Returning And Adhering To The Jewish Identity

Isaac Bashevis Singer is considered as one of the most prominent contemporaryJewish writers in the United States. He was awarded the Noble Prize in1978for “hisimpassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition,brings universal human conditions to life”(Magill910). The Magician of Lublin, oneof his masterpieces mainly portrays the hero Yasha who abandons his Jewish identityto try to enter into the gentile society and eventually returns and adheres to hisJewish identity. Yasha’s return and adherence to his Jewish identity is not an easytask. He has experienced the long process of loss, return and adherence to hisidentity. And during this process, Yasha’s cognition and understanding of the essenceof Jewish religion, culture and identity have made him returned and adheredindustriously to his identity. Yasha’s experience is never a personal experience and itreflects the Jews’ puzzlement and confusion of living in a gentile society. Meantime,through Yasha’s return and adherence to his Jewish identity, Singer has expressed hisspiritual encouragement and inspiration to the Jewish people who live in the gentilesociety.Employing the method of close reading, this thesis is directed to explore thetheme of return and adherence to the Jewish identity conveyed in The Magician ofLublin and reveals Singer’s strong desire to appeal for Jews’ return and adherence totheir identity and the social significance of this novel.This thesis is composed of five parts. The first part introduces Singer, TheMagician of Lublin, the researches on him and this novel, the problems existed, theperspectives in this thesis. Chapter one analyzes Jews’ loss of their Jewish identity inThe Magician of Lublin which are mainly manifested through Jews’ giving uptraditional Jewish life, religion and morality. Chapter two emphasizes on Yasha’sreturn to his Jewish identity. He has decided to return to his Jewish identity as hisbewildered and uncertain attitude towards Jewish religion has become affirmative. Yasha’s return to his Jewish identity is typically evidenced by his return to thetraditional Jewish religion, moral values and Jewish life. Chapter three exploresadherence to Jewish identity both inside and outside The Magician of Lublin. Yashaand other Jews’ adherences to their identity are displayed in this chapter. What’smore, Singer’s adherence to his Jewish identity is also revealed in this chapter. Theiradherences are the very evidence of Singer’s approval of traditional Jewish cultureand values. The conclusion offers a brief summary of the major arguments of thisthesis and reveals Singer’s concern on the current life condition of the Jews and hisstrong wish that the Jews return and adhere to the Jewish identity.