Anti-Semitism in

Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead

Antiszemitizmus
Norman Mailer Meztelenek és holtak című művében

Angol nyelvtanári szak Szakdolgozó neve: Varga Andrea

Kodolányi János Főiskola Konzulens neve: Dr. Kádár Judit
Székesfehérvár
2005
Table of Contents

Introduction.....................................................................................................................1
1. The Historical Background of the Novel..................................................................3
1.1The Historical Events of the Era......................................................................3
1.2 Economic and Social Background...................................................................6
1.3 The Home Front and Minority Groups............................................................8
2. Postwar Literature of the United States Up to the ‘50s............................................11
2.1 After the War...................................................................................................11
2.2 Minority Groups in Literary Life....................................................................12
2.3 Jewish Writers.................................................................................................13
2.4 The Beat Generation........................................................................................14
2.5 Norman Mailer’s place in Postwar Literature of the United States and Critical
Remarks Against Him............................................................................................16
3. The Brooklyn Jew Norman Mailer and His Greatest Works...................................18
3.1 Norman Mailer’s Life Up to His Debut...........................................................18
3.2 The Writer’s Attitude and Insistence to His Roots..........................................20
3.3 Mailer’s Greatest Works..................................................................................21
4. Anti-Semitism...........................................................................................................23
4.1 Attempts to Define Anti-Semitism..................................................................23
4.2 A Brief History of Anti-Semitism and Reasons that Lead to It.......................25
4.3 Reasons and Manifestations of Anti-Semitism................................................27
4.4 The Presence of Anti-Semitism in the United States of America....................29
4.5 How to Fight Against Prejudice......................................................................30
5. Anti-Semitism in Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead..................................31
5.1 High Level Anti-Semitism...............................................................................31
5.2 Anti-Semitism Among Middle Class People...................................................33
5.3Anti-Semitism Among Drop-outs.....................................................................42
5.4 Observed Anti-Semitism in American Society................................................43
5.5 Consequencies.................................................................................................43
6. Pedagogical Implications..........................................................................................45
 6.1 Background Information to the Lesson...........................................................45
6.2 The Course of the Lesson................................................................................46
6.3 The Lesson Plan...............................................................................................48
Conclusion......................................................................................................................50
Bibliography
Introduction

In this thesis my intention is to examine the question of anti-Semitism in the novel

The Naked and the Dead. It is a realistic work, therefore it is trustworthy, represents the
whole American society through its characters from all walks of life. If there is anti-
Semitism in the novel, it proves the presence of it in real community of that age.
According to my findings I will draw a conclusion, whether anti-Semitism was an
existing phenomenon in the United States of the 1940s, and if it was, then why.
I have chosen to write about this topic, as I am interested in the matter of anti-
Semitism in general. Unfortunately, it is still an existing problem worldwide. It is not
surprising that anti-Semitism, even if being banned and a penal offence, does exist in
European countries. What struck me was that anti-Semitism could had been a question
in a country that is committed to the defense of human rights, namely the United States
of America. In a state where nearly everybody is a newcomer from other countries equal
treatment should be accepted towards all citizens. Any different behavior urges me to
find the answer to the question “why?” People’s attitude to this issue can greatly
influence the future of our societies as well as in Europe and overseas.
In order to find the answer it is important to be aware of all the information that
enable to get a clear picture of the era and its people. Nevertheless, in my thesis I
concentrate only on a certain part of history, the age of the Second World War. I try to
reveal the reasons and the background to anti-Semitism in the United States during that
time.
First of all, historical facts and a characterization of the community of the States
are given in chapter one. This part will sketch the historical events and the economic
status of the country. It will also outline how people, living in the homeland, coped with
their new roles during war, and the place of minority groups. Knowing these details
makes easier to fully understand the feelings and actions of the characters in the novel.
The second chapter will mention some pieces of post-war American literature,
describe the impression of literary men and women in a new America. It will name the
main literary trends including the Beats and will depict the situation of writers with
origin of any minority, emphasizing writers of Jewish background. Getting familiar with

1
the main information about post-war literature enables to find Norman Mailer’s place in
it.
The next chapter is the short biography of the author of the novel up to the
publication of his first masterpiece. His life experiences return in the novel, so knowing
them facilitates to understand the book. Also, his greatest works are named and some
criticism is introduced.
In chapter four there is an attempt to define the term of anti-Semitism and show
its history briefly. It tries to find reasons of anti-Semitism and show some forms of its
manifestation.
After this research it will execute an investigation on anti-Semitism in the novel
The Naked and the Dead in chapter five. It will take examples of emerging anti-
Semitism from the work and aims to find the reasons behind them.
The last chapter will describe the importance of teaching this topic at high school.
During the lesson I attempt to combine methodology and pedagogy. This chapter will
illustrate the course of a lesson where dealing with literature in class is also the aim. It
will suggest at what age this material should be taught.
The conclusion will show the results and summarize the thesis. It will include
what had been discovered while working on this thesis.

2
1. The Historical Background of the Novel

1.1. Historical Events of the Era

According to Brinkley’s research, during the Second World War the involvement
of the United States went through a gradual change. The country came to active
participation from neutrality.
At first, the United States took part only by supplying weapons requested by
Winston Churchill for Great Britain. Franklin Roosevelt ignored even the Neutrality
Acts when supported Britain without any financial compensation at the expense of the
government of the United States.
As the second phase this assistance manifested in the ‘lend-lease’ system later on.
This became possible because of the change in the attitude of the Americans to the issue
of war. In contrast to the isolationists, the majority of American citizens considered the
Nazi troops as real danger.
On June 22 in 1940 Hitler’s and Mussolini’s troops occupied Paris and partly
because of this, by July of 1940 the risk proved to be true. Then American navy
replaced British ships that were destroyed by German submarines in the Atlantic.
Shipping became really hazardous in that territory in consequence of Nazi attacks by the
end of 1940. This action was the third step from neutrality. In the meantime, the United
States was concerned about a presidential campaign. The Democrats’ candidate was
Franklin Roosevelt, the Republicans set Wendell Willkie as an opponent. Willkie and
his party meant his country not to be involved in the war, but they also inclined to
support the Allies against Germany. As the result of the election, Roosevelt started his
third term as President in November 1940.
The next stage was the signing of the Atlantic Charter, in which Churchill and
Roosevelt expressed their intention to be participants on the same side in World War II
in August 1941.
By September 1941 Nazis were fighting on Soviet territories, they escalated war
to Soviet Union. In response to this escalation the Congress of the United States

