The Denver Jewish news., 1925-02-19
WHO WOULD BE FREE
by MARION sP1TZER
Reviewed for the Jewish News by
EdMnrd MilInr

'hH'N aAAAA'AH
That cInssic work. Samuel Builor's
The Way of Al Flesh, and one Of
Robert lngersoll's books interfere with
the complete happiness Of tho connrmn.
tion day Of q fifteen year old Jewish
child. Eleanor Hoffman ccnsurcs Ted
Levine, in her mind. for having given
her such books to read. Even ns she
Joins with the class In its confession of
faith aud nlonc In delivering the CO.
vctcd Floral Offering, She feels her In
sincerity and the lack Of genuine joy
MI Of which She attributes to the effect
Of Tcd's influence.
Some five or six years later. Ely
Hoffman acknowledges with thanks to
Ted Levine that his act has opened her
mind and that she Is willing TO revere
him as the symbol of her freedom. and
as u guide to life free from ven
Grated traditions. In the interim she
has gradually evolved n code qf conduct
that Is based ON the principle that
Eleanor Hoffman must he free to do ms
she plcases, untrammellcd by any SEN
timental consideration for others. Dur
ing that time she successfully finishes
high school, enters art school over the
objection Of her parents, establishes in.
innate contacts with Gentle students,
ana finally breaks completely with her
mother because of the lattcr's continual
opposition to her freedom" establish
ing an apartment OF her own while con
tinuing her work as an artist Concur
rently she loses favor with Temple
crowd because of her eccentric
views. discovers her love for Ted lie
vine and is astonished that she can
forget him 50 easily after his death in
action in the war. discourages other
proper suitors-much to her mothers
disfayor-and finally rejects marriage
with young Gentle writer because
she cannot bear the thought Of shar-
ing her life with someone and making
sacrifices for him, even though she
thinks she loves him.
Who Would BE Free is n story that
abounds with characteristic situations
familiar to Jews 1t depicts the strug
gle made by Eleanor Hoffman ito live
her own life unsharcd by others" Her
desire for freedom became almost an
nhscssion: 81 great In fact was it that
eventually she became slave to it.
She did not desire freedom for al
truistic purposes with the intention Of
being of service to others thnruGh it;
she sought It only for selfish purposes.
and in the end. very martistically lost
sight entirely of the perspective that
might have given her some real happi-
ness.
Yet ELY was probably not entirely
to blame. Her mother was bigoted
chauvinistic. and unreasonable in her
demands, and could not understand
why Ely did not 90 with "hcr own
kind instead of aSSociating with that
kikc Ted Levine" She was the type of
woman who vaunts among her Jewish
friends the fact that she is German
Jewish and yet beams when she is
told she doesn't look hit Jewish an
individual with single-track mind
which was utterly incapable of compre-
hcnding the needs Of her unique daugh-
ter. The sympathetic bond that should
have existed between them was absent
and ELY was compelled to rely almost
solely on herself for guidance in her
development.
The book will never mark mile
stone in either American or Jewish
literature. although it is agreeable
reading. Its chief charm lies in a
careful portrayal Of group of Amcri-
can lows in New York City. which re-
fleets the ability Of its youthful author
Marion Splitter. One can reasonably ey-
pcct to hear favorably again from Miss
Splitter. She has done something that
will provoke discussion.