The Bronze Bow Study Guide
Introduction to The Bronze Bow
Originally published in 1961, and awarded the Newbery Medal the following year, Elizabeth George Speare’s novel The Bronze Bow takes place in Galilee, Israel, during the time of Jesus. Eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin, the novel's protagonist, has endured a life of unbelievable hardship. At the age of eight, Daniel witnessed his father and uncle’s crucifixion by Roman soldiers, and his mother died shortly thereafter. Daniel’s younger sister, Leah, is left traumatized by their parents' deaths. Unable to support the children, Daniel's grandmother is forced to sell Daniel to the town’s blacksmith.
Daniel works for the blacksmith for five years before fleeing to the hills above Galilee and becoming a member of a Jewish rebel group led by the zealot Rosh. Rosh despises the Romans and has made it his mission to drive them from Israel. Daniel, too, is consumed by hatred of the Romans. He is determined to kill as many as he can in order to avenge his parents’ deaths and the suffering the Roman occupation has brought to the Jewish people.
The longer Daniel spends with Rosh, the more his hatred grows. In time, however, he begins to hear stories of Jesus, a man who has a different message—one of love and tolerance. Daniel faces a long battle before he can give up his vow of hatred, but gradually the words and actions of Jesus help Daniel understand that only love has the strength to “bend the bow of bronze.”
A Brief Biography of Elizabeth George Speare
Elizabeth George Speare (1908–1994) is on the list of America’s one hundred most popular children’s authors, and she has won many awards, including two Newbery Medals, the most prestigious prize given to children’s literature. Speare's stellar career as a writer, however, almost didn’t happen. Though she wrote a good deal as a child, she stopped for many years and focused her energy and attention on her family. Speare didn’t start writing commercially until she was in her forties and her children were in their early teens. Like her most famous work, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, many of her stories are set in New England and focus on young people who are at a critical turning point in their lives.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Bronze Bow
The Bronze Bow
What does Daniel promise to do in The Bronze Bow?
After his father is unjustly crucified by Roman authorities, the eight-year-old Daniel makes a solemn vow to fight the Romans even if it means his own death. Despite his youth, the boy is submerged...
The Bronze Bow
What is the setting of The Bronze Bow?
Daniel bar Jamin, the protagonist of The Bronze Bow, is "unmistakably a Galilean," and like other Galileans, he refuses to recognize that Palestine has been conquered by the Romans. The Emperor...
The Bronze Bow
How does Joel get captured in The Bronze Bow?
Joel is captured while acting as a spy in the village. He had been posing as a fish monger, selling fish to the kitchen slaves of the wealthy and gathering intelligence by listening to their...
The Bronze Bow
Who dies in The Bronze Bow?
There are a few character deaths in The Bronze Bow. The execution of Daniel's father and uncle by the Romans is the event which establishes Daniel's vengeful motivations. His mother dies not long...
The Bronze Bow
What is the climax of The Bronze Bow?
The climax is the point of highest dramatic tension in a narrative. It can occur when the main character is at their lowest point or when they must make a choice that changes everything. In The...
The Bronze Bow
Who does Simon take Daniel to at the synagogue?
On the Sabbath day, Simon takes Daniel to the synagogue to see Jesus of Nazareth preaching to the assembly. Initially, Daniel has no desire to visit the synagogue, as he has not been to one in half...
The Bronze Bow
What is the resolution of The Bronze Bow?
The resolution of a story follows the excitement of the climax. The climax, the highest point of dramatic tension, usually presents a choice or final test for the protagonist. In The Bronze Bow,...
The Bronze Bow
What happens to Leah in The Bronze Bow?
Leah is Daniel's sister. When she was five, she witnessed her father and uncle be crucified by the Romans for failure to pay taxes. This event traumatized her. She screams in the night and becomes...
The Bronze Bow
How does Daniel change in The Bronze Bow?
Daniel is a young man consumed by vengeance. His father and uncle are crucified by the Romans. His mother dies shortly afterward, leaving both Daniel and his sister, Leah, orphaned. Their...
The Bronze Bow
Why does the Roman soldier want to talk to Leah?
Much to Daniel's displeasure, Leah has been visiting with a Roman soldier when he is not home. This Roman soldier is Marcus, a handsome young German from conquered territory only serving in the...
The Bronze Bow
What lesson does Joel learn in The Bronze Bow?
In Elizabeth George Speare's The Bronze Bow, Joel must learn a hard lesson about faith and betrayal. Joel has long been attracted to Rosh and his band of Zealots, hoping that they will one day...
The Bronze Bow
What does the bronze bow symbolize?
Daniel is consumed by hatred for the Roman occupiers of his land. They killed his father and his uncle, which caused his mother's death a few weeks later. The trauma of all this loss affects his...
The Bronze Bow
Why does Simon come to see Daniel?
In Elizabeth George Speare's The Bronze Bow, Simon comes to see Daniel to tell him that his former master has died and that Daniel can return to his home village. Several years before, Daniel was...
The Bronze Bow
Why does Daniel carry a Roman soldier's pack even though he swore he would never do such a thing?
At first, Daniel rejects the idea of carrying the Roman soldier's heavy pack, his anger and hate taking over. The Roman soldier, who has a legal right to demand this duty, knocks Daniel down for...
The Bronze Bow
What news does Thacia bring to Daniel?
In chapter 18, Thacia comes to Daniel's blacksmith shop with the news that Joel was arrested the day before by the centurions. This is a blow to Daniel, who loves the loyal, warm, and forthright...
The Bronze Bow
Why does Daniel leave Rosh's following?
Daniel's disillusionment and break with Rosh have been slowly building as Daniel becomes aware of Rosh's selfishness and coldness. Rosh eats mutton, for example, while his men go hungry, and he...
The Bronze Bow
How are Daniel and Leah similar in The Bronze Bow?
Daniel and Leah, brother and sister, are both deeply traumatized, as one might expect, by seeing the Romans crucify their father as a rebel, as well by the execution of their uncle and the...
The Bronze Bow
Who is Nathan in The Bronze Bow?
Daniel's friend Nathan is a person of character. Like Daniel, he makes a mistake in thinking Rosh is the leader who can rid Palestine of the Romans, but unlike Rosh, Nathan's heart is in the right...
The Bronze Bow
What is Rosh like in The Bronze Bow?
Rosh is consistently presented as a foil to Jesus. Both men want to usher in a new kingdom, but they have entirely different ideas of how this should be done and what it means. Rosh is selfish and...
The Bronze Bow
What is the conflict in The Bronze Bow?
The main conflict in the book is Daniel's internal struggle between the destructive hatred he feels for the Roman occupiers of his land and the love of Jesus, which is stronger than that hate....
