The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis  in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee

Sebryuk, Anna

doi:10.31857/S268667300016902-2

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The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee

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The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee

Annotation

PII

S268667300016902-2-

DOI

10.31857/S268667300016902-2

Publication type

Article

Status

Published

Authors

Anna Sebryuk Send message

ORCID: 0000-0003-1601-5787

Affiliation: National Research University "Higher School of Economics"
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Edition

Issue 10

Pages

113-126

Abstract

The search for identity and self-identity problems have been one of the pivotal themes for Jewish American authors. Prominent writers such as Bernard Malamud, Saul Bellow and Philip Roth explore American Jewish identity and address the questions of assimilation, the hardship of immigrant life, challenges of cultural acceptance, and finding purpose in life. In particular they are concerned with the self-identification and alienation of American Jewry. The given paper examines the problems of personality crisis and loss of identity portrayed in Bernard Malamud’s story “The German Refugee”. The psychological aspects of the main character’s personality are investigated, an attempt is made to analyze the factors that determined the crisis, which ultimately led him to suicide. The author also touches upon the topic of the post-Holocaust consciousness in Jewish American literature. Despite the fact that Malamud did not address the Holocaust theme in his works directly, he, like many post-war American fiction writers, was deeply impacted by it. The importance of Malamud's writing for Holocaust literature lies in his realistic portrayal of how the Shoah continues to affect survivors, refugees and those Jews who were not physically affected by it.

Keywords

American literature, Jewish American literature, self-identification, identity, identity crisis, post-Holocaust consciousness

Received

27.06.2021

Date of publication

01.10.2021

Number of purchasers

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1320

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S268667300016902-2-1 Дата внесения правок в статью - 30.09.2021

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GOST	Sebryuk A. The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee // USA & Canada: Economics – Politics – Culture. – 2021. – Issue 10 C. 113-126 . URL: https://usacanadaras.ru/1-ru-34/?version_id=90796. DOI: 10.31857/S268667300016902-2
MLA	Sebryuk, Anna "The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee." USA & Canada: Economics – Politics – Culture. 10 (2021).:113-126. DOI: 10.31857/S268667300016902-2
APA	Sebryuk A. (2021). The Loss of Self and Identity Crisis in Jewish American Literature: The Case of Bernard Malamud’s The German Refugee. USA & Canada: Economics – Politics – Culture. no. 10, pp.113-126 DOI: 10.31857/S268667300016902-2

References

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