Rachel Anderson
Dr. Katherine Ledford
English 2320
Nov. 20, 2007
Is Philip Roth a “Defender of the Faith”?
Just like artists are known for distinguishable characteristics in their works, like
impressionists, writers incorporate distinct literary styles into their pieces. The
controversial modern author, Philip Roth, is easily recognized for his unique themes and
literary style. Even though Philip Roth, an American Jew, published his first book
Goodbye, Columbus in 1959 and won the National Book Award for this work, he did not
gain widespread fame until 1969 with the release of his controversial novel, Portnoy’s
Complaint. Roth is renowned for provoking his audience, especially in America, because
of his discussion of prevalent, private issues in a very public manner. Unafraid of causing
a stir, Roth continues to address matters he is concerned about, perhaps to define himself
and his view of society today. Although many major themes of Philip Roth’s are
portrayed in his short story, “Defender of the Faith,” other distinguishable characteristics
of his writing are not incorporated. Self-Identity and relation to one’s Jewish Heritage are
notable themes depicted in “Defender of the Faith” and many of Roth’s other great
works, while his literary style of including controversial sexuality is not.
The theme of self-identity, especially not defining oneself entirely by one’s
religion or society, included in “Defender of the Faith” is very common in Roth’s works.
By utilizing his characters and plot, Roth analyzes how the self fits into society as a
whole and how they view their position. In the short story, “Defender of the Faith,”
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Roth’s protagonist, Sergeant Marx struggles with his conscience on where he believes he
should stand on issues, especially concerning Sheldon Grossbart, one of his trainees.
Throughout the entire story, Grossbart attempts to wheedle favors from Sergeant Marx
based on the commonality of their Jewish faith. These personal favors ranged from
special food due to kosher regulations, to time off to celebrate Jewish holidays like
Passover, to secret knowledge only the Sergeants are allowed access to. In the beginning,
Marx battles with himself on which side he wishes to identify with most: should he
connect with his Jewish heritage and sympathize with Grossbart, allotting him special
treatment, or should he associate with his Sergeant self and be harsh but fair? Switching
back and forth on his identity, Marx occasionally supports Grossbart, and at other times,
detests his ambition to receive special treatment. At one point while defending his
trainee, Marx thinks, “Sometimes in the telling it seemed to the Captain that I was not so
much explaining Grossbart’s position as defending it” (Roth 2725). During these
moments, Marx identifies himself with Grossbart and goes as far to comply with his
requests. In the end, however, Marx decides that Grossbart only has self-serving motives
and refuses to give him any further special treatment. Acting against Grossbart, Marx
makes sure that Grossbart is discharged to the Pacific with the rest of his troop. Although
it is difficult for Marx throughout the story, he finally finds his identity.
This theme of searching for one’s identity and place in the world is observed in
many of Roth’s works, most notably Goodbye, Columbus. Neil Klugman, a lower-class
philosophy major, and his girlfriend, Brenda Patimkin, a wealthy Radcliff student, are
both searching for their patriotic identity and the “American Dream”. Even though both
characters were born American citizens, they strive to become more “Americanized”
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throughout the novel because they wish to reject their ethnic heritage. Neil becomes
willing to discard his past for Brenda, or the ideal she represents to him: the wealthy,
successful, secure American class. Brenda, on the other hand, focuses on hiding her
heritage in a physical manner by getting a nose job. Not only do these two characters
struggle with finding their identity, they reject the one that actually fits them. Dealing
with this issue of self-discovery in most of his works, Roth usually incorporates a Jewish
heritage aspect.
All of Roth’s works include Judaism in some manner, whether the story has
religious motifs or the characters are actually Jewish. Because Roth is a Jew himself,
writing about Jewish people and their heritage might be a personal means of selfdiscovery for him and how he relates to his own faith. Timothy L. Parrish analyzes
Roth’s characters and their relation to Judaism in his journal “Imagining Jews in Philip
Roth’s ‘Operation Shylock’”. In this journal, Parrish discusses how Roth portrays
American Jews and how these characters acquire a dual identity that they battle with
daily. The characters in these stories also attempt to figure out how they relate to Israel, if
at all. Parrish quotes Shostak claiming that Roth is intrigued by “how Israel possesses an
identity crisis for the Diaspora Jew largely because of its symbolic power as the Jewish
home.” (Parrish 576) Roth’s characters struggle with their intertwined identity because
they do not know which part of themselves is more dominant: their heritage or their
citizenship? Many feel that Roth writes this way about his Jewish characters because he
has lost many stereotypical Jewish qualities by becoming so “Americanized”. Appelfeld
is quoted by Parrish claiming that Roth’s Jew’s are “Jews without Judaism” (Parrish
578). Although some feel Roth has lost touch with his heritage, Parrish points out that
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Operation Shylock, “Incorporates virtually all of twentieth-century Jewish history, from
the European Diaspora into America to the Holocaust, to the creation and consolidation
of the state of Israel” (Parrish 580). It is apparent that Roth holds an affinity for
displaying the Jewish culture and history in various ways, although some critique his
motives for doing so. Parish states, “Roth’s work has enraged many Jewish readers who
have felt that Roth was merely exploiting Jewish cultural stereotypes to amuse an
unsympathetic, but nonetheless voracious gentile audience” (Parrish 577). This analytical
anti-Semitism view from different critiques must evaluate the fact that Roth is Jewish.
