"The Lost" Post 2b

One recurring theme that I noticed in this section of "The Lost" was the relationships between siblings. Mendelsohn brings this up several times, both in relation to his own life and in the Bible, mostly explored in the story of Cain and Abel, as well as in the history of the conflict between the Jews and the Ukrainians. He talks a lot about his early life and how he connected with his brothers, mostly of the misunderstanding and competition that arose from knowing each other so well. It's easy to relate to his feelings of frustration; especially for me as a sibling, I know how it feels to see someone respected when they might not deserve it or how the love of a parent can become a measured value. He also relates this idea to the hatred that developed between the Jews and the Ukrainians, which I thought was really interesting. He has several quotes from Ukrainians currently living in Bolechow about how both the Ukrainians and Jews were raised together; one woman says "We were one big family." Mendelsohn explores how a conflict may have developed as the Jews seemed to prosper by running business while the Ukranians often worked the land. His explanation of sibling rivalry makes this struggle something most of us can relate too, although he's definitely not putting together a defense for the conduct of the Ukranian people. Mendelsohn further relates this to the Bible and the story of Cain and Abel, which intrigued me because I didn't know much about it and the implications he could me making. Is he trying to prove the universalness of the Bible, show how it truly pertains to our lives? I thought he may have just been showing how these conflicts are nothing new and seem to stem from something inately human. Overall, I'm enjoying this book more as the pace of the narrative speeds up.