Dec 23, 2009

Bontsha the Silent | Bontsha the Silent

At a glance:

Author: Isaac Leib Peretz
First Published: 1894
Type of Plot: Satire
Time of Work: The late 1800's
Setting: Eastern Europe and Heaven
Principal Characters: Bontsha the Silent, The defending angel, the prosecuting angel
Genres: Short fiction, Satire
Subjects: Suffering, Poverty or poor people, Jews or Jewish life, Death or dying, Heaven, Toleration, Courts or courtrooms
Locales: Europe, Heaven

The Story

In this characteristically ironic tale, Isaac Leib Peretz recounts the tragic life of one of his best-known protagonists, Bontsha the Silent. By opening with Bontsha's death, Peretz projects his narrative into the realm of the folktale, as he unveils before the readers fantastic scenes of Heaven, its host, and the proceedings of the heavenly court.

In the opening phase of the story, Peretz presents a summary of Bontsha's traits and the troubled life he led. Bontsha, this insignificant man on earth, who “lived unknown, in silence, and in silence he died,” is...

[The entire page is 1429 words long]

Bontsha the Silent | Bontsha the Silent

At a glance:

The Story

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