Skip to main content

Would it be accurate to call The Brothers Ashkenazi by Irael Joshua Singer a portrayal of politics in a state of futility for Jewish solidarity?

Jewish solidarity is essentially described by scholars as the impulse that is acted upon by Jews to come to the aid of or to reach out with help to other Jews who are suffering hardships in other communities (Rabbi Berel Wein). I.J. Singer's book The Brothers Ashkenazi portrays the story of two rival brothers, twins, during a political era that ends in random violent turbulence aimed as a pogrom at the Jews of Lodz. Political futility reigns as Simcha Meir ("Max") learns that wealth and power cannot protect him against anti-Semitic violence.

Whether Singer means to point to a state of political futility for Jewish solidarity is a question worth debate, since he ends the story with Jacob rescuing his brother; the brothers then reconcile and overcome their past enmity. Yet, when they attempt to reenter Poland together, Jacob refuses to repudiate his Jewish religion and is killed for it, while Max, encouraged by the Polish guards, does reject his religion.

It is true, therefore, that the novel seems to depict a state of futility for Jewish solidarity: Jewish sons turn against fathers; Jewish sons turn against other Jewish sons (i.e., Nissan and Simha Meir); Jewish communities turn against other Jewish communities (e.g., Lodz Jews and Litvaks). It may be that Singer intends to present a portrayal of politics in a state of futility for human solidarity, as Rebecca Newberger Goldstein explains in "Love, Tough and Not Tough": 



It is not religious backwardness or economic conditions or political theories that are ultimately to blame. It is human nature itself that damns us, in I. J. Singer’s eyes. The possibility that Nissan can only glance at in his utter despair—the corruption mixed with human nature—is Israel Joshua’s conclusion. (Goldstein)


[Nissan]: "Maybe man was essentially evil. Maybe it wasn't the fault of economic circumstances, as he had been taught, but the deficiencies of human character." (The Brothers Ashkenazi)


Simha Meir, in particular, drawing from inexhaustible reserves of ingenuity and drive, serves only to demonstrate, by the very indefatigability of his exertions, the awful fatality and futility of human efforts in a world so thoroughly deformed by injustice... (Goldstein)


Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more