价值观的同化与冲突-论《只争朝夕》中两代犹太人的价值观

1、价值观的同化与冲突-论只争朝夕中两代犹太人的价值观 WORD文档使用说明：价值观的同化与冲突-论只争朝夕中两代犹太人的价值观 来源于PDFWORDPDF转换成WROD 本WOED文件是采用在线转换功能下载而来，因此在排版和显示效果方面可能不能满足您的应用需求。如果需要查看原版WOED文件，请访问这里价值观的同化与冲突-论只争朝夕中两代犹太人的价值观 文件原版地址: 价值观的同化与冲突-论只争朝夕中两代犹太人的价值观|PDF转换成WROD_PDF阅读器下载Conflicts and Assimilation of Two Values: Images of Two Generations in

2、Seize the DayIntroductionSaul Bellow (1915-2005) is one of Americas most important contemporary writers. He is the son of Jewish immigrant parents from Russia. He was born in Canada and grew up in Chicago, a city that often appears in his fictions. His works are famous for diversity of styles, profo

3、undness of content, and scope. In the late 1940s, Bellow began to write novels that best show the issues of the modern urban people in search of his identity. During his long literary career, Saul bellow has received many awards for his writing, including three National book awards, for The Adventur

4、es of Augie March, Herzog, and Mr Sammlers Planet. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Humbolts Gift. The Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to Saul bellow in 1976 for “the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work.” (Nobel Prize 1976) The R

5、oyal Swedish Academy, which makes the award, singled out for special praise Seize the Day, as one of the classic works of our time. In 1977 Saul Bellow won the Gold Medal for the novel, which is awarded every six years by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. In 1990, he was presen

6、ted the National Book Award Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American literature. The novel Seize the Day (1956) depicts one day in the life of a young Jew, Tommy Wilhelm, a loser in New York. The novel reveals the conflict between father and son because they hold different opinion

7、s toward such matters as education, family, money, success, sympathy, etc. As immigrants in America, the fatherthe second-generation Jew, and the sonthe third-generation Jew, represent different opinions between Jewish traditional values and American values. Through different images in the novel, th

8、e author touches the issue of assimilation of Jewish immigrants into America and the dilemma of them. Just as Emily Miller Budick, a literary critic, comments that the characters in Seize the Day are not only Jewish, but also highly assimilated into western culture. Nor is this assimilation a featur

9、e of the present generation only. Since assimilation is an everlasting problem in modern world, this paper will explores the reasons and cost they paid in the process of immigration by the analysis of different images of two Jewish generations, namely, father as a winner and son as a loser. Based on

10、 this analysis, this paper studies the conflicts between Jewish traditional values and American values from the perspective of religion, society and individuals, with the aim to making further study of Seize the Day.1. Jewish traditional valuesThe term “Jewish people” or “Jews” is defined as all adh

11、erents of Judaism. Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is the complex expression of a religion and ethnic community, a way of life as well as a set of basic beliefs and values. Although for nearly 4,000 years of historical development, Judaism has been divided into various branches, Jews always belie

12、ve in Judaism. Actually, the Jewish people and Judaism have showed both a remarkable adaptability and continuity. When Jewish people immigrate into other countries, they have absorbed foreign elements to adapt to the native environment. Jewish values are also assimilated and integrated into the nati

13、ve socioreligious system. In this way, they keep an unbroken line of ethnic and religious tradition. Judaism pays much attention to community, especially the center of the community, synagogue where Jews are supposed to express their loyalty to God and keep connections with God. It is also a place w

14、here people are called upon to create political, economic, and social forms for Jews. Like other peoples, Jews also have their own traditional valuesA. Traditional values about familyIn Judaism, parental respect and family tranquility are very important. According to Talmdh, Jewish most classic code

15、 of law, a family is a holy place, the children who come from a harmonious family can achieve the success more easily. So families are the very heart of the Jewish community, the vessel through which moral values and spiritual practices have been handed down from one generation to another. Tradition

16、ally, Jewish families perform the function of passing Jewish tradition to the next generation. According to Judaism, Jews should be responsible for family members. Judaism lays responsibility on man at home. “Man must care for his health, marry, build a family, provide for and educate his children,

17、honor parents, friends and elders.” (标注) Therefore, Jewish people have a strong sense of family.2B. Traditional values about EducationIn Jewish concept, study is also viewed as an ethical virtue. Jews attach great importance to education. It is a tradition for parents to encourage their children to

18、go on with their schooling as high as possible. Wherever Jews go, they will establish Jewish schools and colleges first and young Jewish generation will always become prominent in their study. Jewish immigrants are also known for their talents and hardworking in their study, their achievements even

19、threaten the native students in the countries they immigrate. For example, once in America, “many college administrations set limit on Jewish admission into colleges and medical schools” because “the proportion of Jewish students rose to 40 percent or more. Fearful of losing entirely their Ivy Leagu

