"The Conversion of the Jews"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Philip Roth's story, "The Conversion of the Jews," offers a deliberately oversimplified version of the shift from Judaic to Christo-centric societal norms. It looks at how, rather than simply narrate the plight of Christ from a perspective of temporal congruence, Roth uses the variance in the ages of the protagonists to highlight the universality of the quest to discover one's own personal faith.

From the Paper:

"The fact that he, rather than Binder, claims their full attention, and the fact that they are in star-shaped clusters, reminisce of the Star of David, is symbolic of the shift from Judaic to Christo-centric influence. The "jagged starlike clusters" (388) of his friends, who will someday be Jewish men, are calling for his suicide, an act that would be, for them, salvific in its ultimate rejection of Rabbi Binder, and thus all he stood for. The boys are no longer in league with Binder, no longer his stooges, but rather have become the disciples of Ozzie in his new station. By default, Ozzie has become the Christ of Queens, not by choice so much as out of necessity, a result of his quest. "

More papers on "The Conversion of the Jews":

• Analytical Essay # 124396 : "Humor in "The Conversion of the Jews"
• Analytical Essay # 126964 : "Violence in "Conversion of the Jews"
• Poem Review # 109015 : "Heinrich Heine and the Message of "The Loreley"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: