Nathan and his children

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Nathan and his children is a youth novel by Mirjam Pressler from 2009. The action takes place in Jerusalem in 1192 at the time of the Third Crusade . The story of the Jewish merchant Nathan is a modern adaptation of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's idea drama " Nathan the Wise " from 1779. The novel was awarded the Corine International Book Prize in 2009 as the best book for children and young people and was awarded the 2010 German Youth Literature Prize nominated.

History of origin

The work arose from the need of the author, the play Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing presented as novel, which is understandable for the present. Her daughters would have treated the play in school and did not understand it. That is why she made it her goal to rewrite the piece, which is “difficult to read today”, so that the story “does not get lost”. It was particularly important to her to "portray the characters, who appear to be typified in Lessing's ideological drama, a little more vividly, more vividly". So she upgraded (female) main characters (e.g. Daja, Recha, Sittah) and invented new secondary characters (e.g. Geschem, Zipora). In addition, the knowledge of the “history of the crusades ”, which Lessing “could still presuppose”, is largely lost today. That is why she tried “to shed light on this background and, as far as it is necessary to understand the plot, to incorporate it.” During the research, she was particularly influenced by two historical sources: Amin Maalouf : “The Holy War of the Barbarians. The Crusades from the perspective of the Arabs ”and William of Tire :“ History of the Crusades and the Kingdom of Jerusalem ”.

content

Geschem

While the landlord Geschem is on a sales trip to Damascus, a fire breaks out in his house. The disabled Geschem is unable to intervene and witnesses how an unknown Knight Templar rescues Recha, Nathan's daughter, from the flames. Geschem loses consciousness and, waking up, believes that Recha is dead. Only gradually does he realize that she is doing well and is lying in the arms of Nathan, who has meanwhile returned home and who unsuccessfully inquires about the Savior's identity. After the Lord's Supper, Geschem, plagued by insomnia, went to the courtyard. There he is asked by Nathan about his name and his origin. He tells him that he doesn't know his parents and that he doesn't have a name. Nathan takes pity on the boy and lets him use the name Geschem (Hebrew rain), Geschem Ben Abraham or Ibn Ibrahim - depending on which religion the boy will profess.

Here yes

The night after the fire, Daja remembers how she came to Jerusalem 14 years ago from Gunzenhausen in Germany. Growing up with her grandmother as an orphan, she was easily infected by the enthusiasm of going on the crusade to distant Jerusalem. The euphoria soon evaporates when many perish in the entourage, including her friend Bernhilde and Gisbert, the man she had recently married. Having finally arrived in Jerusalem, the unhappy widow feels defenseless and lost in the strange city. So she is approached by Nathan, who is looking for a tutor and companion for his daughter. In this function she is accepted into Nathan's household. In the end, she realizes why she is plagued by her memories today: Without Recha, she would have lost her job and any reason to continue to live in Nathan's care.

Elijahu

Elijahu, Nathan's friend and assistant, describes the return from the trade trip to Damascus. The initial joy about the return soon gives way to panic when Nathan learns that something could have happened to Recha. Nathan notices quickly that his daughter is fine, but seeing this Elijahu remembers the fire 17 years ago. At that time, too, Nathan came back from a trip and met a fire ruin at home in which his wife and seven sons had burned. After an initial anger at the Christian arsonists and the subsequent phase of mourning, Nathan was given the orphan Recha by a friar in the convent, who he regards as a gift from God. He went to Jerusalem, to the house that was now on fire. While checking the purchased goods, Nathan and Elijahu talk about Geschem. It turns out that his disability is also due to a fire. Nathan tells Elijahu to take care of Geschem and train him to trade.

Recha

After the fire, Recha has a dream about angels and the meaning of life. As soon as she wakes up, memories of the fire plague her. Recha tries to convince Daja that an angel saved her. But neither Daja nor later her father Nathan believe her. So she goes to town to visit her old friend Lea. As she walks through the city, she looks at them with new eyes. Finally, instead of Leah, she decides to seek out her savior, the Knight Templar. When she finds him in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, her body no longer obeys her, she can only stand and look at his body. After he leaves, Recha remains confused and a little ashamed. She finally decides that maybe it would be better to take him out for dinner and returns home.