3
endorsed the lend-lease system to the Soviets in the same month. The backing of the
British army was completed with naval protection towards American freighters that
shipped armaments to Europe for Great Britain and for the Soviet Union as the fifth
phase.
The sixth step towards war was the conflict between Hitler’s submarines and
American ships. Roosevelt authorized American navy to shoot the Axis’ submarines in
September. Answering the attack by Nazi submarines against two American vessels in
October, the Congress of the United States forwarded a proposal of militarizing
American freighters. Actually, this meant the beginning of maritime war against
Germany.
Parallel to these events on European theatre of war, serious actions took place in
the East. In September 1940 Japan became an ally of German and Italian armies and
took over authority in Indochina and Vietnam in July 1941. In response to ignoring
Roosevelt’s notice, the United States ceased all commerce with Japan. For some time
Japan pretended inclination to discussions, but at the end of November America
abandoned hope of successful negotiations. Though, Washington had information about
threat of a possible Japanese attack, it stuck the United States unexpectedly when the
Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7 in 1941. This event
made American nation agree on going to war against the Axis powers. On 8 December
the Senate declared war on Japan. On December 11 Germany and Italy did the same on
the United States, that returned their declaration of war. (Brinkley 1993:718-722)
The next years passed with bloody combats on two fronts, in Europe and in the
Pacific.
In Western Europe America’s allies were the British and the ‘Free French ‘ armies,
besides them the Soviet Union in the east of Europe. Battles took place eve in North
Africa, resulting in heavy defeats of American troops. In May 1943 the Allies chased
the Germans out from Africa at last. The Red Army held up Nazi attacks in the east at
Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-43. In August 1943 the Allied forces occupied Sicily,
and started their march into Italy. Italy declared joining the Allies after Mussolini’s
escape to the Germans. After a halt in invading Italy, the Allies occupied Rome on June
4 in 1944. (Brinkley 1993:725-727) Following long series of Allied offensives with

4
halts at some times, the Germans were driven out of France, Belgium as well. Finally in
the spring of 1945 the Allied troops invaded Germany. The British arrived from the
north, the Soviets from the east through central Europe and the Balkans. After the
suicide of Adolf Hitler on April 30, the Germans gave in on May 8 1945. Western
Europe was overjoyed with victory, but the war yet did not end for the United States.
America was still at war against Japan in the Pacific. (Brinkley 1993:739-742)
After the air attack against Pearl Harbor, Japan started its invading march in the
Pacific and occupied Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Dutch East
Indies, Burma, the Philippines, inducing serious damages even to American forces. As a
counter-offensive, the Allied troops went against Japanese army on two fronts. Partly,
they advanced from Hawaii to Japan, and partly went on from Australia to the
Philippines with the aim of joining their forces against Japan. The United States and its
allies (Australia and New Zealand) reached success on both front; by the middle of
1943 the United States gained advance in the southern and the central Pacific as well.
(Brinkley 1993:724-725) Burma, China, India and smaller islands were also concerned
in war in Asia, but the crucial fights took place in the Pacific. At Leyte Gulf Americans
disabled Japanese navy, but its enemy seemed extremely persistent. By the beginning of
1945 Japan’s airforce was also nearly completely demolished. The Japanese’s power
revealed in nighttime offensives and in Kamikazes. Some Japanese leaders were
pondering surrender, however, they refused to do so by August 3. This date was the
deadline for surrender given by the American and British leaders. As Japan did not
acknowledge that they were defeated, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima on
August 6, and on Nagasaki on August 9 by command of Harry S. Truman (sho
succeeded Roosevelt after his death from April 12). These final attacks, of which
necessity is debated, ended the war in the Pacific. (Brinkley 1993:743-745)
Brinkley, LaFeber, Polenberg and Woloch agreed on that during combats in
Europe American leaders faced the Holocaust. That was the systematic killing of
European Jews (besides homosexuals, communists, Poles and Gypsies) by Nazis in
concentration camps. Washington was informed about this tragedy by the middle of
1942, and these facts became clear to American citizens as well. Nevertheless, in spite
of public pressure to prevent Nazis from murdering people in concentration camps, the

5
American government refused to provide any kind of help. This was explained with the
superior goal: overcoming the Axis powers. All sacrificed on the altar of victory. Great
Britain was even disinterested in the Holocaust. (Brinkley 1993:728)(LaFeber,
Polenberg & Woloch 1975:301) According to David Wyman, a historian, the rejections
of all the proposals to save the Jews were just pleas, because “To the American military,
Europe’s Jews represented on extraneous problem and an unwanted burden.” Some
American leaders felt ashamed by the attitude of the government to the question of
Hitler’s “final solution” in January 1944, therefore they blamed the State Department in
a report for not taking any action and keeping back others from acting in this issue.
Henry Morgenthau (Secretary of the Treasury) handed this report to Roosevelt, who in
response, set up the War Refugee Board. The aim of this committee was to save people
from mortal danger induced by enemy. They assisted to rescue Jews from the
endangered regions, founded camps for refugees and helped Jews with ammunition in
the camps. Despite their earlier failure, neither the State Department, nor the War
Department provided help to the board effectively, which had no enough money or
strong influence to protect more possible victims. Not until February of 1945 did the
Allies interfered in closing down Nazi camps. Great Britain entirely refused to
collaborate with the War Refugee Board, so did the Soviet Union. (LaFeber, Polenberg
& Woloch 1975:300-302)

1.2. Economic and Social Background

Historians found that the Second World War had a great effect on America’s
society, politics and image. Something was ended by it, something new was beginning,
even if not visibly. (Brinkley 1993:723) The war was the beginning of a new era in
several fields of life, including also economy. It ended the Great Depression, and
inevitably induced an increase in industrial production after 1939. For the sake of
economic recovery the American government introduced new authorities, offices and
unpopular orders. The time of giving up restraints came, but the President found
adequate answers to the questions of economy. On the whole, the country, with the
government at the head, provided safe background.

6
 The federal estimates soared to elevenfold of $9 billion from 1939 in six years. A
82.4 percent improvement could had been experienced during the same years in
production. Lots of new plants started their functioning, industrial production nearly
doubled by 1942 comparing with data of 1939. These facts enabled the government of
the United States to provide assistance to Great Britain. At the same time, extreme
economic boom proceeded in private sector in certain districts of the country.
As the Army of the United States needed 15 million person in its units, and
production run up, consequently new labor force should had been found. This gap was
filled with people earlier found unsuitable to be employed for certain reasons. The new
employees were women, children, the elderly and the minorities.
These ‘new’ workers needed special dealing at work, therefore their participation
in production was favorable to the unions, whose membership rose with a third by 1945.
Because the country was at war, the unions had to compromise with the government.
This appeared in ‘no-strike’ pledge (that was violated nearly 15,000 times,
independently of the unions). Also, it appeared in Little Steel formula, which
maximized wage raise in 15 percent. The Congress, in order to ward off strikes, pushed
through the Smith-Connally Act, which ensured 30 days before strikes, otherwise the
plant on strike could had been shut.
Office of Price Administration (OPA) made efforts (maximized earnings and
farming costs) so as to avoid inflation, and also, introduced rationing in 1942. The
government partially tried to reduce the budget’s deficit, which was significant by 1945
by collecting higher income taxes due to Revenue Act of 1942. In 1943 the keeping
back of deductions was reorganized on an institutional basis. In spite of the efforts of
the War Production Board (WPB, created by Roosevelt in January1942) it was difficult
to monitor the expenditures of war. The reform program called “Dr New Deal” was
replaced with “Dr Win the War” in 1943. (Brinkley 1993:728-731) (LaFeber, Polenberg
& Woloch 1975:258, 260)

