Jew in the American War Novel
1920s–2020s

By (author) Ohad Reznick

ISBN13: 9781032995328

Imprint: Routledge

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Hardback

Published: 31/03/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
This is the first book of its kind to provide an analysis of the representation of Jews in American war novels throughout the long twentieth century. This study delineates the intricate relationship between Jews and wars. Are Jews depicted as draft dodgers or heroes in American war fiction? How do Jewish soldiers cope with anti-Semitism in war novels? Do Jewish women contribute to the war effort? Addressing these questions, among others, this book analyzes texts, some of which have been overlooked by critics and some by well-known authors, such as Ernest Hemingway and Philip Roth, in order to trace the changes in the perception of Jews in relation to war. Scrutinizing themes such as blood and masculinity, The Jew in the American War Novel argues that the depiction of the Jew is characterized by progression and then regression; in war novels published shortly after WWI, non-Jews see Jews as draft evaders who lack masculinity. After WWII, Jews began to be seen as contributing to the warfare. However, toward the end of twentieth century, reflecting the reemergence of prevalent anti-Semitism, Jews are once again seen as disloyal, resulting in a clash between the sense of Jewish and American identities.
Acknowledgements Introduction: The Relationship between Jewish Americans and Wars Chapter 1: The Interwar Period–the Jew as an Unmasculine Man who Evades the War Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises: The Jew as Imitating the Real Male John Dos Passos' Three Soldiers: The "Kike" who is Proven Right Chapter 2: The 1940s-1950s – Oversimplifying the Jewish/American Conflict Irwin Shaw's Young Lions: Anti-Semitism as a Threat to Democracy Wasteland: The Merger of Jewish and Non-Jewish Blood Chapter 3: The 1960s-1980s—Jewish Wars War and Remembrance: WWII and Saving Jews Crescent City: A Jewish War Against Slavery and Chauvinism Chapter 4: The 1990s-2020s—The Jews as Separate from Other Americans All Other Nights: A Clash Between the Two Identities The Living and the Lost: The Holocaust as Shaping Jewish Identity Epilogue: Blood, Evading Draft, and Anti-Semitism in The Human Stain Index
  • Armed conflict
  • Jewish studies
  • Tertiary Education (US: College)
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List Price: £150.00