Three Novels Dealing with Israel

Leon Uris' novel is the most simple of the three works. Uris unabashedly declares that he has set out to write a book which shows Jews and Israel in the best possible light. It is no surprise, then, to find the Jewish-American characters in Uris' novel are. in general, all upstanding citizens who would do anything for Israel and who are all equally proud of their heritage. Uris must certainly feel that he has done Israel and Jewish-Americans a great favor to have portrayed the nation and them in such a constantly favorable light, but in fact what he has done is rob them of their originality and individuality. Uris obviously despises Jews who question themselves or the state of the world, who have any sense of guilt, who are clever, brilliant, sneaky or sulking, (author's statement), who display, in short, any of the characteristics which make every human being a human being. The argument could be fairly made that Uris, by editing out of his characters all the traits which he does not care for, is himself self-hating.

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way which would confuse Uris at best, and enrage him at best. He rhapsodizes on the word "benign" and connects it to Israel: "Blessed art thou O Lord Our God, let it be benign! Hear O Israel, and shine down thy countenance, . . . only let it be benign!" (Roth 73). The suggestion is that Roth---or the character Roth creates as his narrator---certainly is willing to love and honor the idea and state of Israel, but above all he does not want to have to fight or die for it. Why? Because he is sick of doing constant battle with his mother, who dominates, reads his mind, judges him, controls him, and in every way serves as the sort of Jewish "cliche" Uris disdains in his author's statement. Portnoy is blatant about his view about Jewish identity from his perspective as a Jewish-American, and his view might give Uris a stroke: Instead of crying over he-who refuses at the age of fourteen ever to set food inside a synagogue again, . . . weep for your own pathetic selves . . . sucking on that sour grape of a religion! Jew Jew Jew Jew Jew Jew! It is coming out of my ears already, the saga of the suffering Jews! Do me a favor, my people, and stick your suffering heritage up your suffering ass---I happen also to be a human being! (Rot
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1623
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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