Torvald has had to leave his mentally retarded daughter, Martha, in the care of nuns. He says:
"'...let them have their medieval way with her soul. What harm in that - under the circumstances? But some of my comrades wouldn't understand.'" (p. 147)
I am glad that he said "some." But all of the comrades should understand first that Torvald has made the best provision for Martha and secondly that we must sometimes cooperate with, and always respect, people whose motivation is religious. A sectarian socialist told me that, instead of defending Muslims against prejudice (and physical attacks), we should condemn them for superstition and sexism! (I put "and physical attacks" in brackets because, on reflection, I am not sure that he was well informed enough to know that that is happening.)
It does not sound as if Martha is capable of understanding and assenting to a religious creed although no doubt the nuns speak to her on that basis. John le Carre's George Smiley ferrets out the secret information that his opposite number coded-named "Karla" has made exactly the same provision for his mentally unwell daughter but this must be a completely accidental parallel between works by these two authors.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I would have said MANY of Torvald's "comrades" would NOT have understood or approved of the provisions he made for his disabled daughter. Every Communist regime has persecuted or harassed religious believers. Including the USSR (and its satellites), Maoist China, N Korea, Cuba, etc.
Of course law abiding Muslims should be protected from unjust attacks. But that has to include protection from fanatical jihadist Muslims as well.
Ad astra! Sean
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