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The major illustration of this attempt of “brainwashing” was the production of a Christmas play performed mostly by Jewish students. This was an obvious attempt by the school to try to force the other students to learn the value and history of the Christian religion. Even though the Christmas play was directly against her Jewish faith, Shirley did not pay much attention to that fact. She was more concerned about perfecting her role so that everyone watching her would be proud of her. However, Shirley’s mother was very concerned about her daughter’s performance in the play. Shirley’s mother had quickly noticed that the school was trying to encroach upon the non-Christian students with these Christian beliefs. She felt the students were being deceived, and she was very frustrated about the situation. Shirley’s mother stated, “Very funny, Misha. What is becoming of you? If we came to a new country a long time ago to run away from tyrants, and instead we fall into a creeping pogrom, that our children learn a lot of lies, so what’s the joke.” (171) The mother was rather fearful and furious that Shirley was playing a role in a play that would directly be against her own Jewish faith. Shirley’s mother felt that they had come to America so they could practice their own Jewish faith freely, which was something they could do not do back home. Yet, here in the American schools, her daughter and other children were presently being forced to learn about Christianity. Shirley’s mother used the term “creeping pogrom” as a way of referring the American schools to the organized massacres of Jews in czarist Russia. She felt that the children were being massacred of their Jewish faith because they were learning lies against their own Jewish religion. Shirley’s mother was further enraged because the children were young and did not know that they were doing something against their own religion. The children felt that they were just having fun and performing a play that was part of the school learning system. Much like the children in school, Shirley’s father did not pay much attention to the fact that it was a Christmas play that Shirley was going to perform in. He directly argued with the feelings of the mother and when the mother said, “Ach, Misha, your idealism is going away.” he replied, “So is your sense of humor.” This displayed that in response to her thoughts about the children falling into a creeping pogrom, the mother felt that Shirley’s father was losing his idealism about their Jewish religion. She felt he was very tolerant and even uncaring that their daughter was playing a role in a Christmas play. The mother further stated, “That I never had, but idealism you had a lot of.” The author used this to illustrate that Shirley’s father was in a way betraying his Jewish faith and was even losing faith in his religion. The father further stated, “I’m the same Misha Abramovitch, I didn’t change an iota. Ask anyone.” He stated this in order to try to assure Shirley’s mother that he did not lose his religious faith. However, the mother replied, “Only ask me…I got the answer.” This showed that Shirley’s mother was very angry with the father and undoubtedly believed that the father was losing faith in the Jewish religion. The author used this diction in order to show that although the father denied his loss of faith, the mother consistently felt that the father had lost his idealism. This showed that, perhaps, the father was also falling into a “creeping pogrom” once he had came to America. Thus, Shirley’s mother and father greatly differed in their feelings about their daughter’s role in the Christmas play and their Jewish faith. Similar to the feelings of Shirley’s father, many other parents were more excited about their children performing in the school Christmas play rather than being concerned about their children being inflicted with Christian values. The father was very ecstatic to see her daughter perform in the play. He felt that his since his daughter was playing such an important role in the Christmas play; he felt that it was crucial that he attend the performance. In addition, most of the parents felt the same way. One parent claimed, “You know, he has a very important part, my boy,” and another parent replied, “Mine also.” This further illustrated that most of the parents were very eager and happy to see their children perform in the Christmas play. However, there were a few parents would had recognized that the school was trying to impose Christianity onto the students. One parent stated, “Not my boy…I said to him no. The answer is no. When I say no! I mean no.” Furthermore, the rabbi’s wife said, “It’s disgusting!” The author, however, added the comment “But no listened to her,” to show that most of the parents were not apprehensive about their children in the play. In fact, many of the parents were delighted to see their children perform. This showed that only a few parents who were very strict in their beliefs about their Jewish religion were the ones who revolted against having their children playing a part in the Christmas play. In reference to the whole story, the students were very joyful about being a part of the school play and were unaware that it was directly against their Jewish religion. This feeling of joy was passed onto most of the parents. Even though the play was against their religion, they did not seem to be a bit mad. In fact, the parents were very happy. Therefore, the school system had reached its objective to enforce Christian ideals into the minds of the children without the objection of most of the parents. In a sense, these parents were also brainwashed by the school. The more lenient parents were very happy to see the children in the play. Only the parents with more strict and rigid belief in their Jewish faith, such as Shirley’s mother and the rabbi’s wife, revolted against the school and refused to submit to the school’s propaganda for Christianity. The comments by were very helpful to me. They told me to carefully explicate one passage and not a few. They also made me state my thesis with further clarity. I also changed my supporting paragraphs because they showed that I need well-structured paragraphs. Finally, I also changed my conclusion so it would not moralize and restate the thesis Bibliography: Word Count: 1150
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