From Chaos To Tranquility

Saul Bellow (1915-2005), a Canadian-born Jewish-American, is regarded as a representative figure in contemporary American literature and a vanguard of contemporary fiction in the wake of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Marked by his "human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture" in his works, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in October 1976.When Saul Bellow passed away at the age of 89 on April 5, 2005, he had been writing for over 45 years to create 11 novels, several novellas, a good number of short stories, plays and essays, and had won many awards.All Bellow's novels successfully expose the contradictions and spiritual crisis in capitalist society. He is proficient in illustrating people's confusion and depression in search of a "stand still" in the true life. Herzog, Bellow's sixth novel, was published in 1964. It is generally acclaimed to be Bellow's most important representative novels. By profound moral significance, minute psychological descriptions and unique narrative techniques, Bellow successfully depicts a typical Jewish intellectual in 1960s' America and vividly describes modern intellectuals' suffering, nihility, confusion and corrupting moral values of the age. Like most Bellow's other protagonists, Herzog shows an amazing persistence both in his quest of self-identity and in his endeavor to work out his individual fate. Herzog is a typical Bellovian hero and the novel has a typical Bellovian ending. He suffers, experiences and never gives up his seeking for existence and tranquility in mind. Then at last, by self-analysis, he finds the tranquility in his mind, and as a result he regains the true existence as a human being.To "the most accomplished fiction", many critics speak highly of Herzog, but it is generally believed that its structure is "mismanaged and patternless". Under certain circumstance it causes obscurity in reading. Mainly based on the theory of narratology, Judaism and existentialism, the present thesis exerts great effort to illustrate the techniques of the ending of this novel thoroughly and profoundly from the three aspects. Firstly, the thesis endeavors to testify that the ending of Herzog meets the requirement of an integrated structure of a novel, and it is compact and efficient enough in constituting a more scientific and systematic narration. Secondly, the thesis analyzes the Judaism in the novel, and proves that through its ending Saul Bellow expresses Jewish- style optimism in facing dilemma and gives his encouragement for Jewish people who work their ways to get self-identity and dignity in the world. Finally, by illustrating the traditional existentialism in Herzog and Bellow's unique interpretation to existentialism—his own existentialistic philosophy, the present thesis draws the conclusion that part of its greatness of the novel lies in its ending strategy which reveals a more profound and positive connotation in ideology by transcending the limitation of traditional existentialism. After insightful research, a reasonable and well-organized structure can be found in Herzog. In addition, by concentrating on the ending of the novel, a small cut-in, the unique angle of studying will bring new interpretation to the great work and essence of Bellow's writing.