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Chapter 37
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Daniel Deronda, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Self-Discovery
Judaism and Zionism
Marriage, Gender, and Control
Familial Duty
Wealth and Social Class
Summary
Analysis
Mordecai has spent years searching for someone to carry forward his deeply held ideas, believing his own time is running out. His yearning has taken the form of a vivid inner vision: a young Jewish man, noble in appearance and refined in manner, who embodies both strength and intellect, someone who could give voice to Mordecai’s unfulfilled aspirations. This imagined figure, which Mordecai associates with heroism and Jewish pride, gradually becomes an obsession, appearing in his thoughts against a golden sky, a symbol of both hope and spiritual fulfillment. Though he searches for this man in art and among real people, he repeatedly faces disappointment, struggling with the knowledge that his own poverty and frailty render his ideas easy to dismiss. Still, his belief remains unshaken, fueled by the conviction that his mission must find a successor.
Mordecai’s vision of a successor is not just a desire but an existential necessity. His frailty and obscurity make it impossible for him to enact change himself, so he projects his hopes onto an imagined figure. This idealized young man represents the continuation of Mordecai’s unfulfilled mission, a synthesis of intellect, strength, and Jewish identity. The golden sky against which this vision appears illustrates how deeply spiritual this longing has become. Mordecai does not simply wish for a successor—he believes that such a person must exist, that his purpose will be realized through another, even if he never sees it himself.
Themes
In the meantime, Mordecai attempts to instill his thoughts in Jacob through cryptic Hebrew verses and impassioned lessons. While Jacob enjoys mimicking the words, he is too young to grasp their significance, often turning the solemn teachings into playful nonsense. Mordecai, desperate for his words to take root, sometimes loses himself in fervent intensity. His sudden outbursts frighten Jacob, causing him to cry and filling Mordecai himself with regret. Despite setbacks, Mordecai remains fixed on the belief that someone will come to receive his message and carry on his vision.
Jacob, though receptive to Mordecai’s teachings, remains a child—more interested in play than in carrying forward a legacy. This contrast highlights Mordecai’s isolation, as his most immediate connection to the next generation cannot grasp the weight of his ideas. His frustration, though understandable, frightens Jacob.
Themes
That moment seems to arrive when Mordecai first sees Daniel in the bookshop. Instantly, Daniel’s appearance matches the image he has long carried in his mind, filling him with a surge of expectation. However, when Daniel later denies being Jewish, Mordecai experiences a deep, crushing disappointment. Yet the feeling does not last—his belief in Daniel as the chosen one returns with greater force, as though fate itself insists upon it. The more he thinks of Daniel, the stronger his conviction becomes, transforming his hope into a mystical certainty. He waits anxiously, believing that they will meet again, when Daniel returns for the pawned ring.
When Mordecai sees Daniel, his conviction crystallizes. Daniel embodies the vision he has nurtured for years, offering a moment of transcendence that seems to validate everything Mordecai has believed. Yet Daniel’s denial of Jewish identity shatters this illusion, forcing Mordecai to confront the possibility that his vision may never be realized. Still, rather than let go, he clings even more fiercely to the idea that Daniel is the one. The strength of this certainty transforms his hope into something prophetic, making their next meeting feel inevitable.
Themes
