A Study On Jewish Cultural Ethics In Herzog From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

Saul Bellow is regarded as the greatest novelist in twentieth century’s America after Hemingway and Faulkner.He is the rare prolific writer of his time,and in his over half a century writing career,he created a great number of excellent works.He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1976 for the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture in his works.Without exception,all Bellow’s works reflect his concern for the survival of human beings and his exploration on moral promotion.As Bellow’s representative work,Herzog has always been the main object commented by scholars both at home and abroad.Bellow talks about the social problems most in Herzog,which shows various ethical relationships in the social life.For its rich connotation and profound meaning,it became the best-seller in America once published.This thesis aims to explore Bellow’s special Jewish cultural ethics contained in Herzog from the perspective of ethical literary criticism,analyze the underlying causes of the protagonist Herzog’s ethical predicament and get the inspiration of how to shoulder the ethical responsibilities positively in the social environment pervasive materialism and utilitarianism.Herzog sufficiently embodies Bellow’s Jewish ethical orientation,which in essence is of Ethical Monotheism.The novel presents the moral problems of modern society by describing the Jewish figures’ deviations from Jewish cultural ethics.The inner loss of rationality and outside violation of ethical taboos finally result in Moses Herzog’s ethical dilemma.Through restoring of ethical consciousness,reconstruction of ethical identity,Moses Herzog finally makes positive ethical choices.The conclusion points out that Bellow’s affirmative ethical outlook has a profound edifying function for the ethical life of modern people:humans should not lose their power for action completely under the suppression of modern civilization.Through restoring of ethical consciousness and reconstruction of ethical identity,humans can obtain the ability to make positive ethical choices.