'Objects In Space'
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
But why did I never notice how strongly Bernard is coded as Jewish? (Although there are, of course, no Jews in Ford's world.)
Huh. I never noticed that, either. (Of course, last time I read that, I was 16. I might want to take a look at it again.)
I've been meaning to reread Walden, too. Last weekend, I went to Walden Pond with my family, and I was startled at how little of the book I could remember.
But why did I never notice how strongly Bernard is coded as Jewish? (Although there are, of course, no Jews in Ford's world.)
I just reread it last month and didn't pick up on it. Of course now I'm slapping my head.
Am I wrong, Wolfram? Please tell me I'm wrong.
I wish I could. He's a stereotype, but definitely a Jewish one.
How so? It's been years since I've read BNW. I was in high school, and wouldn't have picked up typing, unless the teacher pointed it out (which he didn't). We were talking about BNW early on in the book club thread.
He's short, he's dark, he's unattractive, he's pushy, and he behaves badly once he is given power.
Think about every stereotype applied to nouveaux riches social climbers, and you've got Bernard. He doesn't really care about Art the way that the noble artist does, he just has free-floating dissatisfaction.
Well his name, his height, his seeming pettiness, his secret agendas. And I didn't pick up on it either, but if someone points it out, it does seem more than a little possible that it was the intent. But I have to run, so I may have more to say about it after thinking it over.
Okay. Wait. You wrote "secret". I read it as "sexual," more than once. I was all, "The Jewish people allegedly have a sexual agenda? Go them." This is a sign. I need to shut off the PC.
He's short, he's dark, he's unattractive, he's pushy, and he behaves badly once he is given power.
A) I hate the world
B) I would have missed the behaves badly once in power thing. I wasn't familiar with that as a type.
My sex mistake aside (oh would that it were for all of them), what is--according to the racists--the secret Jewish Agenda? Is this why the skinhead types are always talking about Jewish people in banking and the media?
what is--according to the racists--the secret Jewish Agenda?
Taking over the world, pretty much. The implication usually seems to be not being anyone who actually seems to have power (President, Prime Minister, etc.), but running the banks and the media and having all the political advisory roles, to be able to run everything from behind the scenes.
Is this why the skinhead types are always talking about Jewish people in banking and the media?
Yep.