Philip Roth's Deathmatch with Judaism

Abstract:Philip Roth famously and frequently resisted being identified as a Jewish writer, although he never resisted being identified as a Jew and was a frequent critic of anti-Semitism. While Roth's work often depicts Jews arguing with each other, these conflicts have less to do with being Jewish, per se, than with how Judaism is conceived in the modern world. Criticized since his earliest stories for attacking Jews, Roth has rebelled against the practice of Judaism. This essay explores Roth's conflict with the existence of Judaism and the implicit communal demand that he abide by its historic practices.