Knights Templar

After rescuing Recha from the fire, the Knight Templar thinks a lot about his past. He remembers the time when he lost his good friend Helmfried. The crusaders wanted to break the truce between the Sultan and Richard the Lionheart , but were ambushed. The Sultan then beheaded all of the Knights Templar's companions, but spared him himself because he looked like his brother Assad. The Knight Templar remembers that day when he learned that his supposed father Konrad is in truth his uncle and that his name is not Curd von Stauffen, but Leu von Filnek. The next morning, when he went to the city's patriarch, he asked him to spy on the sultan. Leu does not like this task because the Sultan gave him his life.

Al-Hafi

In conversation with Al-Hafi, Nathan, Daja and Recha learn to their astonishment that their dervish is a cousin of the sultan. To explain this, Al-Hafi tells of his childhood when he and his extended family lived in Tikrit with the future sultan. Later the powerful sultan accepted him into his service. His financial situation is precarious because he has a lavish lifestyle and has to finance the war against the crusaders, while at the same time the ships with the tax revenue from Egypt fail to come. To overcome the financial straits, Sittah, the wife of the Sultan, Al-Hafi, asked his wealthy Jewish friend Nathan to ask for money.

Here yes

On the way to a memorial service, Nathan, Daja and their entourage run into the Knight Templar by chance. Nathan thanks him on his knees for saving his daughter. But this offends him in an anti-Semitic way. Daja counters by reminding her compatriot of the basic Christian and knightly values. After Nathan calms her down, he invites the knight to his house for dinner. He regretfully accepts the invitation. At this meal Nathan and the knight get closer and soon become friends. In this way they spin future fantasies in which peace reigns all over the world. Recha hardly speaks during the whole evening and Daja notices that she has fallen in love with the knight.

Recha

In thought with her savior, Recha falls asleep and dreams of him. The next morning, too, after breakfast, she returns to her room as quickly as possible to think about her hero in peace. Finally she visits Lea, one of her friends.

Sittah

Sittah, Melek, al-Hafi and Saladin are preparing with their court for a solemn meeting as part of the peace negotiations with the negotiator of the English King Richard the Lionheart . The meeting is used to discuss whether Sittah should marry a cousin of the king and Melek the princess of England. This is a compromise. Initially, the Lionheart claimed Jerusalem, the territory west of the Jordan, and the Holy Cross . Saladin refused. Since al-Hafi and Saladin consider the proposed marriage to be a ruse, Saladin is cautious at the meeting. When the negotiator announces that if the king wishes, only a marriage can take place if Sittah converts to Christianity, Saladin lets him go and tells him he has to think about it. Meanwhile, Abu Hassan Saladin suggests that he ally himself with other Muslim princes. In contrast, al-Hafi declares that there is not enough money in the state treasury to be active in the war. So the idea comes up that one could get the money from rich Jews.

Abu Hassan

His father Ammar taught Abu Hassan and his brothers to fight and to hate other religions at an early age. Abu Hassan becomes a captain in Saladin's army and gains prestige when he captures the holy cross from the Christians near Tiberias, on which Christ allegedly died. But Abu Hassan turns more and more away from Saladin over time. In his opinion, this is not tough enough on the Jews and the Christians. Abu Hassan has joined a group that wants to overthrow and murder Saladin.

Knights Templar

The Knight Templar leads a group of pilgrims through the city. He can't get Recha out of his head, although she is Jewish and he has taken a vow of chastity. During the march, the Knight Templar thinks back to his childhood and youth, which was marked by exclusion. After a few years, during which he was trained first as a page and then a knight, he returned home. Here he learned that his alleged father is only the brother of his mother, who left him very early to follow a man to the Holy Land. After this revelation, he leaves home and joins the Knights Templar to set out for the Holy Land. Waking up from his daydreams, the Knight Templar realizes that he has unconsciously led the pilgrims to Recha's house.

