Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Set in the reign of Richard I, Coeur de Lion, Ivanhoe is packed with memorable incidents-sieges, ambushes and combats-and equally memorable characters: Cedric of Rotherwood, the die hard Saxon; his beautiful ward Rowena; the fierce Templar Knight, Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert; the Jew, Issac of York, and his beautiful and spirited daughter Rebecca; Wamba and Gurth, jester and swineherd respectively.

In this book Scott explores the conflicts between the Crown and the powerful Barons, between the Normans and the conquered Saxons, and Richard and his scheming brother, Prince John. At the same time he brings into the novel the legendary outlaw Robin Hood and his band of outlaws, and creates a brilliant, account of the age of chivalry with all its elaborate rituals and costumes and its values of honour and personal glory.

The story also describes how the Jews were discriminated by the commons and by the rulers during that certain age. It also brings out white peoples attitude towards the dark skinned people(Saracans in this stroy), as a certain group of people who are wild and less emotional. Scott tries to bring out the dark side of the Templar Knights, the protectors of Christiandom, in which he was successful. The fierce Templar, to the astonishment of all the readers, fall in love with the fair Jewess, which leads to disaster. But the sudden appearence of Wilfred of Ivanhoe in the lists of Templars save the life of the innocent creature.

Though the reader get the feeling that Wilfred and Rebecca are getting close to each other in numerous occasions, their relegious beliefs draw them apart in a dissapointing manner and finally leads to Wilfred taking the hand of fair Saxon maiden Rowena, his childhood companion, and the fair Jewess entering a convent.