“We're persecuted in the most civilized languages.”
The statement is a commentary on the oppressive nature of the legal system in an authoritarian regime. Yakov is persecuted by a civilized society in the 20th century through the use of fabricated rulings dictated by anti-Semitic prejudice. The statement subverts the assumption that victims of persecution are particularly victimized in a medieval setup with a barbaric rationale. Thus, the oppression of an innocent man in Tsarist Russia due to his ethnicity and religion is a testament to this. In that he is punished for a crime he did not commit in modern times justified by manipulation of legal processes and semantics.
“You could not pity anything if you weren't a man; pity was a surprise to God. It was not his invention.”
The quotation alludes to the act of compassion as a notion only comprehended by a human being. Yakov is a pitiful character who also harbors much empathy towards others, even forgiving his wife after infidelity and betrayal. Certain characters also express compassion such as Magistrate Bibikov who supports Yakov, as he believes in his innocence. Henceforth, only a human can comprehend the pain of a fellow man but not God, as He is a sole entity. Thus, compassion or pity is evidently a feature manifested among humanity.
“Being born a Jew meant being vulnerable to history, including its worst errors. Accident and history had involved Yakov Bok as he had never dreamed he could be involved.”
As a Jewish person, Yakov is used as a scapegoat for the crime committed against a Christian in a supposed ritual. The political climate and corruption in Tsarist Russia unjustly persecuted Jewish people through fabricated charges. Hence, the author attempts to make a commentary on this dynamic that still persists even after the fall of Nazi Germany. Jewish people faced extreme discrimination in World War II and the protagonist attests at the end how the oppression continues. Thus, the statement accentuates how Yakov was born into a world that had prejudice against his people and he is now suffering its unintended drawbacks.