Al-Hafi

Sittah, the Sultan's sister, has told Al-Hafi to ask his friend Nathan to lend the Sultan some money. Nathan complies with this request and accompanies Al-Hafi to the Sultan. Instead of asking for money, however, he is confronted with a difficult question: which of the three Abrahamic religions is the right one? With this question, Saladin wants to force Nathan to give a wrong answer and thus make him generous. Nathan, however, gives a parable in response , the ring parabola . It is the story of a ring which "dwelt in a secret power, namely that it made everyone who wore it in this faith pleasant before God and man". The fathers bequeathed this ring to their dearest son until the Turn came to a father who had three favorite sons. In order not to disappoint anyone, he had two copies made. Believing that each of them had the only correct one, the three brothers quarrel. This is arbitrated by a judge with the answer that they probably all have the wrong ring, because none of them makes "its owner more pleasant than the other two". Instead of quarreling, they should endeavor "to prove the genuineness of [the] ring by being meek and agreeable and doing good, godly works." The Sultan is extremely impressed by the answer, and when Nathan offers him a loan, the two become friends.

Here yes

While walking to the market, Daja spots the Knight Templar and is very homesick. Involuntarily she grabs the knight by the arm and asks him to meet her in secret later so that she can reveal a secret to him. The rest of the day she is in conflict with herself. At the meeting she reveals to him, against her better judgment, that Daja Christin and Nathan are not her birth father.

Knights Templar

After this announcement, the Knight Templar gets into a conflict. He wanders the streets of Jerusalem, torn between his love and his vow of chastity. In his distress he turns to the Patriarch the next morning. He hopes that his supposed informant will bring him information about Saladin. Finally, he presses the Knight Templar until he reveals the real reason for his visit: Is a girl who was baptized as a Christian but was raised in the care of a Jew still a Christian? The patriarch replied that the Jew should be put on the stake and asked the Knight Templar to know his name. The Knight Templar does not betray him and retreats into the solitude of the Hinnom Valley.

Geschem

Geschem is part of the caravan that is on its way to Jericho. On the trip he thinks about a dream, about Elijahu and his homelessness. In doing so, he passes out. After recovering, he met the young Muslim Mussa. The next day he shows him the balsam plantings. When Mussa then answers the muezzin's call, Geschem remains alone in front of the mosque. When Geschem comes back in the evening and Elijahu takes care of him, he knows where he belongs: with Elijahu.

Recha

As she combs her hair, Daja tells Recha that the Knight Templar loves her. She also explains that Nathan is not her birth father, but that she was given to him by her dying mother. A world collapses for Recha. To get some air, she goes into town and asks existential questions about her origins and her right to exist as Nathan's daughter. In doing so, she meets Geschem, who tells her what it's like to belong nowhere.

Elijahu

Nathan and Elijahu deliver valuable fabrics and other merchandise to the Sultan's palace. At this meeting, Abu Hassan behaves suspiciously. On their return, Nathan advises Elijahu to marry Zipora. They are attacked by some masked men in the street. Elijahu is knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he discovers Nathan, bloodied and lifeless on the floor. Elijahu carries the body home and falls unconscious.

Recha

Recha thinks mournfully of her father. She remembers the conversation he had with her before his death. In it she learns the reasons for his actions and realizes that "love [is] a strong bond, sometimes even stronger than blood". After death she receives numerous condolences visits. Al-Hafi helps her every day, once he is accompanied by the Knight Templar. He demands revenge for Nathan's death and holds the Christians responsible for the murder. Recha interrupts the discussion by saying that she wants to think of her father and not the murderers. Later she learns from Elijahu that he thinks Abu Hassan was the mastermind behind Nathan's murder. But Recha keeps this information to himself. While walking with the templar, he confesses that he told the patriarch about a Christian girl raised as a Jew. But for Recha it is not important who the murderer of her father is. It is important to her that Nathan lived and did good deeds.

characters

Saladin

The sultan lives in a palace in Jerusalem. He is ruler of the Muslims and commander of the military armed forces. With them he recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders and is feared by them. At the same time he is portrayed as very generous and wasteful. He is also considered smart, but not very imaginative. Outwardly, he is described as small and rather skinny. That being said, he has a regularly trimmed beard and an often thoughtful face.

Sittah

Sittah has two biological brothers, Assad and Saladin. She also has a half-brother who was born to a concubine. Assad died in the war, as did her husband. After her husband's death, she moves back to her brother's palace and serves as an advisor to him. Here she has a secret lover, Machmud. She is described as a beautiful woman in her prime who loves to bathe. Unlike other women of her time, she was fortunate to have been taught to read and write.