1.3. The Home Front and Minority Groups

7
 At first the population of the United States was against war, but as I mentioned in
the first part of this chapter, the country step by step made a progress from neutrality to
going to war. People were involved in war nationwide, either on European fronts, or in
the Pacific, or on the home front. On the home front good citizens for example fought
by conserving food, having low-key meals and savings. Voluntaries served at the Office
of Civilian Defense as air-raid wardens, nurses, fire fighters, or even as auxiliary
policemen/policewomen. The whole nation was unified by the will of victory over „the
evil pagan forces of strife, injustice, treachery, immorality, and slavery.” The enemy was
considered to be „power-mad, militaristic, and brutal”. The Americans portrayed
themselves as the opposite. (LaFeber, Polenberg & Woloch 1975:258, 259) Minorities,
to whom had not been given a chance in several fields of life earlier, now were tested
and they proved their aptitude.
The largest minority group was the Afro-Americans, who intended to prove that
they were useful members of American society. Therefore they wanted to join the army.
At this time they were permitted (not like at the time of World War I), although, their
participation and positions were limited at the beginning. However, by 1945 700,000
blacks served within the army of the United States, and segregation was under wiping
out. In spite of the progress of the black’s position, or actually just because of it, there
was a tension between the white and the black in military, such as in other sectors of life
on the home front. Due to Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) and labor
shortage in 1941, lots of blacks moved to the industrial north from the south. It
favorably influenced their financial situation, but at the same time, it led to disturbances
in relations between the black and the white. Although, segregation was gradually
changed into integration in all parts of life, racial discrimination was still alive after the
war in society. (Brinkley 1993:731)
The second largest group by number were Hispanic people, whose employment
was made possible by a contract between the government of the United States and
Mexican government in 1942. Mexican–American war-workers took on jobs mainly in
industry in big cities or in agriculture during war years for a limited time according to
the agreement. Such as the presence of the black, the presence of Hispanic laborers
inflamed tensions in society. They achieved the antipathy of the majority with their way

8
of life and their appearance (“zoot suit”). Several times this dislike led into serious
quarrels; in the course of them the police gave proof of its prejudice and bias against
Mexican workers. (Brinkley 1993:734)
Indians, despite being also a small group in the United States, were treated with
comparative acceptance. Though, their ambition to autonomy was subordinated to
unifying the nation, yet several Indians served in the American army. What is more,
some of them occupied positions of trust in communications (‘code-talkers’). Also,
several Indians took on jobs in factories and left their tribes for ever incorporating with
white society. (Brinkley 1993:733)
The most notable group of new work force was women who substituted men
serving in the army. By the end of the war, women amounted more than one-third of
civilian laborers, though employers were reluctant to employ female workers. War
Department supported activating all available male workers first, and only after that
women, who were willing to move their homes to industrial cities. The general picture
of working women changed, however, women did not make lasting profit out of being
employed. They were lower-payed as their male counterpart for the same work, and the
situation just got worse as the time passed This was the first time in the history of
America that women were allowed to work elsewhere than their homes. Despite of
labor shortage, still there were jobs maintained only for male workers. Women were put
into classes: white women and black women; the latter did dirtier work for lower wages.
Female workers were employed in three fields. Most of them did clerical work for the
government, or in the military force. Only a part of them held a job in industrial
production. Wherever they worked, neither women nor the state was prepared for a
newly arising problem of caring for the children while mothers were working.
Regardless the Lanham Act of 1941 (a care program) lots of children were simply left
abandoned at home, as their mothers had no other choice. The appearance of ‘latch-key
children’ or ‘eight-hour orphans’ resulted in significant increase of juvenile crime. .
(LaFeber, Polenberg & Woloch 1975:262-264) (Brinkley 1993:734-735)
On the other hand, a great number of teenagers had jobs instead of attending to
high-schools. They started not only earning money at an earlier age, but also married
earlier. It was brought by the rise of economy and a kind of state pressure. The state

9
tried to bond its servicemen to their country yet with family relations. Though, these
marriages did not took long, they were the base of ‘the great postwar “baby boom”’.
(Brinkley 1993:734-735, 737)
The hated minority of Japanese-Americans suffered most during the Second
World War. Due to the government and populism, a harsh image of Japanese people was
spread around after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. According to this, Japanese were
barbarian, idolatrous “yellow rats”, without any respect of human life. (LaFeber,
Polenberg & Woloch 1975:258-259) There was not that kind of racialism against
German or Italian people, or their descendants during World War II that rose against
Japanese people living in the United States at that time. They were considered to be
dangerous to the nation, (there was no real base of this prejudice), therefore they were
moved from their homes to concentration camps in the Western Mountains or desert in
February in 1942. More than 100,000 Japanese, even if being citizens of the United
States, were isolated from everything in these locations at minimal living standards until
1944. They could not had got amends until the end of the 1980s. (Brinkley 1993:737-
738)

10
2. Postwar Literature of the United States
Up to the ’50s

2.1. After the War

The Second World War, like the first World War, induced overall effects on the
United States of America. At the time of the first world tragedy the grade of
mechanization of massacre deeply shocked people, and yet, the second war of the
nations surpassed those horrors, partly with the use of the atomic bomb. Likewise, the
two wars generated similar feelings in people, such as disappointment, also created the
loss of moral values, indifference, and a kind of vacuum. In order to fill this empty
space people were in search. This kind of determination, the aim of innovation (new
themes, new characters) described the artists of post-war American literature. They felt
the necessity of finding new ways of self-expression so as to give back their ideas and
feelings genuinely and realistically.
Traditions of the ’30s and European impacts were that influenced the new
American novel. Of course, military life (experienced on the Pacific or in Europe)
meant plentiful resource for writers besides the functioning of the apparatus of the state
and politics. To support this I must mention „John Hersey’s A Bell for Adano (1944),
Gore Vidal’s Williwaw (1946), John Horne Burns’s The Gallery (1947), Irwin Shaw’s
The Young Lions (1948), James Gould Cozzens’s Guard of Honor (1948), John
Hawkes’s The Cannibal (1949), Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny (1951), James
Jones’s From Here to Eternety (1951)” (Bradbury 1992:161) and J. D. Salinger’s Nine
Stories (1953). Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead also fits into this category.
Most post-war pieces of art can be characterized as naturalistic, realistic works and
reportages. The latter combined journalistic genre of report with artistic quality. In
addition to public administration, current events also served as topics to literary works
that represented the new genre of reportage. America’s post-war literature dealt no
longer with legends, modernist experiments, or positive naturalism. The “new

