In The Bronze Bow, when does Daniel vow revenge against the Romans?
Daniel's quest of revenge is his driving force, and the main reason that he allies himself with Rosh. He believes that he is entitled to his revenge because his father and uncle have been killed, and furthermore that he has a moral and ethical responsibility to fight the Romans for their occupation of Israel. In Chapter 7, he explains to Thacia:
"After my father died I made a vow. Maybe they would say a boy eight years old couldn't make a vow, a real one that was binding. But I did. I vowed I would pay them back with my whole life. That I would hate them and fight them and kill them. That's all I live for."
(Speare, The Bronze Bow, Google Books)
This has been Daniel's only passion for years. Daniel's mind has been fueled by revenge for so long that he cannot see any humanity in...
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the Romans; they are a unified object to be fought and destroyed. It is only after he meets Thacia and Joel, and starts to see the disconnect between Rosh's banditry and actual useful action, that he starts to change his focus from blind vengeance to constructive rebellion.
References
What event in The Bronze Bow led to Daniel releasing his hatred for the Romans?
Daniel’s hatred is deep and traumatic. It is rooted in the crucifixion of his father by the Romans when he was a young boy, and compounded by his grandmother selling him into slaver y. Daniel wants to work to free the Jews from the Romans. Daniel joins Rosh, the rebel leader, and his hatred only grows.
Then Daniel meets Simon, a discipline of Jesus. When Daniel first hears about Jesus, he thinks he is “a Zealot” (p. 45). Simon tells Daniel that Jesus preached in the town of Nazareth about the coming of the Kingdom, and they tried to kill him. Jesus preaches to everyone, including women and Jews, about the Kingdom of God. He is gentle and open, accepting everyone and giving guidance instead of being selfish like the rebel leader Rosh.
When Daniel’s sister Leah falls in love with a Roman solider, Daniel is forced to face his anger. It is not until Jesus enters their lives that he is able to do so. Leah is deathly ill, and Daniel feels hopeless.
There was no need to speak. Jesus knew. He understood about Leah. He knew that Daniel had rejected him. His eyes, searching and full of pity, looked deep into the boys and saw the bitterness and hatred and the betrayed hopes and loneliness. And then he smiled. (p. 252)
By spending time with Jesus, Daniel begins to let go of his hate and focus on love. He has a spiritual rebirth. It is Leah who leads Daniel to fully let go of his hate. He is even able to speak to a Roman soldier, and invite him into the house to say goodbye to Leah.
The soldier waited, not understanding. Daniel looked down the road and caught the white flash of Jesus’ robe. Then he straightened his shoulders.
“Will you come into the house?” he asked. (p. 254)
This question, which ends the book, demonstrates that Daniel has released his hatred of the Romans. Although working with Rosh increased it, Jesus diminished it until Daniel could see the Romans as people, and attempt to understand them instead of hate them.
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Bronze Bow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1961. Print.