Kindness To The Man From The North

Revka’s remark reminded me of a quote stating, “Sometimes kindness can hurt more than the harsh reality.” It is questionable in how true the two statements – Revka’s and the quote I recall – are, but the two are undoubtedly related to the current situation between Yael and the Man from the North. In essence, Revka’s comment may be a possible foreshadowing of what may happen to the Man from the North, eventually setting “his body aflame.” Already, we can see signs of affection the Man from the North has for Yael, but it is obvious to any observer how the relationship will never be possible. In this situation, Yael’s “kindness” to the Man from the North will only bring him more agony. We also find this to hold true with Yael and Ben Simon. Ben
What may appear to be an “angel” to one, may just as well be seen as a “demon” by another: it is dependent on your perspective. Revka brings along a similar idea earlier in the novel, “What was dangerous to one person was a mercy to another.”(241) While this idea provokes thought in and of itself, the mentioning of Lilith in this quote is also very clever and not be overlooked. Revka makes this comment when she visits Channa. According to Jewish beliefs, Lilith was the first wife of Adam but soon banished and replaced by Eve; since then, Lilith was considered a demonic figure. In certain Jewish folklores, Lilith is described to steal babies and destruct the relationship between lovers. When considering the attributes of Lilith, it is not hard to see the close resemblance of Channa to Lilith – foreshadowing Channa’s possible sinister nature. Suspense is gradually built as Channa becomes more and more enthralled by Arieh; it may very well be possible that Channa will become even more akin to Lilith as she eventually decides to steal the child of another. In addition, this quote also explores the balance of good and evil; nothing is completely ‘good’ in this world and the contrary holds true too – after all, the yin is only complete with the yang. There is a famous but cliché line that Revka’s statement reminds me of: “In every angel, a demon hides, and,
After practicing patience as told by Shirah and reflecting on her past – realizing one must accept the pass in order to move on – Revka finally reaches a point where she find the world beautiful again. It is arguable that she sees this rain to be of more valuable due to the prolonged drought that Masada had been enduring, but her epiphany is not to be overlooked. She ends the remark with “yellow as my daughter’s hair” which acts as a phenomenal development; Revka has been scarred by her daughter’s unfortunate death, and winces at the mentions of her daughter. To see her “daughter’s hair” within the rain can be a sign that she has advanced forward, no longer manacled by her tragic past. Additionally, rain is usually associated with negative connotations of despair or agony, but, in this context, it is seen as a form of hope, a gift, and a restoration of faith. Rain is also considered colorless by most, but Revka describes it to contain “every color within itself” which could suggest that she is now able to see things in a new light – another evidence of her growth. It is interesting that Revka finds her development when the rain falls because the rain is usually followed by a rainbow - perhaps Hoffman is suggesting that Revka is finally able to uncover her rainbow after her