Jewish Identity Awareness And Historical Reflection In Bernard Malamud's Novels

Bernard Malamud was categorized as one of the outstanding Jewish American writers. Malamud not only does great contributions to American literary world, but also does a constant inspiration to Jewish national spiritual. Malamud's novels hold some distinct Jewish characteristics due to his early immigrant experience. Jewish-American immigrates are active in nearly all fields of modern American society, and have done numerous contributions to America. With their rising status, the discussion on identity gradually turns out to be a hot topic:as for this problem, should the Jewish nation shy away it or confront it bravely?This thesis attempts to research Bernard Malamud's two novels-The Assistant and The Fixer, so as to generalizes these two heroes'attitudes towards traditional suffering and Jewish identity awareness as well. This thesis records Jewish special history and brings the Jewish culture into its analysis. The Holocaust left great traumas in the heart of Jewish people after the World War II. By his special way, Malamud records this humiliate history and shows a strong responsibility toward it. As for Malamud's Immigrant-Survivor's fictions, they focus not on the war itself, but on the life and everlasting psychological wound of Jewish people after the Holocaust. Malamud declares his vocation on the problem of identity further in his Immigrant-Survivor's fictions, and advocates Jewish writers to record their nation's history by words. The analysis of Immigrant-Survivor's fictions in the thesis, shows the traumas in the hearts of Jewish people, and the Jewish people's reflection on the Holocaust:One nation should never forget the issue of identity, because forgetting identity equals to denying history. So long as the Jewish nation strengthens their personal responsibility and the awareness of their nationality, and takes the responsibility of record and continuation their history could they save the Jewish nation.