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PARTISAN REVIEW
explore the confusing ideas of self-construction and the meaning of rela–
tionship:
Nay, it was conceivable that as Mordecai needed and believed that
he had found an active replenishment of himself, so Deronda might
receive from Mordecai 's mind the complete ideal shape of that per–
sonal duty and citizenship which lay in his own thought like sculp–
tured fragments certifying some beauty yearned after but not
traceable by divination.
While Mordecai believes that Daniel represents some divine visita–
tion meant to revive Mordecai's spirits, Mordecai's discourse edifies
Daniel. Mordecai asks Daniel if he is of Jewish heritage. At first
Daniel vehemently denies any possibility of Jewish origin-recalling
the earlier scene where Daniel proclaims his Englishness in the syna–
gogue. But as time goes on and Mordecai teaches him about Judaism
and its meanings, Daniel's own desire for clarifying his origin intensi–
fies, and he grows less hostile to the idea of being born of Jewish par–
ents. Furthermore, while Daniel cannot quite identify what draws him
into Jewish culture, he can see the tantalizing glimmers in his discus–
sions with Mordecai. Mordecai seems transcendently spiritual; Daniel
helplessly submits himself to his will and power. Submission
to
such
will would be simple if that person were a learned professor, thinks
Daniel to himself later, but Mordecai, perhaps unconsciously, repre–
sents fragments of Daniel's past and even more powerfully represents
important pieces of Daniel's developing spiritual worldview. Morde–
cai, in a sense, sets Daniel on a spiritual/political quest. Daniel learns
the unquestionable importance of other cultures in his discussions
with Mordecai: Jews believe that an individual's redemption requires
good, earthly deeds, and one can learn from past mistakes. But in
order
to
operate in the world, one must abandon selfish positions and
learn
to
help others through action. These actions make sense in some
sort of grand cosmic scale, but, in the end, humans can only interpret
their actions from limited perspectives. Yet even with these limited per–
spectives, achievements that benefit others benefit the community.
Near the time of Mordecai's death, Daniel listens to Mordecai's
evolved sense of community: "For I have judged what I have written,
and I desire the body that I gave my thought
to
pass away as this fleshly
body will pass; but let the thought be born again from our fuller soul
which shall be called yours."
