A lot of claims about both Jews and Christians are made in this novel, sometimes contradictory. For instance, from Eunice's correspondence with "PreciousPony," we find that Sally conceives Christianity as an "activist's creed" and can thus justify her religious and secular Political commitments. Eunice is skeptical: "I think i want to meet whoever told her to say that and punch him in the face" (145). The chapter this discussion occurs within is called "Temperance, Charity, Faith, and Hope." These words are a variation on a famous passage in the Bible -- 1 Corinthians 13. "Charity" is frequently translated as 'love':
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If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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In our own world, we see Christians arguing that Jesus wants us to be happy and prosperous at the same time others argue that Christianity should be about helping the poor and unfortunate. "Love," a self-love or simply an ultimate love of Jesus or God replaces the imperative of "Charity." The debate between 'good works' and 'faith' has been a major question in the Christian faith. Some believe in salvation by faith alone. Perhaps this might be those who would want to retain the translation of "love." What kind of "love" does Lenny have for Eunice? Is it a selfless, patient, love? Eunice seems to think so at times. Or is his love ultimately love of self because he believes that somehow Eunice will be the key to his immortality? Is he really practicing charity? Lenny writes,
"But one thing I knew: I would never follow Nettie's advice. I would never visit those poor people in Tompkins Square Park. Who knew what would happen to them? If the National Guard shot people in Central Park, why wouldn't they shoot them downtown. 'Safety First' as they say around Post-Human Services. Our lives are worth more than the lives of others." (165)
Our lives. Whose lives? Our family's lives? Our loved one's lives? Is this our idea of love?
The Christianity practiced by Sally and Eunice's family seem infused with a harsh Korean culture. Rather than caring for others -- even strangers -- the Korean/Christian service attended by Lenny is a bit terrifying (to me). The Reverend explicitly sets apart the believing Christians from the "Aziz Army" who are now framed as terrorists: "Only Geejush's grace will save this fallen country and protect from Aziz Army. Because you are lazy. Because you do not appreciate. Because you are prideful" (189).
Lenny doesn't believe this message and indeed would disagree with Paul, perhaps, that Love is not Proud. This brings me to my first passage I want to submit for close reading. This passage will be followed by others. I want to read these closely in class, taking the passages as jumping off points for interpreting other parts of the novel.
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Lenny: "I wanted to get up and address the audience: "You have nothing to be ashamed of," I would say. "You are decent people. You are trying. Life is very difficult. If there is a burden on your heart, it will not be lifted here. Do not throw away the good. Take pride in the good. You are better than this angry man. You are better than Jesus Christ [. . .] Do not believe the Judeo-Christian lie! Accept your thoughts! Accept your desires! Accept the truth! And if there is more than one truth, then learn to do the difficult work--learn to choose. You are good enough, you are human enough, to choose" (190).
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David to Eunice:
"I think that's where we went wrong as a country. We were afraid to really fight each other, and so we devolved into this Bipartisan thing and this ARA thing. When we lost touch with how much we really hate each other, we also lost the responsibility for our common future. I think when the dust settles and the Bipartisans are history that's how were's going to live, as small units that don't agree. I don't know what we'll call it, political parties, military councils, city states, but that's how its going to be and we're not going to screw it up this time. It'll be like 1776 all over again. Act Two for America." (177)
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Lenny on Noah:
"And I wondered about the excitement in his voice. What if Noah was secretly pleased that all this was happening? What if we all were? What if the violence was actually channeling our collective fear into a kind of momentary clarity, the clarity of being alive during conclusive times, the joy of being historically important by assocation?"
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Joshie to his employees:
"We are finally no longer critically relevant to the world economy. The rest of the globe is strong enough to decouple from us. We, our country, our city, our infrastructure, are in a state of freefall. But [. . .] We have to remember that our primary obligation is to our clients. We have to remember that all those who died in Central Park over the last few days were, in the long run, ITP, Impossible to Preserve. Unlike our clients, their time on our planet was limited. We must remind ourselves of the Fallacy of Merely Existing, which restricts what we can do for a whole sector of people. Yet, even though we may absolve ourselves of responsibility, we, as a technological elite, can set a good example. I say to all the naysayers: The best is yet to come" (181)
[Hint: think here for the Jews as "Chosen people"]
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