culture.

It is even a sacred element,

chapter twenty-four the most sacred of all books, the Bible,
originated from this religion. ​Such
orientation has made inevitable the
American appearance of distinguished Jewish
contributions to American literature.

Jewish Writing Since the Second World War, a

notable group of Jewish writers has
appeared. Among the most prominent
Jews first arrived in America during the of these is Saul Bellow.
colonial period. However, significant

Saul Bellow
numbers of them did not come to the
United States until the end of the 19​th
century. At that time severe
persecutions broke out in eastern
Europe. ​To escape this wave of (1915-2005)
anti-Semitism, they came to the United
States. They were received as one
Although born in Canada of Russian
more group in the huge numbers of
Jewish parent, his family moved to the
European immigrants arriving in the
United States when he was a young
country. Thus allowed to live freely and
boy. They settled in Chicago, where he
equally as other citizens, they greatly
grew up. This urban background forms
prospered in their new environment.
the introductory setting of his most
famous novel, ​The Adventures of
They proved more successful than the
Augie March​.
average immigrant. The long years of
persecution taught them that they
The novel is narrated by Augie himself,
could protect themselves by
beginning with his Chicago boyhood,
developing their intelligence and
poor and Jewish. ​Realizing that much
talents, living by their wits. With such
of man’s life is determined, he resolves
beneficial habits and within a tolerant
that he will be free, absorbing the
environment, they steadily progressed.
knowledge and experience of others
During the 20​th century, Jews, although
and, he hopes, discover a “good
a small minority, achieved prominent
enough fate” to live by.
positions in American public life,
commercial activity, social and cultural
His first “teacher” is his grandmother,
affairs.
who gives him the ambition to rise out
of the working class. She is a
Their cultural interest were particularly
domineering woman, committed to the
marked in literary activities because
advancement of the family. Augie
the written word is an essential and
refuses to be dominated by her.
most respected element of Jewish

As he grows older, his ties to his family
weaken. As a high school student, he
is hired by a paralyzed man, Einhorn,
to carry out general services, dressing
him, carrying him, running errands,
and listening to his shrewd comments
about life. Despite paralysis, Einhorn
has great gusto for life, reaching out
eagerly to satisfy his financial,
intellectual, and sexual appetites.
Augie learns much from the astute
Einhorn but resists the man’s efforts to
shape the boy’s life.
Augie goes through a variety of minor
jobs and just gets away from the police
in some illegal escapades. An
attractive young man, Augie is picked
up by a wealthy, middle-aged woman
who tries to make him her consort. But
Augie will not be bought for money.
His real love is Thea, a rich,
passionate, and beautiful young
woman who fervidly hunts with eagles
and just as avidly, although married,
pursues men. With Thea he goes off to
her house in Mexico. She has him train
an eagle to hunt lizards and ferocious
iguanas. One day, however, the eagle
flies from an iguana, enraging Thea.
Augie greatly admires in Thea her
determination to triumph over nature.
Yet he also admires the eagle’s
determination not to be shaped by her.
Torn between his love for her and his
reluctance to submit to the will of
another, Augie finally leaves Thea.
Returning to Chicago, he confronts the
criticism of his family and friends, that
he has made nothing of his life. He
recognizes the truth of this criticism,
yet is proud of the freedom he has
maintained for himself.
Once again Augie falls in love, this
time with a beautiful actress, Stella.
They marry and eventually go to live in
Paris. Gradually Augie discovers that
his wife has a compulsion to lie.
However, he accepts this weakness, in
his hope to have a simple family life.
The novel ends with Augie established
in the routine of a business career.
While traveling, he notices in an
acquaintance the determination to face
disappointment in life. From this
observation, Augie renews his own
resolution to find a suitable fate,
thinking of himself as a “laughing
creature, forever rising up.”
The following selection describes
Augie’s grandmother, Mrs. Lausch.
Her dead husband had been a wealthy
merchant in the Russian city of
Odessa. She now lives with Augie’s
family, his mother and brother, SImon.
The father deserted the family some
time ago. Augie’s description of his
grandmother shows the adaptation of
an immigrant’s culture to an American
environment.
[​see the book​]