The major theme is centered on the chaos that politics can cause. There is a smoldering hatred between the Saxons and the Normans caused by Norman arrogance, superior feelings, cruelty, and injustice. The King's absence and indifference to his country encourages social chaos and a volatile climate where anything can happen. Civil unrest has spread. The forests are infested with robbers and outlaws. The common people are discontented and oppressed; the stability of the nation is questionable.
Dispossession is another recurring thematic concern with many of the
main characters being displaced. Richard has been supplanted by his brother.
Ivanhoe has been disinherited. Robin of Locksley has lost his lands. Isaac
and Rebecca, being Jews, have lost their own country, land, and hope.
The importance of honor is another theme in the novel. Honor is supposedly the guiding principle of knighthood, but Sir Walter Scott shows how the knights often act dishonorably; in fact, some of the thieves in the book act with more honor. Those whose lands have been seized unjustly now roam the forests stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Even with their criminal acts, many of these outlaws are more noble than the greatest of the honored knights.
The injustice of anti-Semitism is another theme of the novel. Unfair
practice toward the Jews is seen in the treatment of Rebecca and her father.
In spite of the discrimination that she feels, Rebecca shows herself to
be a stellar example of human goodness, and even her greedy father Isaac
has more regard for his family than do Prince John and Cedric. Isaac would
give up everything to keep his daughter near him.
The predominant mood of the novel is exciting. Scott very skillfully creates the explosive temper of the Middle Ages by using history, chivalry, and antiquity in the novel. His mastery of description creates colorful excitement in each tournament scene, and brings battle scenes to the front of the readers' imagination. His most significant achievement, however, is the creation of a believable narrative atmosphere in which the tension between the Normans and the Saxons is very real. Amidst the conflict, there are sweepingly heroic moments and frighteningly violent ones. The novel, like life in the Middle Ages, is unpredictable, dangerous, satisfying, and in the end, wonderfully romantic, for the tension is resolved and the characters are safe.
Pageantry and spectacle add to the exciting mood of the novel. The best
examples of this are to be found in the splendid description of the siege
of Torquilstone Castle and the pageantry of the Ashby tournament. The
enormous cast of characters he employs adds to the spectacle. The antiquarian
details, including descriptions of dress, armor, and weapons, help to
create a rich, multicolored tapestry. The enormous weight of custom and
tradition are also palpable forces in this exciting novel of heritage
and history.
Walter Scott was born in the city of Edinburgh in Scotland on August 15, 1771. He was one of ten children. His father was a farmer, and his mother was the daughter of Dr. John Rutherford, a well-known doctor and one of the founders of Edinburgh's medical school. Always in poor health as a child, Scott suffered a kind of paralysis in infancy, which left him lame and unable to follow many of the pursuits of other boys. Instead, he developed a love of reading and was enchanted by the poetry recited by his mother and the anecdotes she related. Scott spent much of his early life visiting castles and battlefields and listening to oral history and legends. He avidly read the English, German, French, Spanish and Italian classics. He also read many memoirs, travel books, and historical documents.
Scott had an astonishing memory, evident in his writing of Ivanhoe, a novel in which he has drawn heavily on recollections of castles, heraldry, medieval armor, and historic artifacts. Like the knights in his books, Scott was an accomplished horseman. Like the outlaws, he was an expert woodsman, hunter, and fisherman. He was also a hard worker, getting up at five in the morning to do much of his writing before breakfast. The first of his many novels was published in 1814. Scott received his title of baron from King George IV in 1820.
Scott published over thirty books in his lifetime. His best known novels include Waverly (1814), Guy Mannering (1815), The Antiquary, The Black Dwarf, and Old Mortality (1816), Rob Roy (1818), The Heart of the Midlothian (1818), The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), The Legend of Montrose (1819), Ivanhoe, The Monastery, The Abbot (1820), Kenilworth (1821), The Fortunes of Nigel (1822), Peveril of the Peak, Quentin Durward (1823), Redgauntlet (1824), The Talisman (1825) and Woodstock (1826).
In 1826, one of Scott's publishing ventures collapsed, leaving him with
a debt of over one million dollars. Then his wife, Charlotte Carpenter,
died. Grief-stricken but undaunted, Scott refused to take advantage of
the Bankruptcy Act or a government offer of a pension. He even refused
many offers of financial help from friends. Instead, he began the enormous
task of writing to pay off his indebtedness. Within fifteen years, his
royalties paid off every penny that he owed. Scott died in 1832, leaving
three sons and two daughters.
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