11
liberalism” described a dark spirit, a world without ideology, the wickedness of human
race, the writers’ own psychology, the horror of the Holocaust and atomic age.
According to Lionel Trilling, a critic, there were no plain ideologies anymore, just
combined ethic, ‘moral realism’ (The Liberal Imagination, 1950) (Bradbury 1992:163).
Again, life in big cities provided themes with disaffection, fear, desperation,
welfare and privation after the Second World War, for instance in “Willard Motley’s
Knock on Any Door (1947), Nelson Algren’s The Man With the Golden Arm (1949),
Chandler Brossard’s Who Walk In Darkness (1952)”. (Bradbury 1992:162) These were
all naturalistic novels, but differed from the naturalism of the 1930s.
On the contrary, the awakening Gothic novel depicted the Southern countryside,
the fate of lonely women, children or disabled people, for example in “Carson
McCullers’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), The Member of the Wedding (1946),
Eudora Welty’s A Curtain of Green (1941), The Robber Bridegroom (1942), Delta
Wedding (1946), Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood (1952), A Good Man Is Hard to Find
(1955)”. (Bradbury 1992:162) These works emphasized the failures of human
relationships, solitude, badness and truth.
Though in a freakish way, but the message is alike in Truman Capote’s Other
Voices, Other Rooms (1948), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958), William Styron’s Lie Down
In Darkness (1951), and James Purdy’s Malcolm (1959).
Satirical works of that age also reflected disorder in ethics and in the world of
ideas as in Mary McCarthy’s The Oasis (1947), The Groves of Academe (1952).
(Bradbury 1992:164)
In this confused world the life and role of writers representing minority groups
was even harder. Despite of this fact, ambitious writers emerged from different smaller
groups into the spotlight.

2.2. Minority Groups in Literary Life

Minority groups, including ethnic groups, just as participated in the nation’s

struggles on the fronts (either abroad or at home during World War II), they took their

12
shares of post-war literary life as well. Women writers, black writers, Indian and Jewish
writers contributed to the literature of that era.
The situation of black heroes were similar to of Jewish characters, they also
struggled for their existence. This can be caught for example in Ralph Ellison’s
Invisible Man (1952), in James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, In Another Country.
(Bradbury 1992:165)
Willard Motley and Frank Yerby wrote no longer about the major topic of ‘Harlem
Renaissance’ of the 1920s that was ‘passing for white’. Instead, such as in Richard
Wright’s works, reflected violence (towards and also from black people), pestering,
lynching, anguish of the self and vengeance. They shared the theme of becoming a city-
dweller from rural person with writers belonging to majority Americans, besides the
issue of living in a hostile agent. (Cunliffe 1987:287, 299)

2.3. Jewish Writers

As Jewish writers of America were painfully struck by the Holocaust, they felt
responsibility to record and draw attention to the terror and peril of totalitarianism. The
resources for the considerable number of Jewish-American writers in the 1950s came
from the Yiddish tradition and European Modernism. While the heroes of Jewish-
American writers before the war fought for appreciation in their new homeland, after
the war the heroes firstly needed self-identification as “the metropolitan at home,
though expert in the indignities, rather than the amenities, of urban life” (Leslie
Fiedler). They are alike in one thing: Jew characters were victims in pre-war and post-
war Jewish fiction as well. The change can be caught in the works of Saul Bellow,
Norman Mailer, Bernard Malamud and Philip Roth. In addition to the problems
originating from their Jewish existence, they also faced the questions of the new,
confused world. (Bradbury 1992:164-165)
After World War II, writers were considered to be a kind of spiritual leaders,
models, who show a lifestyle to be followed. This role was put on writers whether they
wanted or not, and whether they were able to carry this burden or not. Jewish
immigrants living in the United States during the world of cold war felt themselves

13
twice as much alienated. Firstly by the era, secondly by their origin. It was the
responsibility of Jewish writers to change circumstances by their works. (Cunliffe
1987:294)
In contrast with the expectations, Jewish-American writers fell into two categories
under the era of the so-called newest America. There were writers who hardly used their
origin as a source in their works, while others did, but not directly. Their readers have to
find the link between their writings and their Jewish background. The first category can
be exemplified with Norman Mailer, according to whom being a member of any
minority group creates ambivalent feelings within and towards that person. The latter
category can be illustrated with Nathanael West (originally called Nathan Weinstein.)
(Cunliffe 1987:287-288)
At the beginning Jewish-Americans insisted on their tradition, their way of life,
their religion and they desired to transform American society to a certain extent. But as
time passed, they gradually realized that the opposite case was becoming true. The older
Jews felt sorrow about the assimilation of younger generation, but step by step the
elderly also gave up their traditions and Jewish way of life partly or completely in great
numbers. (Cunliffe 1987:289)
Among the most important American writers of Jewish origin were Saul Bellow,
Bernard Malamud and Philip Roth. Their prose is hunted by their ethnic group. Their
reverting theme is the hero as a ‘victim’, a ‘sage’, being confident or the opposite,
facing with depression, searching, suffering, fatigue, loneliness and aspiration. They
also meet or feel empathy, personal desire, the burden of Jewish existence,
independence, liberty, resignation, submission, rebellion, wonder and sexuality.
(Cunliffe 1987:289-297)

2.4. The Beat Generation

American writers living abroad let their voices heard. In their works they (who
were mainly connected to underground culture) wrote about rebellion against the
existing morals, values, indifference and against the whole society. This statement can

14
be revealed for instance in Paul Bowles’s Let It Come Down (1952), The Sheltering Sky
(1949), William S. Burroughs’ Junkie, J. P. Darleavy’s The Ginger Man (1955).
At the same time a movement possessing a similar point of view appeared in the
United States. These discontented artists as ‘inward expatriations’ were called the Beat
Generation named by Jack Kerouac, and lived mainly in California, San Francisco
(Cunliffe 1987:391) The name referred to the rhythm of Jazz music and the delights of
oriental mysticism. The key themes of this culture (that assembled also poets and
musicians besides writers) were freedom, non-conformity, being different, desperation,
loneliness, meditation, fame-hunger, violence, insanity and sexual relations between
Negro and White. Deviance also appeared, such as unlimited sex, indecent behavior,
drugs, homosexuality, masturbation, nihilism, and suicide. (Cook 1971:50) Clellon
Holmes’s go (1952), The Horn (1958), Jack Kerouac’s On the Road (1957), The
Subterraneans (1958), The Dharma Bums (1958) illustrate this movement, but poetry
was the form that reflected it best. The masterpiece of it was Allen Ginsberg’s Howl
(1955).
Notwithstanding the antipathy of literary élite, the Beat movement became a
ruling tendency. Though the intellectuals (except Norman Mailer,) gave bad criticism of
the Beats’ works and regarded them as secondary works. Beat fiction and poetry
attained success when published in Time, Life and Newsweek. (Cook 1971:17) The
critics put so great pressure and influence on writers that some passed away at a very
early age. According to Malcolm Cowley, it was “the new age of the rhetoricians”. This
phenomenon promoted on behalf on young writers joining the Beats, such as Seymour
Krim. (Cook 1971:48-50) The Beats represented a smaller group against the whole
nation, and single person against the crowd. They had to fight in order to be entitled to
act in a different way. Furthermore, their desire was to transform America so as to meet
their expectations. (Cook 1971:23) The importance of the Beat writers was not in their
prose and poetry, produced individually, but in their unity as a generation. They were
compared even in popularity Beat coffee shops, Beatnik jokes and jargon (Cook
1971:92) to the Lost Generation. Among their contemporaries Norman Mailer’s
Barbary Shore, Chandler Brossard’s The Bold Saboteurs, Robert Lowry’s Casualty and