Abu Hassan

Abu Hassan is a cunning, brave and respected captain of Saladin. He has thick browbones, glowing eyes, black beard and white teeth. His father Ammar raised him to be a religious fundamentalist and gave him an anti-Semitic attitude. As a young soldier he was a fanatical supporter of Saladin. Over time, however, this seems too soft to him, and so he joins a group of high dignitaries and captains who aim to overthrow Saladin.

Nathan

Nathan is a Jewish merchant who is highly regarded and revered as "the wise". His character traits include tolerance, wisdom and life experience. His fate is tragic: his wife and seven sons are victims of an arson attack by the crusaders. After initial feelings of revenge, he comes to his senses and has since acted prudently and driven by philanthropy. He also demonstrates this when bringing up his adopted daughter Recha.

Recha

Recha is born a Christian, but is brought up in Nathan's household as his biological daughter in the Jewish faith. She is educated and knows a lot about subjects like reading, writing, arithmetic, astrology, history and theology. She is also proficient in foreign languages ​​German, Arabic and a little French. She is 18 years old but looks older and more adult after her near death experience. Recha has light, sensitive skin, a pointed chin, blue eyes and reddish hair.

Here yes

Daja is a Christian from Gunzenhausen, Germany, who is raised as an orphan by her anti-Semitic grandmother. On the crusade to Jerusalem she met her husband Gisbert, who died soon after the wedding on arrival in Jerusalem. So she comes to Nathan's house as a tutor and partner for Recha. At first she shows a strong sense of justice by defending Nathan against the Knight Templar. Then her egoistic traits take over for a short time, as she reveals true origin to the Knight Templar Rechas so that she can return home. In the end, she is again a person of trust for Recha.

Elijahu

Elijahu is strong and muscular. He has strong arms and legs and a broad back. Most of the time, his clothes and hair smell of balm. He has been working for Nathan as an administrator for over 18 years and accompanies him on his business trips. He has a keen sense of smell and good hearing. He is also a loyal, loyal friend who supports Nathan in all situations. Shortly before the assassination attempt on Nathan, he confesses to him that he has fallen in love with the cook Zipora. He proves his loyalty to Nathan even after his death. He stays with Recha and the others, they are his family.

Konrad von Stauffen

The knight Konrad von Stauffen raises Curd on the Stauffenburg. When he tells him that he is not his father, but only his mother's brother, he looks contemptuous and cold.

Curd of Stauffen

Curd von Stauffen is a young, tall and strong knight templar. With his long white coat with the red cross on his back, he has an angelic appearance. As a teenager, he learned from his uncle Konrad that his mother had given him to her brother's care when he was born and that his real name was Leu von Filnek. As an illegitimate person ("someone like you") he is always marginalized, so he joins the Knights Templar and goes on a crusade to Jerusalem. There he is captured and not executed by the Sultan because he looks like the face of his missing brother Assad. However, it is left open whether Assad is the father of the Templar. In the course of history, the Templar developed from a narrow-minded, anti-Semitic Christian fundamentalist into a helpful, courageous and cosmopolitan man.

Al-Hafi

The dervish is a very good friend of Nathan and loyal to him. Nevertheless, without informing Nathan, he becomes treasurer of Sultan Saladin, with whom he grew up. So he gets into moral distress because he has to ask Nathan for money on Saladin's behalf. He knows that with this action he runs the risk of harming Nathan. It is all the more relieved when Nathan can save himself from the precarious situation with the ring parable and becomes a friend of Saladin. He is intelligent and loves the game of chess.

patriarch

The patriarch is the bishop of Jerusalem . His real name is not known, and nothing else is reported about his private life. He is overweight and his eyes, hidden behind bulges of fat, give off a penetrating look. He is always sumptuously dressed and wearing jewelry. He is generally wealthy and lives on a luxury estate. He is described as an unpredictable and hypocritical person who leads others to act morally questionable.

Zipora

Zipora heads the kitchen in Nathan's large household. She is known for her delicacies. She goes to great lengths when she cooks for Elijahu, with whom she is secretly in love. In addition, she is responsible for catering to the guests. She is a devout Muslim.

Jacob

Little is known of Nathan's assistants. He has an oversized nose, which despite its size can only perceive very rough differences in smells. He has a friendly relationship with Elijahu and likes to drink wine with him. Jacob is a Jew and a moderate person. So he tolerates other religions and steps in when the suspicions about Nathan's murderers come to light.

