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Nina Balatka by Anthony Trollope
Jul. 12th, 2013 04:24 amNina Balatka was a maiden of Prague, born of Christian parents, and herself a Christian — but she loved a Jew; and this is her story.
This is a book that certainly isn't free from anti-Semitic stereotypes, both in physical descriptions and descriptions of personality and character. It is, however, Trollope trying not to be anti-Semitic, and contains nuanced and complicated depictions of Jewish characters. It also condemns Jewish persecution and segregation in Prague, as well as Christian hypocrisy. The Christians in this novel are the ones who cheat, betray, deprive others of property rightfully theirs, and generally cause the path of true love to run rough.
You would not rob a man because he is a Jew, Nina says - several times.
The love-story content of this novel is touching. Nina Balatka loves a Jewish man, Anton Trendellssohn, and he loves her in return...in spite of the flaws of his character that obstruct their romance. Nina is also not unflawed. Rebecca Loth is a secondary Jewish character who is, essentially, perfect: beautiful, intelligent, honourable, compassionate, kind, strong, and practical. Were Rebecca given more time by the narrative she would have probably revealed more complexities. She reads like an example of positive discrimination, and thus is less memorable as a character than Anton Trendellsohn, whose flaws are human and interesting, even if too much associated with his Jewishness by the narrative.
A comparable work is THE WAY WE LIVE NOW; the Jewish character Brehgert is one of few in that novel who is honest and scrupulous about promises. Trollope's Jewish characters, like his female charcters, are a case of "Do as I do and not as I say": in spite of unfortunate narrative commentary, the characters show themselves as human, interesting, and complex.
In background to NINA BALATKA, Trollope sockpuppeted when publishing it for the first time under another name: he wished to see if he could gain success under a new identity rather than relying on his reputation, although he was discovered too soon by an observant reviewer. This is a fairly strong work, and has some interesting things to say about the time if the outmoded descriptions of the Jewish characters can be borne with.
This is a book that certainly isn't free from anti-Semitic stereotypes, both in physical descriptions and descriptions of personality and character. It is, however, Trollope trying not to be anti-Semitic, and contains nuanced and complicated depictions of Jewish characters. It also condemns Jewish persecution and segregation in Prague, as well as Christian hypocrisy. The Christians in this novel are the ones who cheat, betray, deprive others of property rightfully theirs, and generally cause the path of true love to run rough.
You would not rob a man because he is a Jew, Nina says - several times.
The love-story content of this novel is touching. Nina Balatka loves a Jewish man, Anton Trendellssohn, and he loves her in return...in spite of the flaws of his character that obstruct their romance. Nina is also not unflawed. Rebecca Loth is a secondary Jewish character who is, essentially, perfect: beautiful, intelligent, honourable, compassionate, kind, strong, and practical. Were Rebecca given more time by the narrative she would have probably revealed more complexities. She reads like an example of positive discrimination, and thus is less memorable as a character than Anton Trendellsohn, whose flaws are human and interesting, even if too much associated with his Jewishness by the narrative.
A comparable work is THE WAY WE LIVE NOW; the Jewish character Brehgert is one of few in that novel who is honest and scrupulous about promises. Trollope's Jewish characters, like his female charcters, are a case of "Do as I do and not as I say": in spite of unfortunate narrative commentary, the characters show themselves as human, interesting, and complex.
In background to NINA BALATKA, Trollope sockpuppeted when publishing it for the first time under another name: he wished to see if he could gain success under a new identity rather than relying on his reputation, although he was discovered too soon by an observant reviewer. This is a fairly strong work, and has some interesting things to say about the time if the outmoded descriptions of the Jewish characters can be borne with.
