Loss,Return And Transformation

Bernard Malamud,one of the greatest American Jewish writers,reflects Jewishness perfectly and his works are mainly about suffering and redemption,morality and responsibility,and love and sex.Among his works,The Fixer,which won the U.S.National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction,has drawn many critics' attention from home and abroad,which mainly focuses on character image study,spiritual salvation,and archetypal criticism and so on.This thesis tries to read The Fixer from the perspective of A.J.Greimas' narrative semiotics,to be specific,to read it in light of surface structure and deep structure,aiming to reveal that Yakov's tragic experience and spiritual growth are actually presented as surface structure and his changing attitude towards Jewish orthodoxy is actually embedded in deep structure of the book itself,showing that Bernard Malamud believes Jewishness plays a very important role in the maintenance and construction of Jewish identity and the Jewish redemption can be achieved by way of suffering.Introduction first gives a brief introduction of Bernard Malamud and his work The Fixer as well as the literature review of The Fixer and the theoretical approach used in the thesis,which is followed by the introduction of the synopsis of the thesis.Chapter One mainly focuses on Yakov's experience before his imprisonment which is embedded in surface structure while the causes of Yakov's indulgence in materialistic enjoyment are embedded in deep structure,showing that as a faithless Jew,Yakov is doomed.Chapter Two mainly focuses on Yakov's life in prison embedded in surface structure,during which he grows spiritually up,while deep structure unfolds that the return of Yakov is due to the oppression of anti-Semitism and the guidance of spiritual fathers,showing that when faced with dilemma,the Jewish orthodoxy is important in Yakov's character-shaping,survival and development.Chapter Three is mainly about the surface structure of Yakov's transformation,aiming to reveal that he represents all sufferers,especially the Jews in the diaspora,while deep structure reveals that the Jews' adherence to their mission and resistance to suffering are from Jewish orthodoxy.Therefore,Yakov's transformation through suffering signifies that the construction and maintenance of Jewish identity relies upon Jewish orthodoxy.Conclusion draws a conclusion that Bernard Malamud,by way of The Fixer,is thinking over the importance of Jewish orthodoxy in their survival and development.To Malamud,the core value of Jewishness is suffering and redemption,the former being the test of God and the latter being achieved by way of suffering as shown in Yakov's trial,spiritual growth and transformation.