chapter review: #4, Act of Defiance. Elijah Visible. Thane Rosenbam
As you've probably already noted I'm slowly working my way through this novel. Robenbaum's other 2 books in this series, The Golems of Gotham & Second Hand Smoke[which is personally autographed by the author] are waiting to be read. Elijah Visible sets on my nightstand, and I read it only when inspired .... working through its chapters and relating them to my personal life is a great experience, but since I'm only doing this when the urge hits me, its also very relaxing.
In the recent chapter Act of Defiance, Adam's Uncle [also a survivor of the concentration camps] comes to visit him from Europe. Adam has mixed emotions about this, but hopes that his uncle will be more open about his experience's than Adams father was. However his uncle doesn't want to speak about the past, and so they go on a wild bicycle ride through the park and then go to the casino's. Uncle Haskell has incredible luck at the tables, and keeps winning stacks of chips by playing only three number 14, 16, 25. Eventually he has won so much money they have to quit. The next morning, taking his uncle with him to the Holocaust class Adam teaches at Hunter College, an inspiration strikes him and he turns the class over to his uncle. His uncle holds the whole class's attention at a story he tells of the Holocaust that not even Adam knows.
A week later uncle Haskell dies, arriving at his bedside too late Adam sees some number stamped on his arm - 14, 16, 25 - the 'winning combinations easy to remember, permanently branded on his arm.' [.86] So many questions come from this story, yet the one that most catches my attention is, 'Did uncle Haskell see the struggle that his nephew Adam was going through and wanted him to realize there were no final answers, and that he needed to get on with his life, and let the past rest?' But I also believe that uncle Haskell in taking risks and gambling was dealing with his own past in the best way he knew, and that was to enjoy life at its fullest, however he interpreted that; maybe he was trying to make up for the past?
A couple years ago, I had a nephew [well, my only nephew] who had been in prison for nearly killing a man when he found his wife, and this man, had been having an affair for some time. I related earlier the story of how my sister died when my nephew was in prison, and he couldn't be at her bedside as she passed away. They had a very special relationship, and the hurt, guilt and pain of his being prison when he should have been with his mother was almost too much to bear ........... and so one day he went for a drive in the countryside. My nephew was a fast driver all the time; but he chose a dirt road that he travelled every day to work on; he knew it was a dangerous road, it had extremely sharp curves .. he had barely made one of the curves when he skidded off the pavement and his car lurched toward the deep embankment, first hitting a guard rail which threw him out of the car and onto the pavement; he never felt the impact. I've asked many questions, 'was he thinking about the past?' 'was he gambling with life, I can take these curves successfully again?' what was he thinking? We must be careful that our acts of defiance don't backfire on us ... that our acts of defiance don't take the place of positive handling of pain, guilt and loss.
As you've probably already noted I'm slowly working my way through this novel. Robenbaum's other 2 books in this series, The Golems of Gotham & Second Hand Smoke[which is personally autographed by the author] are waiting to be read. Elijah Visible sets on my nightstand, and I read it only when inspired .... working through its chapters and relating them to my personal life is a great experience, but since I'm only doing this when the urge hits me, its also very relaxing.
In the recent chapter Act of Defiance, Adam's Uncle [also a survivor of the concentration camps] comes to visit him from Europe. Adam has mixed emotions about this, but hopes that his uncle will be more open about his experience's than Adams father was. However his uncle doesn't want to speak about the past, and so they go on a wild bicycle ride through the park and then go to the casino's. Uncle Haskell has incredible luck at the tables, and keeps winning stacks of chips by playing only three number 14, 16, 25. Eventually he has won so much money they have to quit. The next morning, taking his uncle with him to the Holocaust class Adam teaches at Hunter College, an inspiration strikes him and he turns the class over to his uncle. His uncle holds the whole class's attention at a story he tells of the Holocaust that not even Adam knows.
A week later uncle Haskell dies, arriving at his bedside too late Adam sees some number stamped on his arm - 14, 16, 25 - the 'winning combinations easy to remember, permanently branded on his arm.' [.86] So many questions come from this story, yet the one that most catches my attention is, 'Did uncle Haskell see the struggle that his nephew Adam was going through and wanted him to realize there were no final answers, and that he needed to get on with his life, and let the past rest?' But I also believe that uncle Haskell in taking risks and gambling was dealing with his own past in the best way he knew, and that was to enjoy life at its fullest, however he interpreted that; maybe he was trying to make up for the past?
A couple years ago, I had a nephew [well, my only nephew] who had been in prison for nearly killing a man when he found his wife, and this man, had been having an affair for some time. I related earlier the story of how my sister died when my nephew was in prison, and he couldn't be at her bedside as she passed away. They had a very special relationship, and the hurt, guilt and pain of his being prison when he should have been with his mother was almost too much to bear ........... and so one day he went for a drive in the countryside. My nephew was a fast driver all the time; but he chose a dirt road that he travelled every day to work on; he knew it was a dangerous road, it had extremely sharp curves .. he had barely made one of the curves when he skidded off the pavement and his car lurched toward the deep embankment, first hitting a guard rail which threw him out of the car and onto the pavement; he never felt the impact. I've asked many questions, 'was he thinking about the past?' 'was he gambling with life, I can take these curves successfully again?' what was he thinking? We must be careful that our acts of defiance don't backfire on us ... that our acts of defiance don't take the place of positive handling of pain, guilt and loss.
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