Assad

Assad is Saladin's older brother. He disappeared before he became a sultan. He is described as beautiful, balanced and well-read. Saladin interprets his extraordinary resemblance to the Knight Templar as a sign that Assad must be his father.

Helmfried

The Knight Templar Helmfried is Curd von Stauffen's best friend, as well as his mentor and role model. He is an Orthodox Christian who fights and prejudices all other religions. Together with Curd he is captured and executed.

Lea

Lea is one of Recha's best friends. The pregnant woman already has a daughter and is under pressure to give birth to a son. In addition, she does not seem to be completely satisfied in her marriage to the rich goldsmith Ruben. She looks depressed and her earlier happiness is only partially noticeable.

Mother of the Knight Templar

Apparently she has an illegitimate relationship with a man who is going to the Holy Land before Curd is born. In order to be able to follow her lover, she leaves the newborn child with her brother with the request that it be raised. After that, her trail is lost, from which her brother concludes that she died.

Daja's grandmother

Daja's grandmother lives in poor conditions in Gunzenhausen. After the death of her parents, she takes in her granddaughter. The convinced Christian and anti-Semite is a hard-working person who, due to her hard-heartedness, does not manage to establish an emotional bond with her granddaughter. Outwardly, she is described as "old and toothless and ugly". She has a piercing voice and often speaks with a raised index finger. She also has a good night's sleep and snores.

Text analysis

construction

The book is divided into 18 chapters, in each of which a character tells the events or memories from their own perspective. The tension is linked to the non-knowledge of the narrating person. Occurrences from a previous chapter are sometimes retold or retold from the perspective of the narrating character. Thus, there is an asynchronous narrative structure. The novel begins in medias res , namely that Nathan's house is on fire and Recha's life is in danger. The ending, on the other hand, is open and offers a cliffhanger insofar as it is not clear how the love story between Recha and the Templar will end.

time

The novel is set in the time of the Crusades in 1192 . "The action period extends over several days". The focus is first on the day of the fire and the day after, then, after an indefinite period of time, that of the murder of Nathan and the subsequent “phase of mourning”. The action is always shown in rapid succession , from time to time covering the time. Numerous flashbacks interrupt the action in the now so that past events can be reported, some of which were 20 years ago (Chapters 1–6, 8–11, Chapter 13). What is remarkable is the fact that these are omitted at the end of the novel, so that the end “is almost exclusively in the present”. Seasons don't matter, the weather is almost always hot and sunny.

place

The setting is largely Jerusalem . There is also talk of the areas that the Crusaders had to travel to to get to Jerusalem. The city is often portrayed as a symbolic and atmospheric space by reflecting the feelings of the protagonists. Different milieus are also represented. So the Sultan's palace is a splendid place where the rich class of Jerusalem lives. Even so, this location is portrayed as rather cold and people don't want to go there.

characters

The novel contains over a dozen characters who are listed at the beginning of the novel such as the dramatis personae in a play. The main character is Nathan, who is called the wise by the people. All other characters are related to him. Nonetheless, Nathan has no narrative thread of his own: "[About] he is told from the point of view of the other characters". Numerous significant figures develop dynamically and experience fundamental changes: Recha changes from a girl to a young woman; the templar develops from a fanatical, anti-Semitic crusader to a tolerant citizen of the world; the disabled orphan Geschem is given a name and a place in society; Sultan Saladin overcomes his distrust of Jews. Other figures such as the Christian Patriarch of Jerusalem or the Muslim captain Abu Hassan remain stuck with their fundamentalism .

language

The novel is shaped by various first-person narrators, "who, however, hardly show any individual differences in their narrative style". One difference is that Muslims use more Arabic words than the others, while Christians often quote the Bible. The language level is almost always either standard or sophisticated, the sentence structure is rather hypotactic . The many comparisons and metaphors are striking. The chess allegory, with which the central ring parable conversation between Saladin and Nathan is represented, is particularly elaborate.

interpretation

Intertextual references

References to the original

Mirjam Pressler turns Lessing's idea drama "Nathan the Wise" into a "historical youth novel". With the change of genre, there is the opportunity to tell in more detail. This explains the strong development of the historical background and the more precise characterization of the figures. While Pressler retains the main features of the plot in this way, she changes the end, which is kept optimistic under the sign of the Enlightenment. Lessing's “great vision of a cross-religious 'human family'” with a “reconciliation of all persons of good will” is replaced by a conclusion that is “extremely ambivalent”: Nathan is murdered without the deed being explained, clarified or atoned for. The relationship between Recha and the Knight Templar also becomes more realistic: unlike Lessing, they are not siblings, but their romance has no future. According to Wölke, Pressler “tried to change what she thought was improbable or constructed”.

