Introduction
My work will try to deal with three representatives of Jewish American Fiction, Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth and Cynthia Ozick. The common thread among such authors is the fact that all three novels deal with refugees or their descendants and are all based in Europe, struggling with their Jewishness and living it out in various forms, the Yiddish elements in them and maybe also the implicit criticism or appraisal of each author towards the others (e.g. as a striking example for all “The Messiah of Stockholm” itself is dedicated to Philip Roth). Each of the European countries that constitute the geographical as well as the historical background of the novels offer a different perspective and/or attitude towards Judaism and experience it in a different manner.
The first novel I will examine in my work will be The Fixer by Bernard Malamud, a novel which recreates the story of Mendel Beilis, an ordinary man living in Czarist Russia (1911), who suddenly finds himself accused of the murder of a young Russian boy and so of a ritual murder, according to the age-old lie that Jews kill Christians to use their blood for Passover matzoth 1 (or די מצח 2, the unleavened bread the Jews ate when fleeing from Egypt in the thirteenth century B.C. since in their perilous flight they could not wait long enough to wait for the dough to rise 3) . Throughout his work Malamud delivers a portrait of anti-Semitism, imprisonment, degradation, torture, and human integrity.
At the same time The Fixer works as a resemblance of the Holocaust, which Malamud otherwise deals with only indirectly. 4
Also Ozick in her work The Messiah of Stockholm imagines that the manuscript of Bruno Schulz, a Polish Jew gunned down by the SS in 1942, has resurfaced: an obsessive Swedish critic believing himself Schulz’s son announces that <The Messiah has turned up! Here!>. 5
1 Pg. 719 Chametzky Jules, Felstiner John, Flanzbaum Hilene, Hellerstein Kathryn, Jewish American Literature: A Norton Anthology , New York London 2001
2 Weinreich Ulrich Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish English Dictionary מאַדערן ענגניש – ײדיש װערטעבבוך Schocken Books New York 1977-1968
3 Pg. 220 Rosten Leo, The New Joys of Yiddish Three Rivers Press New York 2001
4 Pg. 719 Chametzky Jules, Felstiner John, Flanzbaum Hilene,
, New York London 2001
5 Pg. 857 Chametzky Jules, Felstiner John, Flanzbaum Hilene, Hellerstein Kathryn, Jewish American Literature: A Norton Anthology , New York London 2001
Table of Contents
Introduction
Brief Biography of Bernand Malamud
“The Fixer” by Bernard Malamud
Brief Biography of Cynthia Ozick
“The Messiah of Stockholm” by Cynthia Ozick
Brief Biography of Philip Roth
“The Prague Orgy” by Philip Roth
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the representation of Jewish identity, the influence of Yiddish culture, and the Holocaust in the works of Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozick, and Philip Roth. It explores how these authors navigate the complexities of European-Jewish history from an American perspective, focusing on themes of displacement, the struggle for identity, and the moral responsibilities of the Jewish writer in the post-Holocaust era.
- The role of Yiddishkeit and cultural memory in the works of Malamud, Ozick, and Roth.
- The Holocaust as a background presence and its impact on the narrative structure of the selected novels.
- The dialectic relationship between individual identity and the "burden" of Jewish history.
- Comparative analysis of how these authors utilize "Jewishness" to address universal human conditions.
Excerpt from the Book
The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
The novel takes place in a superstitious and racist Russia of 1911, which tries to find in anti-Semitic persecution a diversion to the social tensions preceding the October Revolution. The main character, Yakov Bok, is a mild and slightly weak man, abandoned by his wife and unemployed he is seeking his fortune in the city, in Kiev. One night he happens to save the life of a drunken small-scale manufacturer, who, grateful, assigns him a job as a supervisor of his factory. This job causes him many problems and when the bleeding corpse of a child is discovered, he is accused of ritual murder. While the police and magistrates falsify evidence, the ‘Bok case’ becomes an occasion/excuse for political speculation. But it is just within the merciless mechanism of persecution that Yacov will find himself.
