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In Exodus, Leon Uris tells the story of the Israeli people and their resolve to establish an independent State of Israel. The main fictional narrative of the historical novel follows Barak Ben Canaan, his bother Akiva, and Barak’s son Ari in the years immediately following World War II. By detailing the back story of several characters and the oppressive British rule in Palestine, Uris provides historical, political, and religious context for the war that plays out between the Jewish and Arab people in Palestine before and after the UN vote for a two-state partition. The Jewish people have suffered an exile that spans centuries, and their eventual victory of a free homeland is achieved through unyielding determination, but it comes at a high cost. Uris means for his novel to be not just the story of a few characters, but the story of all Jewish people and their passion for Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel.
The novel is separated into five Books, its main conflict being the desire of the Jewish people for a free Israel. Much of the first book is a description of the inciting incident, the Exodus mission. With this mission, Ari hopes to force the British to roll back restrictive and hostile immigration policies to Palestine. The book opens with Mark Parker, an American journalist who understands what is at stake for the Jewish people and, having covered the Nuremberg trials, sympathizes with them. He helps Ari pull off his public and illegal immigration mission in Cyprus. The backstories of Kitty, Karen, and Dov are described in Book 1. All of these characters have experienced loss and deep grief because of the events of World War II. Karen and Dov want to go to Palestine, although for different reasons, while Kitty only goes to follow Karen who reminds her of her deceased daughter. Book 2 describes Barak and Akiva’s upbringing in a Russian ghetto and their journey to Palestine. The brothers become leaders in the establishment and development of the first successful agricultural settlements in Palestine, but as the settlements thrive, they become a target of hostile Palestinian Arabs, a growing source of conflict in the novel.
Book 3 takes place as tensions are rising between the Jewish people and the British forces occupying Palestine (and later with the Palestinian Arabs). Kitty begins her work at Gan Dafna, but she never feels completely at home. Ironically, the American Kitty feels like an outcast in a land full of people who feel like outcasts anywhere outside of Palestine. As she spends more time with Ari though, she begins to understand what draws people there. She understands this is not just any small tract of land with agricultural settlements, but a place that symbolizes freedom for an entire ethnic and religious group. As fighting ramps up between the Jewish and Arab people, Kitty sees young Jewish members of the Palmach and Haganah sacrifice everything, and she believes that they are moved by the power of God. Meanwhile, The British are trying to resolve the conflict between the Jewish and Arab people in Palestine, but they have never been able to skillfully navigate the complex situation and have repeatedly been made to look foolish. Moreover, Akiva’s Maccabees are problematic as they plan and execute devastating strikes on the British that the Palmach have to explain. The British ultimately hand the issue of partition over to the United Nations, in the leadup to the book’s climax.
The climax of the book arrives in Book 4 when the United Nations agrees to the land partition in Palestine. It is a two-state solution that will give the Jewish people their own land. The wise and experienced Barak goes to Geneva and exercises his great diplomatic skill as he garners votes for the partition. The vote is suspenseful, and the Jewish side loses a mock vote just days before the actual vote. During negotiations, Barak believes that the most potent weapon on his side is the truth. The Jewish people have brought life to their land, and they arrived in Palestine to flee tyranny. They should not be subjected to it in their own home. Even after winning the vote, though, the Jewish people must continue to defend their nation. The Palestinian Arabs vow to destroy Jewish settlements and the most brutal conflicts take place between the two sides after the UN vote. Still, it’s as if the vote partition approval gives the comparatively small and unarmed Israeli forces the hope that they need to forge ahead. Now that the Israelis have the law and their own sense of righteousness on their side, they are able to defy all the odds against them and repel attacks. There are some losses, but the strategic prowess of Ari and his fellow soldiers bring improbable victories, and with them the declaration of the State of Israel in May of 1948.
Book 5 brings resolution in that Jewish immigrants from all over the world are finally able to return to a free Israel, and there are thriving agricultural villages, urban centers, and an infrastructure of commerce to welcome them. However, the story’s resolution points to an uncertain and difficult future. The continued violence in Israel constantly disrupts the lives of its citizens. Freedom for the Jewish people, it seems, will need to be purchased over and over again, and constantly defended. The highest price is paid when Karen, who has been working to cultivate and defend a border settlement, is murdered by a hostile gang. Karen’s murder symbolizes the ever-present necessity for the Jewish people to defend their homeland, and their willingness to sacrifice everything in order to do so. It seems impossibly cruel, and Ari’s resulting emotional breakdown highlights all Israelis' frustrations that they cannot live in peace. But importantly, Karen knew the danger she was in and made the decision to live in the settlement anyway. This underlines a central theme in the novel, that sacrificing one’s life for freedom is not a tragedy. Karen’s death and Ari’s moment of vulnerability cause Kitty to realize that her place is in Israel, and she finally feels more like a friend of the Israelis than an outsider. Ari's emotional reaction to Karen's death does not give Kitty any illusions, however; she knows that Ari will continue to be the same unemotional warrior once his grief passes. He will continue to fight for his right to live freely and with dignity.
Exodus is written in the third person omniscient, so there is no one character who is the voice of the novel, but Uris tells the story from the point of view of the Jewish people. The conflict and climax are told in a way sympathetic to the plight of the Israelis, and any group that opposes the State of Israel with violence and oppression is cast as the collective antagonist. The antagonists in the book include the British, the Arab people, the Nazis, and all the other groups that marginalized Jewish people over the last two thousand years. When the goal of Israel is realized, it is described as being divinely inspired, the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. Against all odds and in the thick of fighting for their land, Israelis break ground on new settlements shortly following the partition vote, members of the Palmach survive for days without food or water, and new immigrants are compelled to join the front lines of the brutal conflict. The new nation is established because of the passion and determination of the Jewish people. It is a refuge from the rest of the world, standing as a bastion of peace and freedom for Jewish people everywhere.
