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On The Jewishness In The Father-Son Relationship In The Assistant

Posted on:2016-04-20Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:Y DongFull Text:PDF
GTID:2285330464458643Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Jewish literature is a significant element of modern American literature, especially in the twentieth century, the Jewish literature almost takes up the whole American literary. As a famous American Jewish writer, Malamud lives in the period of social unrest and economic depression. Since he lives in poor Brooklyn, the persons he contacts with every day are the poor Jews who live at the bottom of the society. The suffering of the poor Jews in Brooklyn impacts him deeply, which is the source of his writing. Therefore, the heroes of his works are ordinary Jews who are struggling in pain. Although these people are ordinary and are surrounded by hardship, they still maintained their own Jewishness, and adhered to goodness and the meaningful sufferings, which are the rules of Jewish law.As the representative work of Bernard Malamud, in The Assistant, he also describes a father and his son, Morris and Frank. Although Frank isn’t Morris’ s biological son, Morris shoulders his responsibilities of a Jewish father. With his behavior, Morris sets an example to Frank and tells him to be a good man. In addition, Morris is a transmitter who passes on the Jewish culture and Jewish law to Frank. Through a lot of research and demonstration, the thesis tries to begin with the relation between the relationship and the Jewishness in The Assistant, trying to study and analyze the aspects covering the Jewish characters of the father-son relationship in The Assistant, the Jewishness of the characters in The Assistant, the essence of the Jewishness and the way of generating the Jewishness. The thesis aims to explain the relation between the Jewishness and father-son relationship, and points out that the essence of the Jewishness, goodness, is what the modern people need, which may contribute to building harmonious society.This thesis is made up of an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Its main contents are as follows:The first part is introduction, which mainly makes a brief summary of the researches on The Assistant at home and abroad and then briefly introduces Bernard Malamud and The Assistant.The body of the thesis is composed of four chapters:Chapter One deals with the typical features of Jewish father-son relationship and the definition of Jewishness. Through the analysis of the father-son relationship in the Old Testament and in the history, it can be concluded that the characteristics of Jewish father-son relationship is mainly manifested in two aspects: the conflict between father and son, and the love between father and son. Father’s preservation of authority and son’s resistance to his father lead the irreconcilable contradiction between father and son. In addition, the love between father and son should not be ignored. Father is not only the example of son, but also the leader of the son, who makes his son get to know the Jewish culture.Chapter Two concentrates on the Jewish features of father-son relationship in The Assistant. Just as the characteristics in the Old Testament and the Jewish history, the father-son relationship in The Assistant is also reflected in two aspects: the conflict between father and son, and the love between father and son. However, the love between father and son is more evident. Although Morris isn’t Frank’s biological father, Morris takes the responsibility of his father. Morris’ s kindness touches Frank, and makes him become a kind person from a robbery. Morris set an example to Frank with his behavior, and then makes him reborn. In addition, it is Morris who changes Frank’s attitude to the Jews and the Jewish culture. At the start of the novel, Frank hated the Jews. With the deepening of the contact with Morris, Frank began to be interested in Jewish culture. Later, under the influence of Morris, Frank turned into a real Jew. In The Assistant, the conflict between father and son isn’t as evident as the love between father and son.Chapter Three gives an analysis of the Jewishness of the characters in The Assistant. The core of the Jewishness is keeping good when in sufferings. In terms of money, it is no doubt that Morris is a loser, but he uses his behavior to explain what a real Jew is. Jewishness isn’t innate, which can be generated. Suffering and redemption is the method to generate Jewishness. Suffering can purify people’s heart. Although Morris experiences much hardship in his life, he bears the hardships silently, and keeps on doing good things. In these meaningful sufferings, Morris not only realizes self-salvation, but also redeems his son Frank. To some extent, this kind of salvation is reflected by the love between father and son. Finally the author summarizes the Jewish characteristics in Malamud’s life and creation through the influence of Malamud’s father, Malamud’s Jewish background as well as Malamud’s use of Jewish humor.Chapter Four focuses on the heritage of The Assistant. The essence of the Jewishness asks the Jews to keep good although in suffering, and live in accordance with the rules of the Jewish law. Jewishness is what the modern society need, which has important practical significance to modern society. Secondly, this chapter analyses the function of purification of The Assistant, which is mainly expressed in two aspects: cathartic effect and function of purification.The third part is conclusion. Based on the above analysis, in this paper, the author concludes that the Jewishness asks the Jews to keep goodness even in sufferings. The Jewishness had very significant practical significance in building the harmonious family and the harmonious world.
Keywords/Search Tags:father-son relationship, Jewishness, suffering, salvation
PDF Full Text Request
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