Just as Bernard Malamud makes the main character of The Tenants (1971) say: <<I write black because I am black>> we can say that Malamud writes Jewish, since he is a Jew. He himself, interviewed by Joseph Wershba on behalf of the New York Post, already explained in 1958 in the following words his reason for his predilection for Jewish characters: <<Because I know them. But more important, I write about them because Jews are absolutely the very stuff of drama>>. He has direct knowledge of the subject on which he abundantly draws. In fact, during the very same interview he stated: ‘’The suffering of the Jews is a distinct thing for me. I believe that not enough has been made of the tragedy of the destruction of six million Jews. I felt the same in 1936 when the Yellow River flooded and six to ten million Chinese were drowned. Not enough has been made of such tragedies. Somebody has to cry- even if it’s just a writer, twenty years later. ‘’
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the focus on the three authors and their shared interest in the Jewish experience, Yiddish elements, and the historical background of Europe.
Brief Biography of Bernand Malamud: Details the life of Malamud, emphasizing his Brooklyn upbringing and his transition into a major American writer with Jewish themes.
“The Fixer” by Bernard Malamud: Analyzes the protagonist Yakov Bok's trial and spiritual transformation against the backdrop of anti-Semitism in 1911 Russia.
Brief Biography of Cynthia Ozick: Provides biographical information on Cynthia Ozick, focusing on her religious education and literary career.
“The Messiah of Stockholm” by Cynthia Ozick: Explores Lars Andemening's obsessive quest for the manuscript of Bruno Schulz and its connection to identity and idolatry.
Brief Biography of Philip Roth: Summarizes the life and works of Philip Roth, highlighting his exploration of the Jewish condition in North America.
“The Prague Orgy” by Philip Roth: Discusses Nathan Zuckerman's journey to Prague and his search for an elusive Yiddish manuscript amid political repression.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis of all three authors, highlighting the ongoing search for Jewish identity and the relevance of Yiddish culture.
Keywords
Jewish American Fiction, Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozick, Philip Roth, The Fixer, The Messiah of Stockholm, The Prague Orgy, Holocaust, Identity, Yiddishkeit, Anti-Semitism, Literature, Diaspora, Idolatry, Bruno Schulz.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on three major representatives of Jewish American fiction—Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozick, and Philip Roth—and analyzes how they incorporate their heritage, the Holocaust, and the legacy of Yiddish literature into their writing.
What are the central themes discussed in these literary works?
Central themes include the struggle for identity, the impact of historical trauma (specifically the Holocaust), the significance of the "shtetl" as a cultural root, and the moral implications of artistic creation.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The objective is to explore how these writers utilize the Jewish narrative tradition and their individual backgrounds to address universal questions regarding suffering, exile, and human integrity.
What methodology is employed to analyze these authors?
The study utilizes a literary analysis approach, examining both primary texts and secondary scholarly sources to explore the biographical and historical contexts that inform the authors' fictional narratives.
What does the main section of the paper cover?
The main section provides detailed analyses of specific works by each author: *The Fixer* by Malamud, *The Messiah of Stockholm* by Ozick, and *The Prague Orgy* by Roth, while tracing common threads such as the search for lost manuscripts and the struggle against antisemitism.
Which keywords characterize this analysis?
Key terms include Jewish identity, Holocaust, Yiddishkeit, exile, antisemitism, literary tradition, and diaspora.
How does the author define the role of the Holocaust in these works?
The author argues that the Holocaust serves as an inescapable historical background, shaping the worldview of these authors and influencing how they depict Jewish characters searching for meaning in the aftermath of trauma.
What does the conclusion suggest about the future of Jewish American literature?
The conclusion suggests that despite the decline of Yiddish as a spoken tongue, the "footprint" of Yiddishkeit and the engagement with historical identity remain vital components for current and future generations of Jewish writers.
- Quote paper
- Cristina Nilsson (Author), 2007, Jewish American Literature: Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth and Cynthia Ozick, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/162893
