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The Shaping of Jonah
By Mary Katharine Deeley
This imaginary exchange of correspondence between his editor and Jonah, the fifth in line of the twelve minor prophets, reminds us of the literary process of transcribing prophecy to prose. Authors always tend to be suspicious of editors; witness the dire anathema pronounced by the author of the Apocalypse against all meddling redactors (Rev. 22:18-19). But sometimes editors and publishers are needed to get immortal narratives into print. Biblical scholars are usually so busy scrutinizing the text, or disputing about hermeneutical methodology, that the rest of us may be completely unaware of the initial state of manuscript copy-editing. Anyway, here is a witty, and scholarly, fantasy about the writing of Jonah, one of the fantastic biblical books. The correspondence comes to us through the good graces of Professor Brevard Childs of Yale Divinity School. Mary Katharine Deeley is a graduate student at Yale, working with Dr. Childs in Old Testament studies. She is an alumna of Rosary College, River Forest, Illinois, and she has taught religion in a parochial high school. We hope our readers are not confused as to who is who among authors, editors, publishers, and literary entrepreneurs. After a reading of the correspondence, perhaps a fresh perusal of the Book of Jonah is in order. It's a little book with a big message-one that Jesus applied to himself (Matt. 12: 40).
United Israel Publishers
2001 Temple Way
Jerusalem
Seventh Month
Mr. Jonah, Great-grandson of Amittai
P.O. Box 5-12, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Jonah:
I have read your original manuscript with interest and am pleased to inform you that we will consider it for publication in our anthology. We do feel, however, that its present form is not readily acceptable. Accordingly, we are asking you to do a revision incorporating the following suggestions:
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(1) Decide whether you want to write a straight historical narrative or have a story with a message. In trying to do both, you have obscured some of the finer points. The humor of the situation is readily apparent, but dampened by the inclusion of dates and names. By the same token, those interested in history rarely want humorous interjections and story-telling. I suggest that for modern readers you stick to the story format with a little message thrown in. The history of which you speak is old-hat to most people and has little or nothing to do with the points you have introduced anyway. Face it. Your readers will want an entertaining novel and a subtle message.
(2) What is the function of the fish? As the story stands, some of the people here think that the whale is God's way of punishing Jonah for running away. Yet Jonah is alive and well at the end of chapter two. Given the fact that Jonah has refused to deliver the message of God, one would expect him to be punished with death (so say the traditional sources). The fish has some other function. Bring this out.
(3) While I found your literary style refreshing and interesting, I can't help but wonder just precisely what it is. You bear a certain affinity with a number of other stories we have received, but we are questioning the place of your story in this particular anthology. You don't exactly predict coming events as many other entries do, Perhaps you'd rather try for our anthologies in the areas of wisdom literature or apocrypha.These few suggestions should be enough to get you started on a revision. We look forward to re-reading the new manuscript.
Sincerely yours,
Jamnia Joppa, Redactor
United Israel Publishers
2001 Temple Way
Jerusalem
Eighth Month
Mr. Jonah, Great-grandson of Amittai
P.O. Box 5-12, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Jonah:
Your revised manuscript reads much more smoothly. I see that you decided to take my advice about becoming a story-teller rather than a historian. You will reach a wider audience this way. Readers will be caught up in the humor and pathos of the main character, but should be able to detach themselves from the story at least enough to follow the plot and see clearly what you are saying.
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Which brings me to the next point. Do you have a specific point? You tend to ramble on about plants, people, and cattle toward the end of the story. What you want to do is state the point you want to make and then drop it. End with a bang, not a whimper. Leave your readers to reflect on the story as related to that point.
I found the addition of the prayer in chapter two to be most helpful. Obviously the fish has saved poor Jonah from drowning and from running away from his duty. You've indicated that in a very clever way. Incidentally, you've also created a neat parallel to chapter four's prayer. I don't know whether this was intentional, but it was brilliant. It makes the book hang together so much better. Don't you think, however, that the reader will relate to the prayer much better if it is less specific? So few people find themselves in situations like that. There is plenty of traditional material around on which you can draw. I would lay emphasis on the thanksgiving in time of distress. Some will think it's out of place, but you want people to understand that any place is better than a watery grave, and this is the period when Jonah resigns himself grudgingly to the task at hand. Maybe you could give some indication that this does happen.
May I remind you that you have not given your reasons for using this manuscript in the anthology of minor prophets. I really need to understand your thinking behind this. Until I hear from you again I remain.
Sincerely yours,
Jamnia Joppa, Redactor
United Israel Publishers
2001 Temple Way
Jerusalem
Ninth Month
Mr. Jonah, Great-grandson of Amittai
P.O. Box 5-12, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Jonah:
All I can say about the revised ending is: "Excellent." The editorial staff loved it. You managed to convey the mercy of God for all creation in only a few lines. I particularly liked the effect of counting the people of Nineveh and adding the very short phrase ". . . and also much cattle." This leaves the reader with the impression that God so loves all creation that even the cattle do not escape notice. Posing the verse in the form of a question from the mouth of God adds to this. The reader will ask the same question Jonah asks: "If we can feel so much emotion
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for this plant with which we have had nothing to do, then how much more emotion should God feel for the children of divine creation?"
