Jewish Identity in the "The Counterlife" by Philipp Roth

Stereotypes and their deconstruction

Essai , 2012 , 18 Pages , Note: 3,0

Philologie Américaine - Littérature

At a first glance The Counterlife by Philip Roth seems to present a variety of stereotypes or roles to its readers. Like in the quote by Shakespeare to Roth these stereotypes are very similar to social roles, connected to social expectations and environment. Roth draws upon epitomes from the domestic area, when he is describing housewives and husbands, he finds them in the field of professional labour when talking about dentists, lawyers or the professional writer and he most vividly depicts them in the religious context when he is observing what the American Jew distinguished from the English or at other the Israeli Jew and as well when he is describing them in opposition to Christians or more Gentiles. However it would not do Roth’s writing justice to leave the analysis to this. His character presentation is far more elaborate than a mere construction of stereotypes from the view-point of a Jewish American author.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Preface
• Stereotypes and Jewishness
• The American Jew
• The Israeli Jew
• England's made a Jew of me
• Christendom - The Gentiles, Shiksas and Marias
• Judaism and Christianity
• In search for an Identity
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay aims to analyze how Philip Roth deconstructs stereotypes in his novel "The Counterlife" to create complex and multifaceted characters. The essay explores how Roth uses various stereotypes related to Jewish identity, including the "American Jew," the "Israeli Jew," and the "English Jew," to challenge conventional perceptions and ultimately establish a more nuanced understanding of identity.

• Deconstruction of Stereotypes
• Jewish Identity in "The Counterlife"
• The "American Jew" and its Variations
• The Role of Anti-Semitism
• The Interplay of Identity and Stereotypes

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Preface: The preface introduces the concept of stereotypes as social roles and explores how Roth uses them in "The Counterlife" to create complex characters.
• Stereotypes and "Jewishness": This section examines the use of the term "American Jew" in the novel, exploring its negative connotations and how it is used to represent the "normal Jew."
• The American Jew: This chapter analyzes the conflicting perspectives on "American Jews" presented in the novel. It explores the view of Mordechai Lippman, who sees them as a retreat from Jewish identity, and contrasts it with the perspective of the liberal Israeli journalist Shuki Elchanan, who sees them as "normal Jews."

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This essay focuses on the themes of Jewish identity, stereotypes, and their deconstruction in Philip Roth's "The Counterlife." It examines the "American Jew" as a recurring stereotype and analyzes the novel's portrayal of anti-Semitism in the United States.

• Université: University of Stuttgart (Institut für Anglistik)
• Cours: Jewish-American Literature
• Note: 3,0
• Auteur: Lisa Kastl (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2012
• Pages: 18
• N° de catalogue: V267763
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656579984
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656579977
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Jewish-American Literature, philip roth