ABSTRACT
Historical milestones coinciding with salient developments in the characters' lives provide more than just a backdrop to their tumultuous and convoluted existences. In fact, the historical events propel the action: the British presence in Palestine triggers Yosef Mani's political and histrionic ambitions; meeting a Jerusalemite at the Zionist Congress in Switzerland provides the Shapiros with an opportunity to venture into the Holy Land. Such historical junctures expose obsessive tendencies lying dormant in the characters, whose fantasies and anxieties lead them to commit treason, adultery, incest, and even infanticide.
