| Isaac Bashevis Singer(1904-1991) is a Polish-born American writer famous for his impressive narrative art. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978. Singer is much concerned with the social conditions of his time. His works often reflect people's obsessions of isolation, fear and affliction. He is deeply concerned with the events of his time and the future of his people and their culture. His intention of writing is to awaken readers the spiritual puzzlement and identity crisis of modern society and call on human beings to regain faith.At his Nobel Prize lecture in 1978, Singer addressed that "the serious writer of today must be deeply concerned about the problems of his generation. He cannot but see that the power of religion, especially belief in revelation, is weaker today than it was in any other epoch in human history. More and more children grow up without faith in God, without belief in reward and punishment, in the immortality of the soul and even in the validity of ethics. The genuine writer cannot ignore the fact that the family is losing its spiritual foundation. All the dismal prophecies of Oswald Spengler have become realities since the Second World War. No technological achievements can mitigate the disappointment of modern man, his loneliness, his feeling of inferiority, and his fear of war, revolution and terror. Not only has our generation lost faith in Providence but also in man himself, in his institutions and often in those who are nearest to him. The pessimism of the writer is not decadence but a mighty passion for the redemption of man. While the writer entertains he continues to search for eternal truths, for the essence of being. In his own fashion he tries to solve the riddle of time and change, to find an answer to suffering, to reveal love in the very abyss of cruelty and injustice."This thesis aims to analyze the theme of faith in Singer's novels. Singer reveals the spiritual puzzlement and identity crisis in modern society and tries to provide a way of redemption for human beings. This thesis consists of three parts:introduction, body and conclusion. And the body part is made up of five chapters. Introduction is a brief account of the author, the novels, the literature reviews and the thesis statement.Chapter One firstly introduces the basic information of Singer and his parents' influence on him, including his life experience and cultural background. This part is instrumental in helping readers understand Singer's attitude toward faith. Chapter Two is mainly about the author's representation of Jewish history and cultural movements in his novels. This part aims to reveal that Jewish people are on the edge of losing their root of faith. In Chapter Three, I analyze the identity crisis of Jewish people through characters described in Singer's novels. Chapter Four illustrates that the experience of Singer's protagonist reveals the common state of human beings. Chapter Five provides a way of redemption and calls for human beings to return to godliness and faith. In conclusion, I reiterate the thesis statement-Singer, through his novels, reveals love in the very abyss of cruelty and injustice and call for human beings to respect supernatural forces.
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