15
The Big Cage, and the Black Mountain College group were considered to be the
precursors of the Beats. (Cook 1971:48)
The Beat Generation, perhaps spontaneously, were not engaged in politics, in spite
of this fact they became target of offensives in literary circles. (Cook 1971:96)
The movement had its own written media, the most important of them was Big
Table, which ceased to be published for financial reasons in 1961. The more successful
the Beat movement became in American society, the further they got from their original
aims. Finally it converted into a mass movement, that its members wanted to avoid at
the beginnings. Some writers left the movement (for example Jack Kerouac), some
stayed in its window, including Norman Mailer and Allen Ginsberg. (Cook 1971:98-
101)
But the overall influence of the Beats on society and also on literature (mainly on
poetry) can not be debated. (Cook 1971:117) A lot of poets of New York School derived
from the activity of the Beats, and so did some rock bands, such as the Fugs. (Cook
1971:224)

2.5. Norman Mailer’s Place in the Postwar Literature

of the United States and Critical Remarks Against Him

Although Norman Mailer had strong relations to literature since being at

university, he debuted in literary life not until 1948 when he published his war novel,
The Naked and the Dead. Yet he wrote lots of books, his very first novel is considered
to be his best piece of art. He neither as a private individual nor as a writer could back
himself out of the conditions of current reality of his country. He, just like others, was
seeking the answers to moral questions and criticized the state mechanism. While doing
so, he constantly was examining anarchy, awareness and the events happening around
him. He also observed politics, violence, passion for violence, insanity and occultism,
for instance in his Barbary Shore, The Deer Park, The White Negro and in An American
Dream. He contrasts the individual with society, conformity with non-conformity, the
media and ‘historical facts’ (facts and fiction). In his ‘non-fiction novels’ he sensitively
reported in the style of ‘New Journalism’ about conflicts that drew public attention, for

16
example in Why Are We In Vietnam?, The Armies of the Night and Miami and the Siege
of Chicago. He united the accuracy of journalism with the entertaining style of fiction in
‘New Journalism’, which became the ruling genre of the 1960s. (Bradbury
1992:162,185-188, 196-197, 202-203)
Although being a New York intellectual, Mailer was associated with the Beat
Generation. He partly shared the conception of the Beats, who did not refuse his
approach. (Cook 1971:93) In his essay The White Negro Mailer claims that hipsters are
“philosophical psychopaths”, and on the basis of his ethic revealed in this essay he was
compared to the Beats. (Cook 1971:94) The public joined the hipster figure with the
Beats, though, hipster lifestyle originates from earlier years. Mailer differentiated his
figures from the Beat ones. On one hand both groups were related to violence, but both
groups thought about it differently. (Cook 1971:95)
Though Mailer was an innovator in finding new devices, not all of his innovations
met the taste of his critics. Marcus Cunliff criticized Mailer because of the dirty
language and usage in connection with his novels. But while it is pardonable when
talking about his first novel, The Naked and the Dead, it is debated in the case of Why
Are We In Vietnam? In the first case obscenity can be used in order to be realistic, but in
the latter novel obscenity seems to be the goal itself. Mailer inverted the message with
the device. He was even charged with pornography in connection with his novel An
American Dream. (Cunliffe 1987:342-343) This novel evoked great astonishment even
among intellectuals, but they put it down as Mailer’s inclination to display. According to
Bruce Cook Mailer built up himself consciously, made a legend out of himself and “He
is his own greatest work.” (Cook 1971:98) As Jack Kerouac said “a true writer should
be an observer and not go around being observed, like Mailer and Ginsberg. Observing
–that’s the duty and oath of a writer.” (Cook 1971:88)

17
3. The Brooklyn Jew Norman Mailer
and His Greatest Works

3.1. Norman Mailer’s Life Up to His Debut

Norman Kingsley Mailer was born on January 31 1923 in Long Branch, New
Jersey into a second-generation Russian-Jewish immigrant family (Mills 1982:55). He
was given the name Nachum Malech in Hebrew (means ’king Norman’) (Manso
1985:15). His father, Isaac Barnett ’Barney’ Mailer wasn’t a strong-willed head of the
family. He worked as an accountant. In 1922 he married Fanny Schneider, whose father
Chaim Yehudah Schneider served the relatively little Jewish community of Long
Branch as an unpaid rabbi (Manso 1985:11-12, 14). Norman’s mother was the
matriarchal leader of the family. She maintained good relationship with their children.
Norman was the firstborn child and he had a sister called Barbara. The family left Long
Branch in 1927 and settled down in Brooklyn. Norman was a brilliant student at public
school, as well as at high school. He had particular interest in Sciences and also in
Mathematics. In his sparetime he created model airplanes, read detective and adventure
stories, and took music lessons. His family encouraged him and provided a loving and
safe environment in spite of poor living conditions during the Depression. Her mother
had a business in oil delivering and earned enough money to provide both Norman and
Barbara with good education (Mills 1982:55-56). Mailer was a warm, magnanimous
and sensitive young man. Later granting and helping is his characteristic onwards, and
probably originates from his uncle, who financially supported him.
Mailer started his studies in aeronautical engineering at Harvard University in
1939. He was disadvantaged because of his shyness, his Brooklyn background and
accent, his low-middle-class social status. In addition, Jews were distinguished
because of their dresses, their manners and origin. The first-year Jews shared their
rooms with each other. They had to win their battles to be recognized members of
school society.

18
 At Harvard in 1939 it was standard practice not only to isolate
incoming Jewish freshmen by assigning them rooms together but to
group the prep-school graduates as well, making it difficult for
newcomers like Mailer to absorb the intricacies of the Harvard
establishment, especially the club and house systems.
(Mills 1982:40-41)

Mailer’s sexual innocence gradually changed as he devoted more and more

time to his new passion, Modern American Literature. He read the works of
contemporary authors such as John Dos Passos, John Steinbeck, Hemingway,
Fitzgerald, and Faulkner. James T. Farrell’s book Studs Lonigan stimulated him to
become a writer. Ernest Hemingway had the greatest influence on him, his adoration
manifested in imitating Hemingway in macho appearance and later in male chauvinism
and getting married six times. Mailer was eighteen when he lost his virginity and from
then onwards he became a sex champion.
In 1940 he was given the best mark for his novella at university. This was his
first breakthrough from the freshman Jewish category. As a second year student Mailer
already was given a chance to work at Harvard’s literary magazine, the Advocate, and
became a member at the exclusive literary and political club called Signet Society. In
April 1941 he published his short story The Greatest Thing in the World in the
Advocate, and with it he won a first prize at Story magazine. He got into the literary
board of Advocate, which was a great achievement from a Jew. His first novel No
Percentage was based on his relationship with his mother. It shows his ambition that
he wrote three thousands words a day to become a professional writer.
In the same year his country got involved in World War II. Public opinion had
slowly changed from opposing military aid to the Allies towards the aim of defeating
Hitler’s army and maintaining democracy. On December 3 the announcement of state
of war first shocked Mailer. He considered the war as base of his book he was going to
write about the turmoil.

