Nina. Nina's Aunt Sophie spews invective in every direction. She tells Nina, "Impudent girl! — brazen-faced, impudent, bad girl! Do you not know that you would bring disgrace upon us all?" To Nina's father she says, "Tell me that at once, Josef, that I may know. Has she your sanction for — for — for this accursed abomination?" To her husband she says, "Oh, I hate them! I do hate them! Anything is fair against a Jew." And during a meeting with Anton she exclaims, "How dares he come here to talk of his love? It is filthy — it is worse than filthy — it is profane."  

Anton's family also opposes the marriage, but Anton's father's behavior toward Nina is in sharp contrast to that of her aunt:       

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Anton, being more a businessman than a lover, at times behaves insensitively toward Nina. Otherwise, throughout the novel, the Jewish characters act with honesty and kindness. Even the Jewish maiden who wants to marry Anton does not scheme to break up his engagement to Nina but rather befriends Nina and eventually saves her life. One has to wonder whether Trollope intended this contrast to induce his readers to reconsider their prejudices. Consider his perception of his duty as a writer:       

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[1]

 

Given Trollope's philosophy, it is reasonable to believe that the actions of his characters should speak louder than their words. If so, Trollope might well have been holding up a mirror to his audience that they might examine their own prejudices. Unfortunately, we shall never know.   

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      [1] Anthony Trollope. An Autobiography. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1950.      

                Copyright © 2003 Joseph E. Loewenstein, M.D. This Introduction to Nina Balatka is protected by copyright and/or other applicable law. Any use of the work other than as authorized in "The Legal Small Print"                section (found at the end of the book) is prohibited.                

 

 

 

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