Karen Cushman's Catherine, Called Birdy, a historical fiction novel, accurately portrays the process and rules of arranged marriages, but depicts the treatment and expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 partially inaccurately to make the storyline more entertaining. Catherine, Called Birdy is historically accurate when it describes several Jews traveling to London from other parts of England for King Edward I to expel them. In the novel, the Jews are travelling through Lincoln on October 3, 1290 and seek shelter from the heavy rain. Catherine explains that the Jews must leave England because the King had ordered their expulsion. She further explains that the reason they are being expelled is because the King believes that Jews are “Hell-born,
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Catherine has never seen Jews before and is incredibly curious about them, so she hides in the castle halls to watch them. She observes that they acted “much like Christians” and says, “I did not die or turn into a Jew. I think that some stories are true and some stories are just stories” (Cushman 14-16). This scene does not accurately portray the level of anti-semitism that there was during the thirteenth century. The main reasons why there was discriminated against Jews was because the Jews were blamed for many problems in the Middle Ages. At the time and until the mid-twentieth century, Jews were blamed by many Christians for the death of Jesus, the father of their religion. Some thirteenth century Christians also believed that Jews used blood to make Passover matzah, a concept that is now called the Blood Libel. Lastly, the Jews were blamed by some for the black death because they were accused of poisoning wells and causing God to believe that the Europeans had sinned through the practice of usury. In medieval England, the Church created a religious law stating that one must not lend money for profit through interest. Thus, many Jews …show more content…
Catherine is only thirteen when her father starts to search for a husband for her. She does not think that she is ready for marriage, and she wants to marry someone that she actually loves when she is ready. Catherine describes that Lord Rollo has two manors with a bountiful amount of food, but they do not have much silver and gold. Consequently, the greedy Lord was determined to marry her off to a very wealthy man, no matter how horrible. When a wealthy man that Catherine calls Shaggy Beard wants her hand in marriage, Lord Rollo negotiates with one of Shaggy Bear’s messengers. The messenger tells Lord Rollo that he must pay a large dowry of land and animals to Shaggy Beard, but Lord Rollo does not want to pay very much because he is having Catherine marry Shaggy Beard to advance his own economic status. This storyline aligns with the arrangement of marriages in the thirteenth century. Almost all marriages were arranged by the children’s parents. While men were able to ask a father for their daughters hand in marriage, women were never allowed to give input on their own marriages. This was replicated in the book when Shaggy Beard was allowed to request to marry Catherine, and there was nothing she could do to force him away. Both sons
Catherine has never seen Jews before and is incredibly curious about them, so she hides in the castle halls to watch them. She observes that they acted “much like Christians” and says, “I did not die or turn into a Jew. I think that some stories are true and some stories are just stories” (Cushman 14-16). This scene does not accurately portray the level of anti-semitism that there was during the thirteenth century. The main reasons why there was discriminated against Jews was because the Jews were blamed for many problems in the Middle Ages. At the time and until the mid-twentieth century, Jews were blamed by many Christians for the death of Jesus, the father of their religion. Some thirteenth century Christians also believed that Jews used blood to make Passover matzah, a concept that is now called the Blood Libel. Lastly, the Jews were blamed by some for the black death because they were accused of poisoning wells and causing God to believe that the Europeans had sinned through the practice of usury. In medieval England, the Church created a religious law stating that one must not lend money for profit through interest. Thus, many Jews …show more content…
Catherine is only thirteen when her father starts to search for a husband for her. She does not think that she is ready for marriage, and she wants to marry someone that she actually loves when she is ready. Catherine describes that Lord Rollo has two manors with a bountiful amount of food, but they do not have much silver and gold. Consequently, the greedy Lord was determined to marry her off to a very wealthy man, no matter how horrible. When a wealthy man that Catherine calls Shaggy Beard wants her hand in marriage, Lord Rollo negotiates with one of Shaggy Bear’s messengers. The messenger tells Lord Rollo that he must pay a large dowry of land and animals to Shaggy Beard, but Lord Rollo does not want to pay very much because he is having Catherine marry Shaggy Beard to advance his own economic status. This storyline aligns with the arrangement of marriages in the thirteenth century. Almost all marriages were arranged by the children’s parents. While men were able to ask a father for their daughters hand in marriage, women were never allowed to give input on their own marriages. This was replicated in the book when Shaggy Beard was allowed to request to marry Catherine, and there was nothing she could do to force him away. Both sons