The Bronze Bow | Masculine Identity in The Bronze Bow

Scott Malia received his PhD in drama from Tufts University, and he currently works in theater and education. In the following essay, Dr. Malia discusses the development of masculine identity in The Bronze Bow’s main character, Daniel bar Jamin.

Elizabeth George Speare’s The Bronze Bow centers on Daniel bar Jamin, a young boy living in Israel during the time of Jesus. The novel deals in rich detail with the themes of growing up, love, loss, and faith. Yet the theme that unites all of them is Daniel’s formation of a masculine identity. Throughout the novel, we watch Daniel become a man, and this evolution is achieved through several male figures that exert an important influence over his developing character. To balance the male influence, Speare also employs a few key female relationships to highlight Daniel’s...

[The entire page is 1873 words long]

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