Evening star., 1948-10-17

CIeu pOOI Wl1iVCo oA .AAS Soo'A'
Sentimentality.
She has presented a group
beings. Her characters are not fools
because they have little formal edu-
cation and speak species Of Eng
lish that approaches patois. Some
OF them, indeed, are exceedingly
shrewd, make money and do well
enough for themselves. Others are
dumb, lazy, hopeless. But so are
some college graduates.
If the successful ones are under
privileged, they haven't heard about
1t. They are not oblivious to the
advantages of schooling, and most
of their sons and daughters 60 to
college. Their problems and emo
tions are pretty much those of
people everywhere, which may come
as a surprise to readers dependent
on Caldwell, Faulkner and their
disciples. Miss Hurston has man
aged, moreover, to write of the con-
temporary, or recently past, South
without bringing in lynching or
touching on the Negro problem. In
fact, the friendship of a Southern
white man and a colored man is ar
outstanding phase of her story. All
this sldestepping of social and eco
nomlc issues no doubt will disturb
Marxist critics, If they bother to
examine the book. -
In the Citrus Belt.
The story starts at a little town
on the West Coast of Florida when
Away Henson, daughter Of be-
traggled, poverty-struck family
abandons her intention of dedicat-
ing her life as a Baptist missionary
and marries Jim Meserve. Jim is
the strongest and best-looking young
man in the turpentine camps. But
he is wise in his way, and he is not
content to remain an overSeer OF a
camp. He moves Arvay and their
baby south to the citrus belt. Before
long ne owns a nice piece Of land.
He ends up owning a fleet of fishing
boats, a citrus grove and part OF
0 swanky real estate development.
It is essentially the story of Arvay,
OF her struggle to understand and
utilize world strange to her. She
is stupid, narrow and afraid OF
everything new. Jim, with little
more education than she had, is
daring, clever and resourceful. He
also is domineering, and Away sees
only his obvious traits, overlooking
the sacrifices he makes and the
chances he takes for her and their
children. Years pass before she ap-
preclates Jim, and her awakening
comes almost too late, for his pa
tience has worn out at last.
What About the War?
Earthy humor and the pathos of
cropping and misunderstanding min
gle in Miss Hurston's narrative.
A novel of considerable merit
should be allowed some deficiencies.
In "Seraph on the Suwanee" some
minor episodes are overdeveloped
while others OF more importance are
passed over quickly. The characters
she describes might have had little
interest in the outside world, but
surely more than she indicates. Her
story starts in the early 1900s and
continues for more than 20 years,
and yet the First World War, which
must have had a measure OF in
f1uence on some of these people, is
not even mentioned.
&*&
MY GLORIOUS BROTHERS
BY Howard Fast. little, BroWn;
$3.J
This novel is a romantic version
of the exploits of the Jewish ma
tional hero. Judas the Maccabee
and his brothers, who, in the second
century before Christ, defended
Judea against the hordes of mer-
cenaries whom the Syrian Greek
kings sent to conquer the land.
The brothers were sons of Malta
thias the Adon, the leader of his
farming community. The Jews, q
peace-loving people, had allowed the
Greek wardens sent into their coun-
try to levy tribute and pillage as
they pleased. The oppressed Jews
had no army; they seemed helpless
But Judas, a young man of powerful
physique, formed a plan to fight the
tyrants. Raising a force of volun-
teers, he took them into the noun
tains. From their hiding places they
made raids on advancing armies
Now they could fight pitched battles,
and Judas led them to victory after
victory. At last Jerusalem itself, q
citadel of foreigners and wealthy
apostate Jews, was captured and
restored as the shrine Of the faith
When Judas finally was killed in
battle. his brothers took over and
continued the struggle. One of them
Simon, tells this story. Their fight
for liberty still is celebrated by Jews
everywhere at Chanaka, the feast of
the lights.
Satiric Symbolism.
Mr.. Fast has made his story COL
orful and exciting But this author,
a longtime contributor to the Daily
Worker, never has been unmindful
of the party line in writing his his
torical novels. Here he has Judas
requiring the Jews gathered in
great numbers in a mountain de-
Ale of Palestine tn <toSs their roS.
sessions into common pool and
live strictly collective life. Satiric
symbolism is suggested when a
Roman sent to investigate the VIC
torious Jews reports to the Senate