The Childhood of Jesus

The Childhood of Jesus operates on many levels and leaves several questions unanswered, making it a fascinating book.

At the most basic a man and boy are trying to find the boy's mother. The mother has issues with motherhood, raising the boy and fitting the man into her life. This imperfect trinity is challenged by the authorities and has to flee, with mixed feelings.

At the allegorical level the boy is Jesus, the man is Joseph, the woman is Mary. They form their family way from their birthplace and later have to flee as the state pursues them. The boy is remarkable, he speaks of brotherhood and invites everyone with him on his journey. The boy wants to be the third brother, the third brother saves his mother, but gives up his life in the process. There were three crosses on Calvary.

There is also a philosophical level - the men debate philosophy on the docks were they work as stevedores - what is real, what is the purpose of work, what is history. The men quote philosophers from Heraclitus - "we never set our foot in the same river twice" to Heidegger - "what is the thing itself".

There is a fantasy level too - all the people in the book have immigrated to this new world and no one remembers there past and everyone must speak Spanish. Labor, housing, schooling has socialist bent without being Marxist - history is not real they claim. Its neither a utopia or a dystopia. People just are. Most are happy to labor hard on the docks and understand that the older man can not do the work of a younger man.

There is a literary level - the man reads Don Quixote to the boy. What is a windmill to Sancho is a giant to Don. The man teachers the boy that it is all about perception. This whole story - the childhood of Jesus could be Don's reading. It could be taking place now or 2000 years ago any place where people are trying to start a new life. And some people move from place to place looking for that new start. The man tells the boy that Benegetti wrote Don Quixote, this was Cervantes' fictitious Moor, a narrative device, but it tells us that we should take the author on his or her terms as we read. Taking Coetzee on his terms here is important to understanding the novel.

Some of the most intriguing parts are the unanswered questions. First, the character of Dagu steals, tries to upset the order of the society, and tempts the boy to come live with him. The woman, says that she has special relationship with him that is personal. Coetzee doesn't have a religious reverence for the Jesus story, so Dagu could be the Devil or God or something else like a jester. Not every character has a biblical counterpart. Alveres, the foreman at the docks, gives the man a job, smooths over his relationship with the woman and saves the man's life - he's an angel figure.

Second, the boy has is own personal story that is kept hidden from his parents - that's more support for the Jesus allegory but what is that story, the reader wants to now.

Third, man spends much of the novel looking for a sexual partner, he may find it at last but has to go. What could have become of that love? In the begging the man feels frustration with the lack of sex and passion people have in the new world - the people care more about goodwill than love. Love pits the personal over the universal (goodwill).

Coetzee uses dialogue to build rich character. Each character has their own conflicts and short comings, which distance themselves from their allegorical counter parts.

The Man – now named Simon, the allegorical Joseph cares deeply for the boy, but does not want to be his father. He is conflicted about fatherhood and what that entails. He belives it to be a metaphysical state determined by destiny. He thinks the the mother is more important and that should control. He’s conflicted about handing him over to the mother. That’s softened when she lets him see the boy – she starts to let him see the boy the because He also wants sex, wants prostitutes, undertakes a physical relationship where the other person could care less.

The Boy – now named David, linked to Jesus, is clearly exceptional but also a brat at times. He refuses to read and count the way Simon teaches him. He acts out in class which causes the family hardship. He may lie to Ines and Simon at a critical juncture. He at times seems disown them, telling people they are not his mother and father. At other times he is an angel. He cares deeply for the man and the woman.

The Woman – now named Ines, linked to Mary. seems too preoccupied with herself to be a mom. She doesn’t let David play with best friend, either because of her own jealousy or pride. She doesn’t want him to go to school and spoils him. However she does want what is best for him. She doesn’ loves him and can’t bear to be separated from him.

The ideas explored and allegories used would be useless without strong story around these round characters. The story is about this family trying to do what is best for the boy. Coeteze does this in sparse stripped down prose and narrative. I can see why Coetzee won the Nobel Prize and this is worth the read.