19
 In the spring of 1942 Mailer met Beatrice Silverman (hereafter referred to as
Bea), a loyal Jewish college girl, deeply interested in Politics. She not only drew
Mailer out of political passivity, but also initiated him into active sexuality.
In that summer Mailer took on a job at a mental institution for four days to
acquire first-hand experiences about naked lunacy. This knowledge inspired his second
novel A Transit to Narcissus, and also a play about insanity. He did not finish the play;
its title was The Naked and the Dead. He awakened this title in his war novel.
In September of 1942 at Harvard the students were offered the possibility of
graduating earlier and joining the army, a lot of Mailer’s mates did so. Mailer himself
continued his studies, and wrote A Calculus at Heaven, an imagination of war in the
Pacific. He graduated in engineering sciences cum laude receiving a B.S. in June of
1943. (Mills 1982: Chapter 2). He returned home and lived as a civilian with his
mother, waiting for his imminent entry into the army. In February 1944 Mailer and Bea
eloped and married in secret in New York. Mailer’s mother’s effort failed to annul their
marriage. A few weeks later Mailer entered the army purposely as a private, for he
wanted experience war in its reality. He was sent to Luzon (the Philippines) on January
16 1945. He served behind the lines far from combats, actions, but desk jobs gave him
general view of the army and war. His experiences proved to be useful regarding his
war novel. He had more battles with his superiors than he had with the enemy, because
of his above average IQ and anti-Semitism. Few months later he asked himself to
front-line service and was put to an Intelligence and Reconnaissance (I&R) platoon.
He fought in combat, but was not a good soldier; his survival of war was a miracle.
The war ended in the Philippines on August 14 1945. Mailer was released from the
army on May 2 1946. He moved to Provincetown with Bea and started his most
desired war novel. In September they moved back to Brooklyn, and by August of 1947
Mailer completed his book The Naked and the Dead. After that soon Mailer and Bea
travelled to Paris to study at the Sorbonne at the cost of the US government as
veterans. The publication of Mailer’s war novel found them in Paris on May 8 1948,
the book was an immediate success (Mills 1982:Chapter 3) (Manso 1985:74-83).

20
3.2. The Writer’s Attitude and Insistence to His Roots

Mailer was not really concerned about Judaism in any sense of the word. In his
first years at Harvard he actually did not assimilate, but perhaps the only reason for it
was that his surroundings did not have intention to receive him into their circles
because of his conditions. His narrow society was incapable of accepting him first,
though Mailer even did not observe Jewish traditions and lived according to a different
value system. Zionism made no impression on him and led an everyday lifestyle. He
expressed his desire of belonging through continuously altering behavior. He gradually
exchanged Jewish morality for Harvard view of life; that was what he wanted in spite
of his ambivalent feelings. He never denied his Jewish roots and did claim himself a
third-generation Jew, nevertheless sometimes felt it a burden. His origin enabled him
to be sensible of understanding members of other minorities, such as the black, the
Latin. (Mills 1982:64-65)

3.3. Mailer’s Greatest Works

Barbary Shore (1951) is a novel about the conflict between leftist and rightist politicians
The Deer Park (1955) a novel describing Hollywood as the nation
The White Negro (1957) is a rejection of ’media-driven culture’ (Hart 1995:407), a piece
of the Beat Movement
Advertisements for Myself (1959) analyses Mailer’s times and himself as an author
An American Dream (1965) is a picture of a marriage and society
Why Are We in Vietnam? (1967) is a remark on America’s penetration into Vietnam
The Armies of the Night (1968) Pulitzer Prize-winner, is about a march on the Pentagon
Miami and the Siege of Chicago (1968) Mailer’s views about Republican and
Democratic agreements
Of a Fire on the Moon (1970) is about landings on the Moon
The Executioner’s Song (1979) Pulitzer Prize-winner, is a biographical novel about a
murderer called Gary Gilmore
Cannibals and Christians (1966) contains mostly essays

21
The Prisoner of Sex (1971) Mailer’s view on women’s liberation
Marilyn (1973) a biography of Marilyn Monroe
Of Women and Their Elegance (1980) an illusory record of Marilyn Monroe
Ancient Evenings (1983) is a novel taking place in ancient Egypt
Tough Guys Don’t Dance (1984) is a mystery novel
Harlot’s Ghost (1991) is a novel about two CIA employees belonging to different
generations
Oswald’s Tale: An American Mystery (1995) is a biographical novel of Lee Harvey
Oswald’s
Death for the Ladies and Other Disasters (1962) Mailer’s collected poems
Short Fiction (1967) Mailer’s stories (Hart 1995:406-407)

22
4. Anti-Semitism

4.1. Attempts to Define Anti-Semitism

It is vital to know the object of the investigation exactly. Therefore, the first stage
is to define some expressions. The terms of Jew/Jewish, Semite and anti-Semitism will
be given first of all.
According to Lecomte, the word Jew/Jewish originally meant the religion
Judaism, and it was only later that the name was transferred to the people who practiced
that religion as they simply had been an ethnic group. (Lecomte, 2001:11)
Rürup and Nipperdey states in their work that A. L. Schlözer created the word
Semite in 1771 on the basis of the tenth chapter of Moses’ Genesis. J. G. Eichhorn
introduced the term into linguistics. Semite tribes used Semite language. (Kovács
1999:38)
Sartre characterizes anti-Semitic person as somebody who is afraid of everything
except Jews. That person is also cowardly who projects his or her inclination to kill onto
impersonality of the mass. He/She does not rebel, though is dissatisfied. Also, avoids
responsibility, does not want to work so as to reach his/her goals, but wants to get
everything by right of his/her birth. (Kovács 1999:223)
As Csepeli points out, in modern society people had to change together with
social turns in order to achieve success in every field of life. Those, who insisted on the
old value systems were incapable of adopting new behavior patterns, but at the same
time, they faced their failure. They sought help in authoritarian principle, which shows
fright and anxiety. They need authority to guide them, and also, have to suppress their
sexual desire and aggressivity because of social limits. Their conservative attitude urges
them to project their failure and inner fear on a scapegoat. They can be aggressive,
reserved, conventional, impatient, submitted, superstitious, destructive, cynical, thirsty
for power, obsessed with inner fright, and dogmatic with exaggerated sexual interest.
They live for the past and the future, not for the present. They are frustrated by others’
success and envies it. (Csepeli 1998:73-79, 82-88, 91)

