Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009

Re: Verne's anti-semitism

From: Superonline <neckobay~at~superonline.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2003 19:16:24 +0300
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>

Dear Friends,

Walter J Miller explains the historical situation with delicately selected
words and impressive memoires.

 I would like to add one thing. It's one of the methods of literary
criticism to consider the real life of a writer, in searching for an
explanation of his works. But it may not prove to be the exact truth every
time. It's not easy to decipher a creative mind -- especially a century
after his death.

In Jules Verne's case, I personally believe we should not question his
works from a 21st century point of view, expecting "political correctness"
from him, but rather enjoy his works and the sparks for curiosity ("the
curiosity" which Koestler questions whether to be an "instinct" or not) he
created and is still creating in the imagination of young minds.

Best regards,
Nejat Bayramoglu


----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter J Miller" <wjm2~at~nyu.edu>
To: <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 4:38 PM
Subject: Verne's anti-semitism


> Dear Jean-Pierre Boutin and other Vernians:
> I hasten to add my own experience with Verne's seemingly anti-semitic
portrait in Servadac. Actually, I think I've said it best in my Intro to
The Mighty Orinoco. Jules, like Charles Dickens and so many hundreds of
great writers---Chaucer, Shakespeare---was raised by a Church that
flagrantly preached anti-semitism. As W. H. Auden, the great English poet,
explained to me in 1940, it was impossible to be graduated from Oxford
without at least a tinge of anti-semitism. George Eliot was shocked to
discover this in herself and wrote a whole novel to atone for it. Dickens
apologized to the rabbis of London...he was not even aware how much his
vignette of Fagin would wound his Jewish admirers. And Auden fell in love
with an American Jew whom he passionately protected and admired until his
death. The reason this has rarely been said in defense of Verne---in some
ways a creature of his times---is simply that not everybody dare express
anti-Church sentiments. But it's the Churc
> h's fault, not Verne's, not Chaucer's, not Dickens's. And I'm sure Michel
took his father to task for being anti-Dreyfusard. The difference between
Jules and his son exemplifies the growing awareness of this awful problem
created by the Church. The present Pope has tried to set things straight
by pointing out that "the Hebrews are our older brothers." There should be
a long footnote to every passage in Verne that offends in this way. Cheers!
Walter James Miller
>
>
Received on Tue 09 Sep 2003 - 19:17:41 IDT

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2009/02/01 22:36:11 $$