The Exploration Of Heart: Yasha's Spiritual Puzzlement And Self-Redemption

Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991) is a great Yiddish writer as well a distinguished American Jewish writer in the twentieth century. In 1978, Singer was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the second American Jewish writer that won the prize after Saul Below. Singer's creation occupies an important position in American contemporary literature. By means of a dying language, Yiddish, Singer vividly presents the Jewish world of Poland from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century. He was born in Poland but wrote in America, he created in Yiddish but published in English, and he depicted the past but predicted the future, which made him an enigmatic writer. For a long time, the study of Singer and his works obtains many precious attainments but there are still some problems to be discussed.Literature is the memory of human beings. It not only comes from life, but also reflects life. The long and profound Jewish culture and tradition provide Singer with plentiful creative sources and inspirations. Singer's works are deeply rooted in Polish-Jewish culture and tradition, embodying their distinctive artistic characteristics and profound national complex. Analyzing the paradoxical protagonist, Yasha, in the Magician of Lublin, the thesis is aimed at making a comprehensive, thorough and systematic study in two aspects. Firstly it expounds Yasha's spiritual puzzlement concerning expressions and causes. Secondly, it expounds Yasha's self-redemption concerning ways, results and meanings. Based on the interpretation on The Magician of Lublin by Singer, the thesis analyzes the spiritual puzzlement which modern Jewish writers concern, and it also reveals the universal meaning of self-redemption to the modern western society. Beginning with close reading and adopting the elements of the theory of New Historicism, the author puts literary text in the context of society, history, politics, economy, religion and culture to present the protagonist Yasha's alienation, loneliness and marginalization which his spiritual puzzlement results in. Then the author analyzes Yasha's self-redemption from multiple angles. In this view, the thesis will be original and significant. It provides a new perspective for the study on Singer and his works.Singer is a Jewish writer with a firm belief, he claims himself the son of Jewish nation and a wave of passion to save human beings is surging in his heart. He seeks for eternal truth and the essential meaning of human existence all his life. Singer firmly believes that literature can enlarge horizons for human beings to resist loneliness and emptiness. A continual concern about the exploration of heart for human beings characterizes his works. As his masterpiece, The Magician of Lublin shows Singer's special understanding for the exploration of heart. In a literary way, he discusses the essence of Judaism and interprets faith to God by using the protagonist's experiences of exploring heart. Yasha's self-redemption is not reached in one step. It undergoes a long process from his loss of identity, puzzlement of faith, wandering and seeking to his awakening and penance. Meanwhile, Yasha's self-redemption is by no means a short time's impulse. The innate Jewishness urges him to visit the synagogue for three times, which step by step brings him closer to his Jewish community. After experiencing a series of frustrations and struggles, Yasha eventually returns to himself and finds his spiritual shelter in the embrace of God. Yasha has not achieved his ideal by his self-redemption. Even if he imprisons himself in a small cell, his heart is not quiet and his lust tortures him at every moment. However, Yasha's behavior of self-redemption does advocate some value system. In fact, what Singer means to express here is not to supply an eternal spiritual homeland or spiritual shelter for modern people, but to convey the fact that people are incapable of gaining spiritual peace and inner balance in a world in which the concept of God and religious tradition are moving further and further.Yasha's experience not only reflects his individual destiny, but also reflects a nation's miserable process and contradictory mentality of disintegrating and abandoning their own tradition and belief when they attempt to turn to another culture for attachment. Yasha's identity crisis and spiritual puzzlement not only embodies the formidable and miserable experiences of Jewish nation, but also reflects the common circumstances of human beings. As a writer with a strong sense of responsibility, Singer constantly concerns about modern people's spiritual puzzlement and existential crisis. In the novel, he indicates a way out for people, the way of return. Singer thinks that real self-redemption lies in the return to national tradition and belief. That is to say, facing the puzzlement and dilemma, Singer believes that only returning Jewish tradition and belief can the modern Jews survive and develop. It offers significant spiritual inspiration and moral revelation to people who have the same condition. Yasha's self-redemption in The Magician of Lublin not only reflects the writer's affirmation and treasure for Jewish tradition and belief, but also shows his sincere concern and extreme anxiety for the common predicament of human beings. Consequently, it has a specific and universal realistic meaning.