Not all of his characters display “Jewish Qualities”, they are just people with issues, like
any person could face no matter what heritage they descend from. Roth includes Judaism
in his writings for multiple reasons, most notably his personal discovery for his relation
to his faith.
“Defender of the Faith” incorporates many Jewish motifs throughout the short
story, like most of Roth’s pieces. Even the title reflects relation to one’s religion; so from
the very first page, the reader is aware of the faith aspect of the piece. Not only is the
protagonist, Sergeant Marx, Jewish, but three of his trainees are of the faith as well. At
one point in the story, Grossbart tries to defend the reasoning behind his desire for special
treatment in the statement: “Because I’m a Jew, Sergeant. I am different. Better, maybe
not. But different”(Roth 2737). This statement of seclusion from the rest of the world
displays how the characters react to their heritage and distinguish themselves as a
separate group. Although the faith in this story is utilized as a means for self-serving
motives and self-discovery, the fact that it is woven as a major aspect of the story to
begin with must be noted as a commonality with Roth’s works in general. Various facets
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of Jewish Culture are incorporated into the story such as attending Synagogue on Friday
evenings (Roth 2724), being Kosher (Roth 2728), and celebrating the Passover holiday
(Roth 2736). “Defender of the Faith” is undoubtedly similar to other writings of Roth’s
due to the integration of the Jewish culture.
A major aspect, however, that is a notable literary style of Roth’s not found in
“Defender of the Faith” is the inclusion of controversial sexuality. Roth acquired a
reputation of writing explicitly about sex through his work Portnoy’s Complaint. This
self-discovery book follows Portnoy, a Jewish teenager, and his obsession with anything
sexual. Throughout these teenage years, he battles with his sexual longings, even though
all he really desires out of life is to eventually have a nice family. This dream, he knows,
is impossible if he does not stop his fascination with sexuality. Portnoy comments about
his youth:
Then came adolescence- half my waking life spent locked behind the bathroom
door, firing my wad down the toilet bowl, or into the soiled clothes in the laundry
hamper, or splat, up against the medicine-chest mirror, before which I stood in my
dropped drawers so I could see how it looked coming out. (Roth Tenenbaum 37)
From this except, it is obvious that Roth has no boundaries when discussing sexual acts,
which makes many readers uncomfortable. Besides his inclusion of Jewish culture and
him being seen on occasion as sounding anti-Semitic, Roth’s inclusion of sex is a main
reason of why he is such a controversial author. Shostak states that some feel Roth’s only
goal is to “Shock at Titillate” his readers to be known as controversial,
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especially in his works Portnoy’s Complaint and The Breast (Shostak 317). Even though
“Defender of the Faith” includes many themes relating to Roth’s various works, because
it contains no sexual aspect it does not fit the “typical” mold.
Like Roth, most authors carry various themes that they are passionate about
throughout the majority of their work. For example, Edith Wharton wrote about social
constrictions placed upon women during the early twentieth century. This theme is
displayed in The House of Mirth, Summer, The Age of Innocence, and many of her other
pieces. Because Wharton herself felt confined to live by society’s standards and detested
the life society molded for her, she became passionate about breaking away from these
restrictions in her writing. The passion Langston Hughes, a famous American poet, had
for African Americans and racial justice showed through his writings. His most notable
poems, “I, Too”, “Mulatto”, “Madam’s Calling Cards”, and “Theme for English B” all
display a powerful message for racial equality. Writers and artists alike incorporate
specific themes that they feel a passion for in their work. Through these means one can
bring about awareness to the subject and make a significant difference.
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Works Cited
Parrish, Timothy L. “Imagining Jews in Philip Roth’s ‘Operation Shylock.’”
Contemporary Literature 1999: 575-602.
Roth, Philip. “Defender of the Faith.” The Norton Anthology American Literature.
Seventh Edition Volume E. 2007.
Shostak, Debrah. “Return to The Breast: The Body, The Masculine Subject, and Philip
Roth.” Twentieth Century Literature Fall 1999: 317-35.
Tenenbaum, David. “Race, Class, and Shame in the Fiction of Philip Roth” Shofar:
An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 2006: 34-49