It doesn’t take took long for Ian and Jamie to find an inn for the group of four in Virgins section 20. However, my focus with this section is just how understanding they are of Jewish custom.
In Jewish custom, a burial should take place as soon as possible, with usually, it happening on the same day. However, now it’s within three days, and we can see that Ian and Jamie are trying to be respectful of that.
Breaking down Virgins section 20
The four find an inn for the night. Fortunatley, they have the money for this, as the Hasdi gave them enough money for this. He would have given enough money for the other two men on the journey as well, so maybe there’s a little extra left over.
They get two rooms, so that Rebekah and her maid can have one room. The two men bunk together, and they take the Torah with them and place it under the bed for safekeeping. I think when it comes to the inns, most people won’t care about the Torah, and they’ll want to keep an ear out for anything that goes on with the women.
However, they are focused on being respectful of Mr. Peretz. They know that they need to go back out in the morning for his body. They’ll need to bury him as soon as possible to make sure it’s in line with Jewish custom. They need to do it, because they know that others won’t be respectful of this considering the antisemitic feelings of the French people.
I do love that we get to see how respectful of this they are. While it is a problem and an extra chore, they know that religion is something that’s important to a lot of people. I think this is also a small chance to atone for the way they had to bury another Jewish man earlier in the story.
Could this section be used in a TV adaptation?
I would like to see this section of Virgins adapted, but there isn’t that much need for it. The part that we need is a discussion about Jewish burial customs, and this could be done on the road to the inn. It’s a great chance for Rebekah and the maid to get to know Ian and Jamie a little more and see how respectful they are of their religion.
Of course, I’d like to see them at the inn, especially with Jamie ordering everything that they have! It’s just such a young Jamie thing to do.
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