for because some of the
skirmishes Daniel later regrets. Daniel viciously opposes the occupying Roman
government and rebels against it, but learns through Jesus’ teachings to act in
love, not hate. Jesus also teaches Daniel to give up his hate and desire to
revenge in favor of a better way of life: forgiving and loving. Daniel also
steals in the beginning of the book, but ends up realizing that stealing is
wrong and going back to confront the leader of the rebel band who taught him to
take whatever he wanted.
Overall, The Bronze Bow is clean, appropriate, and morally sound. There is
no sexual content in the book; the romantic relationship is subtle and stays
true to the Jewish culture with their strict laws about relationships between
men and women. Swearing is also absent, although the book mentions Daniel
swearing in anger, it never states specific words or phrases.
Recommendation
I highly recommend this book.
Elizabeth George Speare is a masterful YA author, and every adolescent should
read at least one of her books. The
Bronze Bow is her third book, and it won the Newbery award in 1962. Although
the book has great literary merit, it cannot be taught in the public school
classroom because of its heavily Christian content. Public school teachers can
recommend this book to their students, however, urging them to read the book
and think about the contrast of love vs. hate and bitterness vs. forgiveness
which is so critical for adolescents to learn and work through.
Christian
teachers should definitely consider teaching this book. Christian teachers can
use this book to explore the Biblical moral principles the novel teaches. It
would be beneficial for Christian adolescents to walk in Daniel’s shoes,
imagining they got a change to meet Jesus and hear Him teach.
I
will definitely recommend this book to all of my middle school and high school
students. The setting and conflict are gripping and the themes and characters
are relevant and relate directly to adolescent struggles today. Any adolescent
will greatly benefit from reading this book. I know I did.
Resources for Teaching or Research
Several
websites are helpful resources for teaching and research. Bookrags website http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/bronze-bow/ has a 30-day teaching unit on the novel
with lessons, activities, tests, essay prompts and more. Busy teachers will
appreciate the detailed work done for them in the teaching unit, which can be
purchased for only $20, or downloaded for $10, if you are a bookrags member. The enotes website (http://www.enotes.com/bronze-bow/) offers more research, summary, analysis and
literary criticism. Another helpful website is emusic (http://www.emusic.com/book/elizabeth-george-speare/the-bronze-bow/10004611/) where teachers and students can download a recording of The
Bronze Bow. Listening to the book
is a great accommodation for exceptional students, and easy for
students who struggle with reading. The easyfunschool
website (http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1801.html) has a literature unit for The Bronze Bow designed specifically for homeschoolers. The site includes
lesson plans, discussion questions and ideas for tying the book into other
subjects, such as geography (map of ancient Judea) history (researching Roman
occupation of Jerusalem) and social studies (comparing cultures).
How to Teach
Educators can
use the following three strategies to teach reading and comprehension using The Bronze Bow.
Chapter
summaries: Students read a chapter then write a paragraph summarizing what
they read. Although most of the chapters in The
Bronze Bow are not that long or difficult, a teacher can break down the
chapters into shorter sections for struggling readers. To begin, the class reads
a section of the first chapter together. Then, the teacher shows students how
to summarize what they read by writing the main idea of what they read on a
piece of paper and adding a few sentences to expound on the main idea or
support it. In this way, students can work on their reading and writing skills.
The teacher then asks the students to quietly read another section and then
write their own summary of what they read. When the students finish writing
their summaries, the students can take turns sharing summaries and work through
any questions with the teacher. This strategy can then be assigned as homework.
Students can read and summarize the chapters at home, then bring their
summaries to class to help aid them in the discussion questions. Students keep
their chapter summaries and store them in a folder, so that when they are done
reading the book they have their own set of Cliff’s notes. Students can use
their summaries to study for the tests and create study guides for their peers.
Self-Selection
Vocabulary: Students work in cooperative groups to go through the chapters
they are reading and identify words they think are important or want to study
further. The student groups then look up the meaning of the words, and discuss
how the words are important to the story. Each group then chooses one of their
words to present to the class. This strategy is good for high school students
who want to expand their vocabulary and dig deeper into the text. It gets
students into the dictionary and helps them think about the different meanings
of each word and the importance of choosing good words when writing. Students discuss the meaning and importance
of words in their context, and the groups share their conclusions with the
whole class. Good
words for students to look up for The Bronze Bow are: Sabbath, Zealot, blacksmith,
demon possession, rebel and kingdom.
Graphic
organizers: Graphic organizers are great tools to teach reading. A variety of
graphic organizers can be used to help students comprehend the works they read
including character maps, plot outlines, short answer questionnaires and more.
Students can work through their graphic organizers individually or in pairs or
groups. As the semester progresses, students can create their own graphic
organizers for themselves or their peers. Not only will the graphic organizers
help the students to pay attention to what they are reading, but graphic
organizers, such as character maps or mapping out the plotline, can also help
students see connections within the story and become aware of the different
factors that work together to create the story.
Works Cited
Andrews, Adam and Missy .
"The Bronze Bow: Questions for Socratic Discussion." 2007. Web. 15
Apr 2013.
Bookrags. “Study
Guide: The Bronze Bow.” 2009. Web. 15
Apr. 2013.
Levvy, Leonard. "What's
Wrong with this Book." Oct 2007. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
Speare, Elizabeth George.
“Newbery Award Acceptance: Report of a Journey.” 1962. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Bronze Bow. Boston: The Riverside
Press Cambridge, 1961. Print.
