Post by MenelaosGkikas on Mar 5, 2020 21:23:09 GMT
Bee Season of Myla Goldberg is “her first novel at which the puritan, little urban family life, becomes a fertile ground for cosmic questions”, criticism by Los Angeles Times. “The quest for the perfect world, God’s vision, shines through every page of this magnificent book, which is flooded so much by empathy and mercy for its full of flaws characters that are being found in search… Myla Goldberg is a writer with rare talent.” The Times – Picayune. Two reviews about Bee Season that go hand in hand with the quote of Abraham Abulafia, the most basic representative of Jewish mysticism and Ecstatic Kabbalah, who said that “the world of letters is the true world of beatitude.” (1240-1292) Nevertheless, the book at its progress gets dramatic evolution which gives birth to questions about its basic message. Bee Season was being taken to the cinema with Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche. But let’s start from the beginning.
Saul Nauman is a precentor at the Jewish Synagogue and is married with Miriam, who seems absorbed by her career as a lawyer. They have 2 children, Aaron and Elaiza. Elaiza goes to primary school and her brother is a few years older than her. Even though she is a bad, at start, pupil, soon she discovers her talent in dictation and words. A dictation competition entitled Spelling Bee will become the cause so that Elaiza discovers her true self. Even though this competition seems it will verify once again her mediocrity, Elaiza makes the surprise, she wins. She wins indeed both at the beginning but also the regional, geographically, competition which opens to her the door for the National dictation competition. This unexpected success becomes the cause so that her family fall into a vortex of changes. Initially, Miriam and Saul seem aloof. Miriam, not even one time has she taken Saul at her office, to feel familiar with her job, Saul though seems absorbed by the leather-bound books, Tora, Abulafia, as well as his role as a precentor. We witness scenes at which the family participates at synagogues. Aaron initially shows interest in guitar lessons, with the help of his father, but soon Elaiza’s success will substitute Aaron to the eyes of Saul. Aaron initially wants to have his father’s position. He wants to become a rabbi.
Saul being inspired by Tora, Jewish mysticism, Tikum Olam or in other words, world’s repair, Abulafia, he decides to start training Elaiza for the final. He tells her indeed, later, that it doesn’t matter whether she wins at the first time, for simply there is a second time. Saul seems absorbed by words and letters. He believes it though so deeply, that when Aaron is being beaten by his classmates, he brings him at his office to seduce him with books. You’re better than them Aaron, he tells to him. You have something they don’t and they know it very well, this drives them crazy. With a potential, that it is later proved not everyone can handle, Saul wants to share his ideas with his son by telling him: What we do in here cancels doubly what others do out there.
Saul buys a dictionary and starts devoting endless hours with Elaiza in his office. Contacting Miriam is rare, they simply see each other at night and little by little their sexual desire starts decreasing. Nevertheless, Elaiza motivated by Saul starts to deepen more at words and develops dimensions that do not depend from the dictation competition. It’s not necessary to her, as she thinks. Even though the first time fails at the final, together with her father they are determined to get closer to God’s vision. And what does this mean? Saul decides to revel everything to Elaiza about Abulafia and his way of thinking.
In 1280 a Jewish mystic named Abraham Abulafia, writes a book entitled Haia Olam a Ba which means “The Life of Future World”. In it it’s clarified that the transcendence of the sensible world is language itself. Creation takes place through words, a series of ‘God said’. The foundation of language is letters. Abulafia would believe that by focusing at letters, the mind could be freed by its bonds and communicate with an existence greater than itself, this that himself named sifa, input. Elaiza starts to learn about all the possible mathematical permutations of letters of words by having the exclusivity of her father’s time. Aaron though that he once wanted to be like Saul, starts to read books about Eastern religions by exploring other dogmas and criticizing Christianity and the onto Earth test related with Heaven or Hell, liken it with an electronic game. Proceed at the next level… Aaron starts to explore other religions by shaping complete negativity about his father.
Even though the longing of one young child, Elaiza, for praises and acceptance seems to become the center that monopolizes the pages of the book, soon evolution is dramatic. Elaiza, even though she has the perfect motive so that she can get her school report with grade Excellent, to love school and progress at future without needing a competition, Miriam soon starts to show her bizarre side, together with Aaron that seems to be converted to Krisna, the other name of God. The basic elements of Miriam at which her family was based are proved to be lies. Miriam has stopped practicing law for ten years and Saul’s name has been added to an account of her parents, with which she was able to pay the bills which Saul thought she was paying with her work. Miriam also robs houses the objects of which are placed at a special apartment that she rents and names kaleidoscope.
After being arrested by the police, being charged with accusations and being locked at a psychiatric clinic, Saul is being informed speechless. The reader though asks: Not even in 10 years has there been the slightest of checking? A meal with colleagues, professional conversations or some visits at the office? Saul was being devoted at his books, the synagogue and God. He didn’t want not even for one moment to check about Miriam and his house and this led to the result of him being deceived. Even though this is his own responsibility, the book brings us in front of a family at which everyone, unfortunately follows his/her own path, though we can compare each one’s trajectories.
Both Miriam and Aaron function at a wrong denominator, contrary to Elaiza that through family warmth and studying she evolves rapidly. Not even the fantasies she has are left out about possible success! There will be interviews in television, arbitrations so that she can talk, a trip at the White House… She will be bombarded with questions from all over the world, she will be called to solve conflicts, invent therapies, battle hunger as well as if the President asks her to create a weapon against the Russians she will refuse. She will use her forces only for good. Aaron on the other hand thanks to his forthcoming adulthood as well as his interest about Krisna comes to a complete rupture with his father. Saul dares to mention at his children, one day before the final the real identity of Miriam and he receives a slap by his son. Saul the next day fearing his family will be destroyed completely says to his children that he said things he didn’t mean so that Elaiza can proceed with the dictation competition.
Even though she loses the competition by spelling the word handicraft with an e at the end, finally it is proved that she and Saul by wearing really big hats with the motive of accomplishing their goals, they have got the stuff to stand out even though everything around them seems to fall apart. Even though the world of letters of Abulafia doesn’t start and end at the perception, the temperament and the character of Saul as there is deception and lies in our world, finally yes, the world of letters is the true world of beatitude!