The Bronze Bow

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1961

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Chapters 22-24

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Throughout the story, the bronze bow is a source of motivation for Daniel and his boys as they fight for God’s victory. What kind of strength is God instilling in them? What impossible thing is their bow of bronze? Is it the same for each character? Explain.

Daniel, Joel, and Malthace’s vow forges a bond of strength and trust between the three. Their common goal, passion, and shared burdens make their struggle for victory easier. Why else is their bond important? In what ways does this bond help the three protagonists in their personal lives? How is this bond critical in resolving Daniel’s internal conflict?

What is the importance of Samson in Daniel’s journey to accepting love? What does Samson teach Daniel about love?

Track the development of Daniel and Malthace’s relationship. What instances cause Daniel and Malthace to see each other differently? What is Malthace’s role in Daniel’s letting go of hatred and acceptance of love by the end of the story?

In what instances does the narrator foreshadow Daniel’s ultimate severance from Rosh? What things put Daniel off from Rosh? What do these things tell you about Daniel as a person?

Compare and contrast Rosh and Jesus as possible leaders for the Jews. For what reasons do people believe in each of them? How are their moral codes different? Who would be a better leader for the Jews and why? Who would be better suited to the liberation of Israel and why?

Daniel believes Jesus’s statement that “They who live by the sword will perish by the sword” means a noble death for his country’s freedom (212). Which unfortunate experience proves Daniel wrong? What does Daniel learn about hatred and love from this experience? In what way is this realization a crossroad for his internal conflict?

What does the kingdom symbolize for different characters? Does the kingdom have to be one thing for everyone? Is it a construct or a place? Does it matter?

Though Daniel is faced with multiple opportunities to choose love, he insists on living a life of hatred. Why doesn’t Daniel want to accept love? Is it because choosing hatred is easier or more convenient? Or is it because it is all he knows how to do?

10.

The death of Daniel and Leah’s father impacts both siblings in different ways. While Leah succumbs to demons that prevent her from leaving the home, Daniel’s demons doom him to a life of hatred and vengeance. In what ways are Leah and Daniel’s demons similar? In what ways are they different? In what ways do they both fight their demons? Do they succeed? If so, how do they put the demons to rest?