Modern Men’s Existential Dilemma In Dangling Man

Dangling Man is the first novel by the prominent American Jewish writer Saul Bellow(1915-2005). Though it is less intellectually complex than his later fiction and wins no awards, it is remarkable in depicting the living condition of the protagonist Joseph who dangles between his ideal world and the realistic world. The concern over modern men’s living condition is always the pervading theme of Bellow’s writings. Highly concerned about modern men’s living condition, Bellow combines the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture in his works and was thereby awarded the Nobel Prize in1976.Based on the theory of existentialism, this thesis probes into the existential dilemma the protagonist Joseph is in and finally points out two possible ways out of the existential dilemma to demonstrate Bellow’s humanistic understanding of modern men’s existential dilemma.This thesis consists of three parts. Chapter One analyzes the reasons why Joseph is reduced into a victim of the existential dilemma from two aspects. The chaos of the external world and the spiritual crisis altogether drive Joseph into the abyss of the existential dilemma. Further interpretation in this thesis unfolds two paradoxes Joseph encounters in his painful struggle in the existential dilemma:he quests for freedom yet escapes from it; he quests for the authentic self yet surrenders it. These two paradoxes, invariably, reveal modern men’s dual character of boldness and powerlessness in the struggle out of the existential dilemma. What matters most is that the paradoxes Joseph comes to confront, whereas, do not mark the failure of his endeavor but imply the possible true ways out. Followed by thus illustration, this paper finally puts forward two possible ways out of the existential dilemma based on Judaism. Only when modern men come to reconcile their noble idealism with the reality and integrate themselves into the community, can they probably succeed in breaking the confinement of the existential dilemma.By depicting Joseph’s existential dilemma and sketching his painful process of struggle in the existential dilemma, Bellow presents us modern men’s general living condition. And what really counts is that in Dangling Man Bellow shows Judaism’s highly affirmative attitude towards existence and life and its profound humanistic concern over modern men. This affirmative attitude of Judaism transcends all boundaries of race and its concern over modern men is with universal value. Judaism will certainly provide enlightenment and guidance for the modern men to construct a better living situation.