A passing thought...

In reference to our interesting Ysrael discussion last night, I think the Jacob (Israel) story has significance beyond what we talked about. There's an adolescent fiction novel titled Jacob Have I Loved, which is about twin sisters, the oldest of which struggles throughout her life with the knowledge that her parents loved her sister more. I think that same idea applies to Drown insofar as Ramon 1 can certainly be seen as Esau, who did 'sell' (was conned out of is more like, but who should judge the mysterious ways of God?) his birthright to Jacob (Ramon 2). Jacob's name means 'deceiver,' or 'one who grabs.' Jacob went on to be renamed 'Israel' after he has a dream during which he wrestles with God or the angel of the Lord. Remember the wrestling and the superheroes in the novel? His new name, as someone in class astutely noted, means 'one who struggles against God and prevails.' Jacob/Israel's sons (with two mothers, interestingly enough) were the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel; thus, Jacob is both 'Israel' and the father of the nation of Israel. It makes sense, then, that the "Ysrael" chapter discusses the notions of both the child who is beloved and the place that is beloved--neither of which includes Ramon 1. The younger son 'grabs' the birthright from the elder, leaving him with basically nothing. If nothing else, the reference to the OT story illuminates Ramon 1's feelings of being disposessed and unclaimed, and further, underscores the unspoken questions in the novel about what is 'blessed,' who is 'beloved,' and the primal importance of naming and inheritance.