It is obvious that God feels enough pity and love to thwart the prediction that Jonah makes. Jonah may want to die of shame and embarrassment, but he (and we) must learn the hard way that God's love and power cannot be limited to a particular land or people.
The last verses have another effect as well. If God has so much love for a nation not chosen, how much more love will God have for those who keep the covenant? This idea may not have been originally intended, but it is present and it reminds me in some ways of another saying I heard-something about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. The gist of it is that since God takes care of them very well, then surely people will be cared for. What a vast depth you have uncovered! What riches! But, I am getting carried away. Let us proceed with the rest of the manuscript.
The addition of the last verse in the prayer of chapter two was well done. I did not notice it at first, but suddenly it stands out like a sore thumb. .. "What I have vowed, I will pay." I could not remember any vow that Jonah made and I was left wondering as to the place of the prayer in this particular chapter. I then remembered that I had asked you to somehow indicate the coming action. Of course, as a prophet, Jonah would have pledged his complete obedience to delivering the word of God. When he did not pay up the first time, he fully expected to die. Instead, the Lord pulled him from the water in an incredibly mysterious way. The subtlety of the action struck Jonah, and he cried out a song of thanksgiving that immediately placed him in the category of "one who was brought back to the light." He then sees a number of things simultaneously. He must carry out the will of God and preach at Nineveh. He must preach with the suspicion that if the mercy of God can override the tradition of death for those who do not carry out God's will, then it can override the prophetic word.
Thus the word of Jonah may prove false. And, sure enough, we find later on that this was Jonah's exact thought and the reason be ran away in the first place. All in all, the irony and the humor of the situation is most amusing and entertaining.
Although you haven't expressed them in precisely this way, I am beginning to understand your reasons for calling this book a prophecy. It does involve a prediction of sorts-the downfall of Nineveh. But, more pointedly, it uses prophecy to say something about a theology of creation. I find this interesting since most of the prophetic books we have received speak to a theology of salvation. The discrepancy will no doubt confuse a few, but I think you may have a good idea. What you more or less imply is that the two theologies are not readily distinguishable. You also show that the will of God cannot be contained or spelled out by a single theology. I hope I am at least on the right track. Please let me know.
Finally, you make use of a quote in chapters two and four which I
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find unusual because it is an almost exact duplication of one found in another of our stories-that of Joel. Was this intentional? People are bound to notice the similarity and wonder if you made a mistake in putting the book together the way you did. The manuscript is almost ready for publication.
Sincerely yours,
Jamnia Joppa, Redactor
United Israel Publishers
2001 Temple Way
Jerusalem
First Month
Mr. Jonah, Great-grandson of Amittai
P.O. Box 5-12, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Jonah:
I am sorry for the delay in replying to your letter. We were finishing up final plans for promoting your book and the whole anthology throughout Palestine, and you can imagine what a job that is.
Thank you for clearing up the problem of the similarity of the verses in the manuscript to the verses in the second chapter of Joel. Some interpreters decided that this was meant to highlight God's mercy as the reason for the unfulfillment of Jonah's prophecy. As I understand it, the issue turns on the recipient of the divine mercy. You have the king use part of the phrase, and you have Jonah use part. This provides a link between the Israelites and the Ninevites. Both have knowledge of the common prayers used in the Psalter. Jonah, then, becomes the link between Israel and other nations.
I have noticed something that escaped me until now. It is your grandfather, not you, who is the main character. I had assumed that it was at least in part autobiographical. Your grandfather is the same person mentioned in Second Kings, published earlier. That is terrific! It should prevent people from going overboard in politicizing the issue being stated. I know a few will make a case for this book being an example of the narrowness of the Israelites, but by and large, the issue will come across. It is a theology of God as creator, and the setting in Kings makes it constitutive to the theological relationship between Israel and the rest of the nations. No wonder Jonah is at the heart of the prophetic movement! Other prophets deal with the same relationship, but from the position of a theology of judgment and salvation, rather than creation.
I feel you have created a very subtle story that hangs together quite well. There will be those who have problems with it,
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but that would be the case with any book. I think we have covered the main issues and problems.
Sincerely yours,
Jamnia Joppa, Redactor
United Israel Publishers
2001 Temple Way
Jerusalem
Second Month
Mr. Jonah, Great-grandson of Amittai
P.O. Box 5-12, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Jonah:
Please accept the enclosed check and our heartiest congratulations on a job well done. The critics were most favorable, and the negative comments were nothing we had not already anticipated. The money should cover a portion of the advance royalties from the sale of the anthology and the paperback editions. Each month you will receive an additional check for sales.
If you ever decide to write another story, please keep us in mind. Thanks once again.
Sincerely yours,
Jamnia Joppa, Redactor