Bronze Bow Theme Essay
Light shines brightest in the darkest of hearts. Pure, golden rays will always overcome the night; darkness can never win. However, if there is never any light in the first place, the brightness must be allowed in, although sometimes the beauty of light is rejected. Love is light; hate is darkness. Literature gives various examples of champions of love, antagonists of hatred, seekers of love, and characters who battle their hatred. Responding to hatred in love is a common theme seen throughout The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, supported by events pertaining the characters Samson, Leah, and Daniel, the symbol of the bronze bow, and Daniel’s battle of confusion within himself. To begin, the author depicts the theme through various occurrences. Samson is a strong example of one who loves even when others remain hateful toward him. As a strong, mute slave, Samson is freed by Daniel, an 18-year-old boy who …show more content…
In the beginning, Daniel views the bow as a representation of vengeance on the Romans. On one occasion, when Daniel is speaking to Jesus, he says, “I will fight for you to the end!” (225). Daniel believes that fighting the Romans is the answer, although Jesus tells Daniel not to fight the Romans for Him, but to love for Him. At first, Daniel does not understand, but later on, he learns that a loving response is superior to a hateful retort. The symbol of the bronze bow changes from one of hatred to one of Jesus’ love, strong enough to bend a bow of bronze. If Daniel had continued to hate, he would have been trapped by his own sin and anger, but because he finally surrenders to Jesus, the chains are removed, and he is able to show love to the Romans. Jesus’ love deflects hate, giving believers in Him the ability to assume love, and let the outflow of love touch others through each word and
Light shines brightest in the darkest of hearts. Pure, golden rays will always overcome the night; darkness can never win. However, if there is never any light in the first place, the brightness must be allowed in, although sometimes the beauty of light is rejected. Love is light; hate is darkness. Literature gives various examples of champions of love, antagonists of hatred, seekers of love, and characters who battle their hatred. Responding to hatred in love is a common theme seen throughout The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, supported by events pertaining the characters Samson, Leah, and Daniel, the symbol of the bronze bow, and Daniel’s battle of confusion within himself. To begin, the author depicts the theme through various occurrences. Samson is a strong example of one who loves even when others remain hateful toward him. As a strong, mute slave, Samson is freed by Daniel, an 18-year-old boy who …show more content…
In the beginning, Daniel views the bow as a representation of vengeance on the Romans. On one occasion, when Daniel is speaking to Jesus, he says, “I will fight for you to the end!” (225). Daniel believes that fighting the Romans is the answer, although Jesus tells Daniel not to fight the Romans for Him, but to love for Him. At first, Daniel does not understand, but later on, he learns that a loving response is superior to a hateful retort. The symbol of the bronze bow changes from one of hatred to one of Jesus’ love, strong enough to bend a bow of bronze. If Daniel had continued to hate, he would have been trapped by his own sin and anger, but because he finally surrenders to Jesus, the chains are removed, and he is able to show love to the Romans. Jesus’ love deflects hate, giving believers in Him the ability to assume love, and let the outflow of love touch others through each word and