20、e atmosphere, the administration cut Jewish registration sharply.” (Higham 160) The Jewish students were so brilliant that they occupied nearly half percentage of entrance acceptance which threatened the American students a lot. Nowadays, there is a trend that more and more Jewish students rush towa

21、rd medical schools because “they could escape stereotypic identification as business men.” Although the competition is fierce especially in America, Jews make up “about 18 percent of American medical students at the end of the decade.” (Broun, Bratti 150-162) Because of the emphasis on education, th

22、ere are so many outstanding Jewish scholars, scientists and celebrities in various fields. In the historical development of human thoughts, a lot of Jewish great thinkers even changed the process of the world. Their intelligence made significant contribution to the world. For example, Jesus was the

23、founder of Christianism; Carl Marx, the great philosopher whose ideas played a significant role in the development of modern communism, is a Jew; Sigmund Freud, a Jewish psychologist, founded the psychoanalytic school of psychiatry, etc. In the scientific field, according to statistics, 23% of the s

24、cientists who win the Nobel Prize in the world are Jewish people and 27% of the American scientists who win the Nobel Prize are Jewish people. Physicist Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, are the outstanding scientists of Jewish people. There are also many arti

25、sts such as Raphael, Picasso, Mendelssohn, Karajan and many writers such as Franz Kafka, Marcel Proust, and even Saul Bellow himself. Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that the great success Jewish people made in various fields basically depends on their focus on education3C. Traditional values a

26、bout virtuesJudaism also requires Jews to show sympathy to the poor, the weak and the sick, and do charity in their life. They should be hospitable to wayfarers, pay visit to the sick, accompany the dead to the grave, devote themselves to prayer, make peace in the community and family life. Jews sho

27、uld also help the homeless, be friendly to strangers and provide them with food and clothing. In Jewish history, Jews were always under persecution and this made them realize that helping each other is the only way to survive. There is an old story that every Jew may keep in mind through their whole

28、 life. Once a Jewish person visited the hell, he saw that there were delicious meal before everyone but the forks which were four feet long were tied to their arms. No one was happy because they couldn't eat the meal and felt hungry; Then, this person came to the heaven. What surprised him was t

29、hat everyone here was happy and he heard laughter everywhere. He noticed that people here didnt try to feed themselves but to use the long forks to help others to eat so that everyone here could eat the meal happily. This story apparently reflects Jewish traditional values about helping people. Char

30、ity is another great virtue in Judaism. According to Talmdh, the world is built on the basis of three main principles: learning, prayer and charity. Charity is Jews basic rules in their life and it even becomes their second instinct. In Jewish peoples mind, having a poor relative is also their suffe

31、rring and pain, but they ought to help the poor relatives as well as other people in poverty. Jewish people believe that all the wealth comes from God, so everyone has the right to accept the gift from God. Besides, the spirit of charity will remind the Jews of their suffering history and make them

32、grateful all the time.D. Traditional values about the way of doing businessAnother very practical Jewish tradition is the ethical requirements in economic life. They believe “man must learn to trade and work so that he does not become a burden to the community.” (Encyclopedia Britannica 441) It is u

33、niversally admitted that Jews have the talents in doing business and trade. The Jewish people are known as “the best businessmen in the world” According to statistics, 20% of the millionares in America are Jews. There are many great Jewish4financiers, bankers and merchants in history around the worl

34、d. For example, the Rothschild family is a European dynasty of German Jewish origin that controlled the worlds gold market and European economic lifeline for more than two hundred years. Another example is the great American Jew, Rockfeller. He was an American oil magnate and one of the richest pers

35、ons in the history. There is no doubt that Jews are very good at doing business and this skill can be traced back to their tradtion. Their attitude towards money is also more advanced than that of other peoples. When some other peoples in the world still regard money as sin, Jewish people have reali

36、zed that money can bring luck and wealth to the good people and evil to the people who are greed and mean. Jewish people admire those who can make money by trading and hardworking. In doing business, Jews keep their principles of being honest, shrewed and flexible. They despise the behavior of cheat

37、ing. This is the main reason why they can be successful in business. In conclusion, Jewish peoples business principle and their great talent in doing business make them rich and wealthy wherever they live.5. Reasons and cost of fathers imageDr. Adler is Wilhelms father. He is the second generation o

38、f Jewish immigrants who is regarded as a successful image in Seize the Day. “ He was a diagnostician, one of the best in New York and had a tremendous practice.”(Bellow 12) He believes that anyone who wants to get achievements should struggle hard for his career and should be self-discipline. In his

39、 mind, self-discipline means to be rationality and to keep all the troubles away from himself although his son ask him for a hand. Outwardly, he achieves a lot in his career, he wins social status, wealth and good reputation, however, he also pays a lot of cost for his so-called success. He losts hi

40、s belief and religion as well as family sense which is one of the most important creed in Jewish values.A. Fatherimage of a winnerIn modern society, everyone seeks fortune and success, so does the immigrants in America. As for what “success” is, people define it differently, but traditionally speaki