In general, Pressler placed more emphasis on plausibility and "historical facts", for example in connection with the Crusades. In addition, the figure constellation experienced a change, for example through the introduction of marginal figures such as Geschem or Elijahu or through the "revaluation" and upgrading of the female figures Daja and Recha. Daja, who is a “narrow-minded, chatty, religious fanatic” at Lessing, becomes a confidante and “friend” of Nathan, even his lover, whom he calls “every now and then at night”. The young characters Geschem and Recha make a major contribution to “shaping the theme of 'identity'”. Both of you are youngsters on "the way to yourself". If Recha finally follows in Nathan's footsteps, she will have to take responsibility. This completes the maturation process.

References to Religious Scriptures

Quotations from scriptures, the Koran and the Bible play an important role in the novel. This is reflected in the fact that the author lists all 25 passages at the end of her work. The quotes are used by the first-person narrators for various purposes. They are happy to relate current events with a quote from the Koran or the Bible. Sometimes the quotes are taken out of context so that characters can justify their immoral behavior. This is what Abu Hassan does, for example, when he justifies his intolerant position towards Christianity with a sura from the Koran: "You believers do not make friends with those who do not belong to your religion." The figures substantiate their opinions or advice with these quotes or express their anger, sadness or despair with it. For example, those in mourning for Nathan quote a passage from Deuteronomy or Recha a passage from the Song of Songs to express their love for the Knight Templar.

References to Martin Luther King

The chapter on the parable of the ring closes with a vision by Nathan that is very reminiscent of the speech “ I Have a Dream ” that Martin Luther King gave on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC. The first thing that is striking is the three-time repetition of the leitmotif “I have a dream”. But also the messages from Nathan and King are “very similar: Both wish that one day all people can live freely, safely and like siblings in justice with one another.” With this message of religious and ethnic tolerance, both figures are ahead of their time and so Nathan, like King , is assassinated. A vague premonition of this appears at the end of his speech: “His voice fell, became quieter. 'But it's just a dream. The reality is different. '"

Leitmotifs

Fire

The heat is present throughout the novel. The story begins with the fire that almost kills Recha. The heat is associated with negative things from the very beginning: "I thought I felt the heat that met me with flames, the terrible fear that paralyzed me, so that I saw death before my eyes". This association is reinforced when it is learned that Nathan's previous house with his wife and seven sons had already burned down. Geschem's disability is also due to a fire. But in other places too, the heat is a symbol of something bad, in particular the phenomenon of the Khamsin , a hot desert wind: "The Khamsin confuses people's senses and drives them to actions that they later regret." So it is not by chance that shortly afterwards the Knight Templar refused Nathan with the following words: "Don't touch me, Jew". The resulting battle of words between the Knights Templar and Daja also attributes this to the heat: “Was it perhaps the Chamsin's fault”? After the attack on Nathan and Elijahu, Elijahu's skin is described as "hot and dry". And just as the heat is negatively affected, the cold represents something positive. This is the final scene of the novel: "Beside him stood Geschem, a fan in his hand with which he drove away annoying flies and fanned Elijahu cool".

water

The water is omnipresent in the novel. “With one restriction”, the “motif area water [...] can be interpreted positively”. In the desert region, water is an elixir of life: "Take a sip of water [...] you mustn't forget to drink." So the novel ends with the fact that after an ongoing heat wave, "the longed-for first rain falls and the cisterns [...] fall." fill again ”. The helpers also need water to put out the fire in the house. This is reflected in the naming of Geschem. The name literally means: “Water that falls from the sky. Water that puts out any fire. "

Animals

The animals are often represented in the text. Sheep, goats, cows and camels occur regularly. The latter are particularly important as the people in the barren desert landscape are dependent on them. "It was also here that I saw camels for the first time, these strangely ugly animals about which true miracles were told". Birds are also mentioned a few times, often as a metaphor. For example, the robe of the Knights Templar moves “like the wings of a bird” or Al-Hafi is a “gentle bird among falcons” in his depiction. The animals have hidden symbols as harbingers of Nathan's murder: “Only the jackals could be heard and the call of a night bird ”.

