While the Crusades were first and foremost a religious fight, in joining up with the Crusaders, Edmund embarks on a journey to strange new places, coming into contact with people who look and live differently from him. Are the Crusaders pretty racist when it comes to Muslim people from the Middle East? Yup. But fortunately Edmund is capable of recognizing shared humanity—off the battlefield, anyway—and like Nigel, doesn't dismiss Rannulf simply for being different. It's a mixed bag when it comes to difference in The Book of the Lion.
Questions About Foreignness and "The Other"
- Is Edmund always more open-minded than his peers, or does he become more open-minded as his journey progresses and he's exposed to more people? Give evidence from the text to back your claims.
- How does Edmund's imagination about the things he's going to see compare to reality? What does this tell you about the role foreignness and the "Other" plays in imagination?
- Is racism truly condemned in this book? If so, when and how? If not, how does this affect your reading of the text? Is it simply representing history? Is the text guilty by association? Stake a claim and defend your argument with textual evidence.
Chew on This
The biggest clue to the quality of Edmund's character is his willingness to treat those who are seemingly different from him with respect.
Everyone in this book is simply a reflection of the ideas at the time, so it's unfair to judge characters based on contemporary ideas about race and religion.