23
 According to Sartre, an anti-Semitic person chooses the irresponsibility of a
soldier, who kills by command of his commander, but does not have a commanding
officer. (Csepeli 1998:90)
As Kovács summarizes, anti-Semitism exists for more than 2,000 years, and
differs from other types of hatred (for example against Gypsies, blacks) in the number
of its victims. Six million Jews were exterminated only during the Second World War.
Also, the definition of Jews and the aim of their persecution were in permanent motion,
which made anti-Semitism a jolly joker. It was a suitable answer to any kind of problem
at all levels of society. There is a risk that it becomes a worldwide ideology. (Kovács
1999:9-11) Rürup and Nipperdey found that the word “anti-Semitism” was associated
with Wilhelm Marr, a German writer, and was used first in 1879. The meaning of the
expression was not defined first, yet, everybody knew it meant “somebody who hates
Jews”. It was a response to the “Jewish question” emerging as a consequence of
emancipation of the Jews. (Kovács 1999:44-47) As Langmuir notices, anti-Semitism is
unique among hatred towards foreigners in its intensity, permanence, and also in its
specialty. (Kovács 1999:76)
As Sartre puts it, Anti-Semitism can bechosen freely by a certain type of
personality, it is an inclusive disposition which is put on not only against Jews, but
generally against people, history and as well as society. It is a passion and also a view of
the world at the same time. (Kovács 1999:219)
Endelman differentiated public anti-Semitism, which means a greater threat, and
private anti-Semitism. The first one uses political devices in order to discriminate Jews,
the latter one accomplishes hate in scenes of everyday life. The first one was more
widespread in Germany and Austria than in the United States. (Kovács 1999:483-484)
Csepeli defines three types of anti-Semitism, such as ethnocentric anti-Semitism,
anti-Semitism of religion, and political anti-Semitism.
Ethnocentric anti-Semitism existed in ancient times and was generated by the
different religion and culture of the Jews. Nations living around the chosen people were
suspicious, rejecting towards Jews and did not understand them. (Csepeli 1998:52)
The second type of anti-Semitism derived from ethnocentric anti-Semitism and
kept its stereotypes besides creating new ones. Judaism and Christianity were too close

24
religions and Christians defended themselves from converting to Judaism with accusing
Jews of killing Jesus Christ. Though, Jesus himself talked about the necessity of his
fate. (Csepeli 1998:58-60)
Political anti-Semitism (built on ancient and feudal anti-Semitism) emerged in the
eighteenth century, in the time of big social changes, modernization and liberalization.
Positive personality features of emancipated Jews were shown as negative features by
those members of communities that were unable to change their attitude and behavior
according to the expectations of the new era (therefore the losers of that time). Political
anti-Semitism found the answer in racial theory, and its highest level was Nazism.
(Csepeli 1998:65-69, 72)
These kinds of anti-Semitism mostly correspond to the three phases of anti-
Semitism characterized below in the historical part of this chapter.

4.2. A Brief History of Anti-Semitism and Reasons that Lead to It

According to Kovács, Judaism as a religion was attacked several times by

idolatrous pagan nations, who denied monotheism before Christianity appeared.
(1999:12) After the death of Jesus Christ his disciples started to convert the inhabitants
of Palestine and gradually extended the territory where they preached the disciplines of
Jesus. Palestine, still under Roman reign, had to accept that Christianity step by step
took over and was made the dominating religion throughout the Roman Empire. People
insisting on Judaism left their country in large numbers and lived in diaspora from 66-
135 A.D. onwards. The poor conditions of the soil of Palestine also made lots of Jews
leave their homeland. From this time on throughout centuries they were occupied in
commerce, partly because Christians were prohibited from practicing these kinds of
activities by pharisaic regulations. Therefore the Jews developed those features in
themselves that were vital for merchants, but that became vital for everybody later in
modern societies. Their communities could had been found in England, in northeastern
France until the anti-Jewish orders and persecution, which started before 1290 in
England. From France they fled to Poland and Lithuania, from other Western European
countries towards Eastern Europe. Also, others emigrated to Spain; from 1492 (when

25
they were driven out of Spain) they scattered in Italy, in North Africa and even in Arabic
countries. Wherever they lived they tried to keep their traditions, customs, their way of
life. Judaism was a strong link among the members of this religion. (Lecomte 2001:14-
15)(Csepeli 1998:53-54, 61-62) As Lecomte states, on the break-up of the Roman
Empire Christianity became equal with Catholicism, of which followers annihilated all
pagan religions in Europe, and the first phase of anti-Semitism arrived. Jewish people
were forced to convert to Christianity in the fourth century. (Lecomte 2001:23)
According to Kovács, even if they converted, they were described as unworthy, second-
class, impious people. False image of them was circulated for centuries, for instance
being the servants of the devil, well poisoners, and superstitious nation, who commit
ritual murders and hate God and humanity. Kovács adds that other stereotypes such as
being lecherous, pleasure-seeker, material, greedy, revenging, plotters against
Christianity, vampire Jews originates from Christian anti-Judaism. These nonsense,
primitive and superstitious accusations influenced the attitude of societies (Kovács
1999:12-13).
Lecomte claims that partly because of these images Jews were discriminated as
the second stage of anti-Semitism by being banned from certain professions, posts, or
parts of the settlements. That is why they lived sometimes outside villages, towns and
worked in business. They were regarded as usurers, conspirators, and as such people
they meant a threat to Christian inhabitants. Therefore they faced more restrictions. In
the sixteenth century this process resulted in sending Jewish people into ghettos, or
being persecuted, sometimes even killed in pogroms. (2001:23) As Katz observes, the
theological base of anti-Semitism changed to secular base in the eighteenth century.
Christianity also went through secularization and interviewed with the state, and yet, it
felt and proclaimed its superiority to Judaism. The pre-modern Christian rejecting of
Judaism manifests in modern anti-Semitism. (Kovács 1999:142) False images of Jews
of the Middle Ages changed during the age of Enlightenment. Then they were charged
with backwardness. (Kovács 1999:130) Lecomte ponts out that in the nineteenth
century hatred against Jews increased. Scientific researches revealed the grouping of
languages (Indo-European languages, Semitic languages), and Darwin built up his
theory of evolution. Anti-Semitism was “scientifically” justified by Darwin’s theory

26
mixed with other ideas. It was now transferred from religious basis to racial basis.
Wilhelm Marr named the Jews a “scapegoat race”. Mainly Germany, Prussia, Russia
and France provided the possibility to the widespread of the scapegoat theory. Jews
were accused of destroying German language, inducing economic problems, murdering
Tsar Alexander II, conspiracy, and betraying their county. (2001:23-25)
According to Kovács, as a consequence of liberalization in European countries,
governments wished to assimilate the Jews, but their integration did not fulfill the
hopes. The Jews did not merged up to the expectations and their social and financial
improvement frustrated the non-Jewish members of communities. This frustration
served as a good soil for modern anti-Semitism. Envious people did not assign the Jews’
success to their good features, but to the stereotypes. (Kovács 1999:14-16) As Reinhard
Rürup observes, the emancipation of the Jews in some American colonies in 1665 and
1740, or at the foundation of the United States happened independently from European
events, and also, it did not have an impact on European happenings. (Kovács 1999:158)
Raul Hilberg determined the third phase as the completion of anti-Semitism which
manifested in annihilation of the Jews, even in the twentieth century Germany.
(Lecomte 2001:23)