Mountain Valley

Mountains and valleys are omnipresent in the novel. The journey from Daja to Jerusalem leads through many mountains and hilly landscapes. Recha's dream about the Knight Templar also takes place in the mountains of Judea and the Knight Templar goes to the mountains several times: “Maybe he connects a piece of home with staying on the mountain”. Once he went alone after his arrival in Jerusalem and once when he was bringing pilgrims to the Mount of Olives. The counterpart to the mountains are two valleys, Josaphat and Hinnom. The Kidron stream flows in the Josaphat valley in winter and Recha tells how she used to go to play with her friends at this time of the year. Later she has to “descend into the valley to the water, to the origins of life in order to approach her own life, her own personality”. The Hinnom Valley is mentioned by the Knights Templar. There is a field there called Hakeldamach , "which was bought for the money for which Judas had once betrayed the Lord." In the opinion of the Knight Templar, it is a "place of shame and mourning."

dream

The dream appears in different forms in different figures. It is used to explain a character's past more precisely or to depict their wishes and fears. Two dreams of Recha are told. “Sleep fell on me, an ugly, threatening sleep with an ugly, threatening dream.” In the first dream “the developmental process that Recha is now beginning to go through is indicated,” in the second she dreams of her lover, albeit under negative auspices : "But when I wanted to run towards him, my feet sank into the sand and he turned around".

Angel

The leitmotif of the angel occurs concisely at the beginning of the novel, when the Knight Templar rescues Recha from the flames. For a long time, Recha believed that an angel had saved her, because the "beautiful, even features and the unearthly glow of his eyes" and the long white coat make her believe in an angel. But her father rejects the religious crush on her by pointing out that it is “easier to love a person than an angel” and that it is also “easier to thank a person.” In addition, angels sometimes become in the context of faith mentioned, for example when the captain Abu Hassan speaks of the Archangel Gabriel.

Roses

Roses appear in the novel mostly in a transformed form. They appear for the first time as rose oil. One perceives the smell of roses as relaxing and beneficial. This can be seen in Sittah's thoughts as she takes a bath: “and even the flattering rose scent hardly managed to soothe my inner restlessness.” The scent of the roses is practically only related to women.

Furthermore, roses can be associated with a place, but also with a person. One example is the palace's rose garden, "which is a very private and perhaps a paradise for Saladin and his sister [...]". The roses that were planted were imported from China. Thus one can conclude that they are rare and precious in Israel. The aesthetic appearance of the flowers is also transferred to Sittah, which according to al-Hafi should be "as beautiful as the fully bloomed roses".

mirror

The mirror is a thing symbol that does not appear often in the novel, but is all the more prominent. This is how Recha's central change from a girl to a young woman takes place in front of a precious mirror of her father: "The picture that looked at me was strangely foreign to me, as if I had never seen this woman." Has previously viewed trains with a “satisfied smile”, she now looks “more serious, adult”. The mirror is therefore the instrument of "self-knowledge". In addition, the mirror also shows people “what they want or what the future will bring”, especially in dreams. In a kind of daydream, Recha suddenly sees the image of the Knight Templar in the mirror. But just as quickly as it appeared, it also "disappeared" again - a "prediction of a love that will not find fulfillment."

