June 16, Roth & Malumud

1. Both of these stories deal with faith, doubt, and questioning.How do you feel about the way the adults handled Ozzie's questions in "Conversion"? Was he out of line to ask so many questions? What do you think about Manischevitz and his questions in "Angel"? Ozzies questions reflect the importance of keeping an open and rational mind in the face of the religious certainty of others. The adults were faced with the limitations of their own view, and it made them uncomfortable, for those limitations have to be swept under the rug if one is to remain faithful. or, so they believed. I think his questions were the genuine questions a man would have in the face of such suffereing.
2. Roth has been widely criticized for the negative image he paints of his Jewish characters. Do you think the Jewish characters in "Conversion" are presented negatively? If so, what might be Roth's purpose in this portrayal? I think he wants people to be able to see themselves clearly. Human beings are funny in their unique and individual ways. Why shoudl jews or any other group of people not be able to appreciate the humor in life? I think he knows that people take themselves too seriously, and he wants to show how he feels about it.
3. Malamud's "Angel" has often been connected with the Biblical story of Job. If you're unfamiliar with the story, the Jewish Encyclopedia offers a summary of the book of Job, and Bible Gateway offers the full text. From what you know if the story, what are the connections between the situations of Job and Manischevitz? What do you think Malamud's purpose is in making the link between the two stories? There are many.. Because stories from the bible make for great drama.
4. "Angel" and "Conversion" were originally published shortly after the end of World War II (only 5 years and 14 years, respectively). How do the stories relate to the historical situation? What effect do you think the recent Holocaust has on each story? on its characters? on its themes? How do other cultural situations impact each story (race, class, location, age, etc.)? The stories are greatly affected by historical time. there seesm to be in both stories a reflection of an acute awareness of race and religion, very self-conscious. It is expressed differently among the different generations. There is almost a type of paranoia felt in the stories, though understandably so.
5. Are any characters in the stories sympathetic to you? If so, which characters in the stories are most sympathetic? I like Ozzie. He's just a mischevious kid with an open mind. I like all of the charachters in the Angle story.
6. What message do you think each author is trying to convey in his story? How does he convey it? How can we apply his message/theme beyond the situation of the characters in the story? One was trying to show how the constricted views of religion and culture can actually damage the soul. The other is showing the value of faith.