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Daniel


            The McCarthy era was a period not unlike the Salem witch trials in colonial America. It was a time when communists and other supporters of the Left were targeted just for their political beliefs. Lives were ruined due to the black listings and false charges laid upon so many. E.L. Doctorow's work The Book of Daniel is a novel crafted after the spy trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, that follows the tormented lives of the children of this executed couple. Throughout the novel the reader sees the events surrounding the t rial throught the eyes of Daniel Isaacson "the son the fictitious characters Paul and Rochelle Isaacson, the couple fashioned after Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. As the novel progresses Daniel tries t o understand and come to terms with the execution of his parents by not only revisiting the past but by questioning those around him. Yet, as Daniel searches for answers many voices are heard like Paul and Rochelle Isaacson, Daniel's sister Susan, his foster parents the Lewins, and historians that interject facts throughout the novel. Not only do these voices help one to understand Daniel butthey give insight into the 1950s and 1960s, showing how these two time periods are linked. Of course, the most prominent voice presented is Daniel as a graduate student, although the historical voices complement how one sees Daniel. However despite being seen side by side, the voice of Daniel and that of the historians are quite separate. It is clear that the historical voices are objective in their treatment of events in the book and the perspective they offer are nothing more than facts. On the other hand, the voice of Daniel is subjective because one can see the bias for his parents that colors his thinking and views of the government. It is together that these two voices drive home the necessity of social change by analyzing the trial of Daniel's parents, viewing Daniel Isaacson as a reference to the biblical Daniel, and by viewing social tension presented in this novel.


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