reception

Reviews

Pressler's novel has been "undisputedly highly praised" by literary critics. The success with the criticism was also reflected in the school. Thus, the work became "school reading relatively quickly after its publication". The author of young books is praised above all for the successful mixture of intelligibility and poetry. The fact that she changed many elements of the original, such as adding new characters and changing storylines, is seen by the critics as beneficial. The novel is especially suitable for young people: “Even if the representatives of the pure Lessing doctrine may not like the change: In the interests of young readers, their version should be because it describes the possible love story between the two [Recha and the Knights Templar ] does not completely drain the ground. ”The work is also valued for its political conciseness, especially since the tensions between the three Abrahamic religions are more topical than ever. Pressler's novel encourages readers to reflect on the coexistence between religions: "To bring one of the great works of the European Enlightenment into focus at such times [...] seems almost something like an act of desperation of reason." With her sensitive, But the author succeeds in dealing critically with Lessing's original "a realistic plea for a different way out of the millennial tragedy of world religions than the one we hear about on the news every day." The way in which she presents this topic is also worth mentioning. Thanks to a “pictorial and timeless novel approach” with numerous descriptions, readers can more easily immerse themselves in the Jerusalem of the Crusades than in Lessing's play. In this way, the work arouses the interest of young people. "But they [young people] like to read books that create the illusion that the narrator is sitting directly opposite."

Radio plays, audio books

The audio book for the novel was published by Jumbo Verlag in 2010 . Eight different actors (including Barbara Nüsse ) portray the multi-perspective plot.

Awards

The novel was nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize 2010. In Doris Breitmoser's justification, it is said that Pressler “breathed new life into Lessing's famous parable and reinterpreted its religious and philosophical context”. In 2009 the novel received the Corine International Book Prize for the best book for children and young people.

literature

expenditure

Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009.

Reading aids

  • Stephan Gora: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Buchner's reading companion German. Buchner, Bamberg 2015. ISBN 978-3-7661-4291-7 .
  • Thomas Möbius: Text analysis and interpretation of Mirjam Pressler Nathan and his children. King's Explanations Special. Bange, Hollfeld 2012. ISBN 978-3-8044-3098-3 .
  • Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. ISBN 978-3-8490-3279-1 .
  • Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. ISBN 978-3-14-022632-5 .

Reviews

interview

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Interview with Mirjam Pressler: I feel sorry for young people when they don't read at all. In: Planet Interview. July 14, 2009.
  2. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. pp. 219 f.
  3. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 219.
  4. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 219.
  5. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 160.
  6. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 163.
  7. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 163.
  8. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 232.
  9. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 103.
  10. ↑ Thomas Möbius: Text analysis and interpretation of Mirjam Pressler Nathan and his children. King's Explanations Special. Bange, Hollfeld 2012. p. 7.
  11. ↑ Thomas Möbius: Text analysis and interpretation of Mirjam Pressler Nathan and his children. King's Explanations Special. Bange, Hollfeld 2012. p. 122.
  12. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 67.
  13. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 65.
  14. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 65.
  15. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 100.
  16. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 100.
  17. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 101.
  18. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 100.
  19. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 101.
  20. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 101.
  21. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 104.
  22. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 39.
  23. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 101.
  24. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 101.
  25. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. pp. 253 f.
  26. ↑ Sura 3, 119, quoted from: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan und seine Kinder. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 138.
  27. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 233.
  28. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 113.
  29. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 166.
  30. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 81.
  31. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 166.
  32. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 56.
  33. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 101.
  34. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 102.
  35. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 104
  36. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 238.
  37. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. pp. 247f.
  38. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 75.
  39. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 197.
  40. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 248.
  41. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 22.
  42. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 35.
  43. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 110.
  44. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 91.
  45. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 226.
  46. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 78.
  47. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 79.
  48. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 75.
  49. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 75.
  50. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 10.
  51. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 110.
  52. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 56.
  53. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 57.
  54. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. pp. 137f.
  55. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 122.
  56. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018 p. 83.
  57. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 156.
  58. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 112.
  59. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 112.
  60. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 82.
  61. ↑ Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2009. p. 55.
  62. ^ Theresia Köhler-Müller: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. Stark, Hallbergmoos 2018. p. 82.
  63. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 104.
  64. ↑ Alexandra Wölke: Mirjam Pressler: Nathan and his children. EinFach German teaching model. Schöningh, Paderborn 2015. p. 104.
  65. ↑ a b Andrea Huber: The wise man and his children. In: The world . February 7, 2009 ( welt.de ).
  66. ↑ a b c Siggi Seuss: Jerusalem 1192. In: Die Zeit . No. 8, February 12, 2009 ( zeit.de ).
  67. ^ Jury statement, in: jugendliteratur.org (PDF) accessed on June 16, 2020.
  68. ↑ Press release on: mirjampressler.de (PDF) accessed on June 16, 2020.