Society and Communication in Jewish American Short Stories

"The storyteller and poet of our time, as in any §other time, must be an entertainer of the spirit in §the full sense of the word, not just a preacher of §social or political ideals. There is no paradise for §bored readers and no excuse for tedious literature §that does not intrigue the reader, uplift him, give §him the joy and the escape that true art always §grants." (Isaac Bashevis Singer; taken from §http://nobelprize.org/)§§This book is concerned with some of the §least "boring literature" ever written. It looks at §first, second, and third generation Jewish American §immigrants and analyzes how they deal with American §society. Do they communicate with it? Do they need §it in order to feel safe? Do they ignore it? Or do §they feel threatened by it?§ The stories authors are some of the most creative §and witty writers of the 20th century. Singer is §known for his unique characters; Malamud for his §exact analysis of Jewish life in New York City; §Paley was among the first to §represent the female voice in Jewish American short §stories; and Philip Roth remains one of the most §brilliant and controversial authors to this day.