Impact and Relevance of Ethnicity in Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Enemies: A Love Story

Abstract

‘Ethnicity’ commonly refers to the physical, social, or cultural distinctions a group of people share because of their ancestry and place of birth. Ethnic qualities include physical appearance, language, religious beliefs, or social customs in any combination. ‘Ethnicity’ is the primary unit of social organization in some areas of the world. In parts of Asia and Africa, ethnicity is more important than other measures of difference, such as class and nationality.

The American Jews form undoubtedly one of the most gifted ethnic groups in American society who have excelled remarkably in the field of science, technology, commerce and trade and have contributed tremendously towards the enrichment of American literature, especially because the Jews are not only an ancient race deeply rooted in the Talmudic tradition but also because they have survived the worst genocide in history as an ethnic group. The Jew writers like Bernard Malamud, Henry Roth, Philip Roth, Norman Mailer, J.D. Salinger, Saul Bellow, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Leon Uris, Nathaniel West, John Updike, Edgar Lewis, Wallant, Chain Potok, Herbert Gold, Arthur Miller, Joseph Heller, and E.L. Doctorow, etc. have written interesting novels which throw considerable light on Jewish life style, tradition and culture. Most of these writers are the survivors of Holocaust. The theme of victimization and alienation, cultural dilemma, diaspora, lost roots, quest for love and peace, search for social identity and struggle for adjustment largely appear in their writings.

The objective of this research project is to highlight not only the ethnicity of the Jews but also to show how ethnic groups go a long way to enrich the life, society and literature of a great nation that comprises of several communities and ethnic groups.