41、ng, success means money, status, fame, family, love, etc. At the beginning of the novel, the author tells readers that “Wilhelms father, old Dr. Adler, lived an entirely different world from his sons.” (Bellow 10) though they live in the same hotel. The old doctor is a successful retired doctor in N

42、ew York and so he lives a comfortable life because of his success, Now, “He stood well above the older people in the hotel. He was idolized by everyone, this was what people said: “That's old professor Adler, who used to teach internal medicine. He was a diagnostician, one of the best in New Yor

43、k and had a tremendous practice.” (Bellow 11-12) As the second generation of Jewish immigrants, Dr. Adler won reputation and status through his struggle and hardworking. Undoubtedly, he is a person with full of knowledge so that he can understand every single thing whoever says. His wonderful capabi

44、lity of communicating with different kinds of people makes him a person who is welcomed by all the people around him. “He still has all his buttons. You can discuss only subject with him. The clerks, the elevators, the telephone girls and waitresses and chambermaids, the management flattered and pam

45、pered him.” (Bellow 12) The old man has all the labels of a successful modern man. That is, decent occupation and wealth, good reputation and respect, happy family and love. At nearly eighty years old, he also lives a healthy and leisurely life in New York and it seems that he is quite satisfied wit

46、h city life now. He lives a healthy and regular life, and does healthy sports, he swims in one of the finest pools in New York and says that it does a great deal for him and he cannot live without massages. To sum up, Dr. Adler gets social statues, reputation and wealth which is in sharp contrast to

47、 his son.6B. Reasons for the success of Jewish second generationUnlike the first generation of Jewish immigrants who refuse to integrate with American culture and society but want to keep their own values and lifestyles, its not easy for the second generation of immigrants who are eager to integrate

48、 into the society to achieve success in America. Dr. Adler, as the second generation of Jewish immigrants, has struggled hard and pays a lot of cost to achieve success. He is the model of second generation of immigrants. He has to break various obstacles and tries to adapt to American values and lif

49、estyles, he has to change some of Jewish traditional values which has already deeply rooted in his mind. Meanwhile, he has to follow the rules and principles of American society. His success owes to several factors, namely, hardworking and adaptability. They are the decisive reasons for Dr. Adlers s

50、uccess. Moreover, during his struggle to climb up to the middle class in American society, Dr. Adler also realizes that if he wants to achieve his goals, hed better keep himself away from any troubles and to be cold-hearted and rational.1. HardworkingThe father, Dr. Adler, is the second generation o

51、f Jewish immigrants in America. When he was young, he was not satisfied with his fate and he wanted to get rid of the miserable life. Dr. Adlers father, as the first generation of Jewish immigrant, insisted in living a traditional Jewish life. Although the first genetation lived in America, they mai

52、ntained their values and principles in their small Jewish community. The first immigrants chose to live in the countryside which made them be less influenced by the whole American society. However, their rejection to integrate into the society makes them lack of proper education and they knew little

53、 about the place they lived in. Therefore, the first generation didnt have the capability and competitive ability to achieve their career in America. Dr. Adler wanted to change the sitiuation and his fate. With his intelligence and through his personal struggle, he finally breaks away from the “ghet

54、to” life and joins the middle class in America for many years. “Success” is not a piece of cake in New York even to native people, let alone to immigrants in America, so there must be some important reasons for the fathers success. Dr Adler used to tell his son why he could make a success. “I was no

55、t self-indulgent, not lazy. My old man sold dry goods in Williamsburg. We were nothing. I knew I couldnt afford to waste my chances” (Bellow 50). Apparently, this is a lesson for the second generation of Jewish immigrants who wanted to achieve their success, to get higher social status and to make t

56、hemselves wealthy. The fathers hardworking makes a deep impression in his sons mind. His son once reflected “Dad never was a pal to me when I was young. He was at the office or the hospital, or lecturing”(Bellow 50). The old doctor cherishes the value of a7hard-working and serious life and criticize

57、s his sons life in an ironic tone, “I didnt run away with fifty women, either. I was not a Hollywood star. I didnt have time to go to Cuba for a vacation” (Bellow 50). Dr. Adler behaves self-principled because he follows the social rules and believes that only hardworking and struggle can make a per

58、son powerful and strong. Therefore, he is very proud of his hardworking life and he believes that he deserves his comfortable retired life.2. Cold-heartedness and RationalityDr. Adler is a cool and rational person, which helps him to form a harmonious relationship with people. He is a master of soci

59、al behavior. Even his son, Wilhelm, sometimes wonders “Another one of Dads German friends. Where does he collect all these guys?” (Bellow 77). He can get along well with all kinds of people. He is kind to everybody and never loses temper publicly. He establishes a good image in the presence of people; Even talking to his son, he maintains his expression of healthy, h