4.3. Reasons and Manifestations of Anti-Semitism

The history of anti-Semitism can be an explanation to the existence of modern

anti-Semitism, but historical-cultural reasoning is just one side of the coin. Human
factors are also important, and historical-cultural reasoning accompanied with
motivational theories can give the complex picture about the reasons of modern anti-
Semitism.
As Kovács points out, motivational theories project the fulfillment of
psychological needs to anti-Semitism. These hypotheses explain anti-Semitic behavior
with the motifs of personality. Most of these theories consider psychoanalysis as a base.
According to this, conflicts (independent from the Jews) within the personality are
resolved by projecting the problem onto the Jews, and naming them as the source of

27
their problem (creating a scapegoat). The appearance of anti-Semitism can be explained
with the following theories.
Individual psychological theories, that were extended to groups by mass
psychological line.
Frustration-aggression theory explains anti-Semitism as the working off of
tension. The individual answers to frustration with aggression. Aggression manifests
towards Jews.
Authoritarian personality theory was inspired by fascism. The individual’s
attitudes are determined by some personality features and by standards learnt in the
family at early childhood. This theory assumes that there is a connection between anti-
Semitic and antidemocratic attitude.
Ethnocentrism is the positive disposition of the group of his/her own, on the
contrary the negative disposition of any other groups compared.
Cognitive prejudice theory attributes prejudice to learning procedures, such as
socialization. Therefore, people can be taught how to avoid prejudice. Consequently,
with directed learning prejudice and anti-Semitism can be reduced or even stopped.
Members of older generations and less educated people tend to be more anti-Semitic
than youngsters or educated people.
Tension theory blames economic and social tensions between Jewish and non-
Jewish inhabitants for anti-Semitism. (Kovács 1999:17-20, 24-25, 27-28)
Stereotypes (of religious origin). Karlins, Coffman and Walters notice that
stereotypes can change after a period of time, mainly if the relationships among groups
also change. This happened in the United States, where a survey carried out among
Princeton University students in 1967 showed that stereotypes became less negative.
(Kovács 1999:345, 350-351)
Prejudice (of psychological origin). As Donald Weatherley points out, people with
prejudice transfer their aggression onto something or somebody else, not onto its real
agent. In the case of anti-Semitic people it means that they replace the real agent
exclusively with Jews. (Kovács 1999:235, 241)
Xenophobia (Kovács 1999:21)

28
 Kovács lists the elements that can also influence the formation of anti-Semitism,
for example age, grade of education, residence, social mobility, lack of economic and
social resources, personal, social and political frustration, disadvantaged status, and
ideological attitude. (Kovács 1999:396) These factors do not necessarily cause anti-
Semitism in themselves, but are risk factors. Csepeli mentions another chance of anti-
Semitism, and it is connecting Jewish people to success by the large number of those,
who are unsuccessful and therefore frustrated. (Csepeli 1998:91) Again, if people are
not prepared to social turns and authoritarian principle rules them, this situation creates
the possibility of developing anti-Semitism. (Csepeli 1998:89)
These reasons can evoke different forms of behavior, such as verbal violence,
physical violence (at times even pogroms), discrimination from professions, positions,
groups of people or discrimination from certain residential areas.

4.4. The Presence of Anti-Semitism in the United States of America

According to Quinley and Glock, the people of the States early found the peaceful
way of living together with others practicing a different religion in consequence of the
diversity of American population. In spite of this fact prejudice of religious origin and
fanaticism could had been experienced at times. (Kovács 1999:273)
Quinley and Glock carried out a survey in the United States (in 1979) and they
also called the attention to the possible differences between official opinion of churches
and their members’. They revealed a connection between orthodox Christian beliefs and
anti-Semitism, and stated that orthodox Christians convey anti-Semitic views in
America. (Kovács 1999:288-289) Robert Wuthnow asserted that according to public
opinion polls at least one fifth of American citizens were classified as anti-Semitic.
Groups of people turned out to be anti-Semitic to a greater extent were uneducated
people, older people, Protestants, members of conservative churches, and black people
contrary to educated people, the young, Catholics and the white. (Kovács 1999:337)
Todd M. Endelman observes that anti-Semitism had a different way in America
and in Great Britain than in Europe in the nineteenth and the twentieth century. The
government did not let public anti-Semitism to gain ground, while private anti-Semitism

29
with discrimination was regular between 1880 and 1950. At state level Jews were not
referred to as scapegoats, also, modernism did not face strong resistance. On the other
hand, there were other minority groups to be attacked. The United States handled the
basic social and economic problems arising with modernization with greater success.
This was also the key of lower presence of public anti-Semitism. (Kovács 1999:486-
487)
As Bergmann and Erb demonstrate, the state and the media opposed and
disapproved anti-Semitism in America in the 1950s. On the contrary, citizens shared
anti-Semitic views widely. Therefore, the state practiced opinion pressure in order to
repress anti-Semitism. As a result, in younger generation the rate of anti-Semitism fell
back to six percent, while among people above sixty-five it is still twenty-six percent.
(Kovács 1999:197) It may be concluded that during the Second World War this rate was
not lower, but higher.

4.5. How to Fight Against Prejudice?

Experts urge churches, communities, performers and schools not to teach material
that contains stereotypes in connection with Jews. Quinley and Glock make suggestions
based on the results of research on anti-Semitism. The main elements of this method are
teaching and honest communication. They emphasize to teach people how to recognize
anti-Semitism in themselves and in other people. Teaching civil rights, logical thinking
and talking about social and cultural differences are also crucial. (Kovács 1999:336-
337)

30
5. Anti-Semitism in Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the
Dead

As public anti-Semitism or political anti-Semitism was not allowed in the united

States, it could not gain a ground. Even if there were attempts to spread this view, the
authority suppressed it. Consequently, it had to find an other way to come up to the
surface, but in a reshaped form. This new form was private anti-Semitism, that was
impossible to cease. Firstly because it was not publicly declared in front of crowds of
people, on the other hand, it was hard to catch. Within this category of anti-Semitism
subtypes of ethnocentric anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism of religion can be observed.

5.1. High Level Anti-Semitism

For people belonging to the upper classes was not advisable to express their
opinion publicly if it was opposite to the official opinion. They could have easily found
themselves in embarrassing situation. Therefore, they had to be very cautious when
talking about politics or any other awkward topics.
Some field officers of the bivouac on Anopopei went over the limits when
agreeing with some statements of Colonel Conn, who regularly declared his views about
politics and other issues. Political anti-Semitism was not rear among them.
Five field officers, namely Lieutenant Colonel Webber, Major Binner, the
Adjutant General, Colonel Newton, