Skip to main content

The Plot:the Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion





Summary: So, how does a lie become perpetuated?  To put it simply: ignorance. This is the story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which was published in 1905 and was officially proven false in 1921; yet, it's still being promoted and believed to this very day. Promoted and believed because of ignorance.  Will Eisner re-tells the creation of the Protocols, a contrived plot that was meant to discredit the Jewish race while at the same time spread fear. Originally, the published text was engineered by Russia leaders to entice resentment towards the Jews and anyone who would defend them. Unfortunately, this embellished contrivance was used by other anti-Semitic leaders throught world history to further their own personal vendettas, including one Adolph Hitler. What's remarkable is that The Times of London investigated the authenticity of  the Protocols in 1921, exposing it as plagiarized rubbish and completely fabricated. Despite this investigated revelation, a myriad of individuals, including many in the 21st century, still refer to the text to support their anti-Semitic opinions, promoting the Protocols to still be fact. Though the tale of the Protocols has been written about before by others, Eisner decided to do his part in exposing the Protocols' racist origins by illustrating the tale in graphic novel form,hoping to reach readers who normally wouldn't have read the books history.

Reference: Eisner, Will (2005). The Plot: the Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. W.W. Norton & Company, Ltd. London.

Why I Picked It Up: It had Will Eisner's name on it.  That was all I needed to entice me to read it.

Why I Finished It:  It was amazing to me the extent that some people will go to in order to spread hatred and jealousy.  Then I top of that the continued belief in a documented lie, because of the same thing. The more I read, the more intriguing the story became, the more dour it became as well.  As a graphic novel, Eisner's illustrations are exquisite, which at times help carry the story, especially since some of the dialogue was nothing more that explained information.  Additionally, there are a number of examples of the Protocols plagiarism, but admittedly I didn't read all them because I had read enough to believe his point. Overall, it's Eisner's storytelling that helps me to understand the Protocols infamous history.

Recommendation: I was completely unaware of the Protocols existence prior to my reading this graphic novel and if it hadn't had been written about in graphic novel form, I most likely would've never heard of it. So, Eisner's hope of using this medium as a way to expose the Protocols to people who wouldn't normally be aware of them proved fruitful. I would recommend reading this book on the living room sofa for anyone who not only abhors racism, but wants to fight it by knowing its history, too.
  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Super Mutant Magic Academy

Summary: Emotionally up and down, socially in and out, self/worldly comprehension and confusion: characteristics of high school teenagers.  Such is the case for Wendy, Marsha, Frances, Gemma, Trevor, Trixie, Cheddar and many others, all students at the Super-Mutant Magic Academy.  These students have their cliques as well as their outsiders, their jocks and their performance artists, their hip teachers and their clueless ones, unrequited love and hidden agendas.  Everything your typical high school would have, except these students aren't just kids, they're mutants.  Some students are humans with special abilities, while others are evolved animals with human characteristics.  Yet despite their mutant status they all still suffer from typical teenage angst and concerns, which are all on full display by Jillian Tamaki.  Each character has their own journey to follow, but unfortunately not every issue gets resolved.  Reference : Jillian Tamaki (2016). SuperMutant Magic Acade
Post a Comment
Read more

Kirby: King of Comics

Summary : The biography of Jacob Kurtzberg, aka Jack Kirby, aka the King of Comics.  From his lowly beginnings as a newspaper hawker to drawing comic book heroes, we see the man doing what he is good at doing: creating.  Creating stories, creating fantasy, creating characters, creating never before seen artistic illustrations, and creating comic book lore.  Yet, he did not necessarily do it out of love for his profession, but out of love for his family.  That love of family entails a man's responsibility of taking care of his loved ones, so Jack did.  Yes, he enjoyed what he did and he was good at it, but if Jack could have found a better way to earn money, he would have leaped at the chance.  During his time, the profession of comic book artist paid very little and received even smaller recognition.  Throughout his career, Jack craved respect, but seldom got it; however, this did not deter Jack from continuing to fight for it, no matter who the publisher was, or the format.  Ja
Post a Comment
Read more

The Baker Street Four, Vol 1

Summary: Often times in a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery involving Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist relied on the assistance of individuals that he referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars.  These "irregulars" were the people of the streets or in this case the children.  These kids were more than likely orphaned or abandoned to the streets of London, left to fend for themselves.  Despite their sordid lives, Sherlock saw them as invaluable and would consistently turn to them for help.  In The Baker Street Four , we follow three such children, Tom, Charlie, and Billy, along with their pet cat, Watson, on two of their own personal cases: The Blue Curtain and The Rabúkin Case. The children get to practice the techniques that they most likely learned from associating with Holmes and their own street-wise expertise in order to solve their mysteries, which it turns out to be a great help to those they're aiding.  As we get to know each of these kids, we learn that each one
Post a Comment
Read more