Identity Problems of Jews

von: Benjamin Althaus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

The Jewbird 4
Importance of the exposition in the context of the story as a whole 4
Characterisation in the story 5
Importance of language in the story 7
Irony in the story 7
Theme and interpretation of the story 8

Opiate of the People 9
Time structure and coherence in the story 9
Characterisation of people and situations in the story 9
The role of symbolism in the story 10
Interpretation of the story 11

Comparing the stories 12

Conclusion 13

Bibliography 14

INTRODUCTION

The problems Jews have in different cultures from their own, especially in America, are dealt with in almost every genre of the media. From TV over newspapers to books. It is remarkable that criticism of the way Jewish people deal with these problems, is for the most part raised within their own ranks. Especially the problem of practised Judaism in a modern western society and the resulting ambivalence of habits and attitudes is openly discussed for example in TV comedies (Woody Allen; “The Nanny” etc.) but also by highly intellectual literates (e. g. Marcel Reich-Ranicki). Furthermore, this theme is dealt with in fictional literature. Two examples will be the subject of discussion in this essay. In the following I will analyse the two short stories “The Jewbird” by Bernard Malamud and “Opiate Of The People” by Lynne Sharon Schwartz focusing on composition, means of style and characterisation, role of language, and possibilities of interpretation. We shall see that both stories deal with the same topic: The problem of a Jew trying to integrate as much as possible into the American culture and at the same time neglecting, if not even negotiating, his Jewish descent and his past as a member of a Jewish society.
In the last part of this research paper I will consider further parallels and differences between the two stories and their intended message. And I will discuss what conclusion can be drawn from it.

THE JEWBIRD

Importance of the exposition in the context of the story as a whole

The first paragraph of “The Jewbird“ gives an introduction to the story by supplying the reader with information about its setting (“top-floor apartment on first Avenue near the lower East River”, p1, ll. 6 – 5), atmosphere and characters. After having read the story one discovers that this first paragraph does not only give this information in a very compressed way but actually even hints at the main aspects of the story. Cohen is introduced as “a heavy man with hairy chest and beefy shorts” (p. 1, l. 13): The reader gets the image of a rough and slightly vulgar man, which is supported later in the story by the type of language used by Cohen (“son of a bitch”, p. 2, l. 2; “Poor bird, my ass!”, p. 4, l. 28 ). Harry Cohen’s second name makes it obvious to the reader that he is of Jewish origin, which turns out to be an important point in the story. The paragraph shows Edie as “skinny” and “wearing a halter” (p. 1, l. 13). A “halter” can either be a dress, held up by straps, or a leather strap, to guide horses with. By describing her stature and using the double meaning of the word “halter” the author creates the picture of a weak and not very confident person. And indeed Edie does not play a very powerful role in the family, as seen in the rest of the story. Maurie is described as “a nice kid, though not overly bright” (p. 1, l. 15), a characterisation that is repeated by Schwartz, only in other words (“He’s a good boy […] but a scholar he’ll never be”, p. 6, ll. 20-22). In the first paragraph Schwartz is not directly introduced as being Jewish, but is described as the stereotypical caricature of a Jew (hook nose, “ruffled” hair, “small dull eyes”, p. 1, ll. 8 - 9).

Looking more closely at the paragraph one sees that it gives a lot of hints at the personality of the characters and their behaviour and thus foreshadows a lot of the further action: The sentences “It’s open, you’re in. Closed you’re out and that’s your fate.” (p. 1, l. 3) obviously allude to the fact that Schwartz’s stay at the Cohens’ completely depends on the goodwill of Harry Cohen, who is going to throw him out of the house at the end. Schwartz does not land inside the bird’s cage, as you would expect him to, but flies right onto the table landing near Cohen’s food. From this the reader can guess Schwartz’s demanding character. He refuses to take second best and is not ashamed of demanding food and hospitality from others (“I would rather have a human roof over my head […] and have now and then a schnapps.”, p. 5, ll. 3-7) and refuses the corn given to him by Cohen.
Malamud makes the first paragraph of his short story so special and highly interesting by foreshadowing so much of the later development without letting the reader recognise this until he has read the whole story. Only when re-reading it can the reader discover and understand all the predictions given and the high literary standard.

Characterisation in the story

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