Blos raises issues of racial prejudice in A Gathering of Days through characters such as a Jewish peddler and a runaway slave. Catherine spends a great deal of time thinking about these characters, wondering about their lives and whether she will see them again. The author explores the range of attitudes toward racial issues that existed at the time, using devices such as having one character tell a racial joke while the other characters respond with varying degrees of laughter or distaste. Blos obviously intends readers to sympathize with the characters who regard prejudice with distaste.
Blos addresses sexuality in an honest and tactful manner. The novel contains quiet sexual humor, such as a bridegroom quipping.....
This is a free excerpt of 116 words. This section contains 226 words. This
study guide contains 16,110 words (approx. 54 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our A Gathering of Days Access Pass.
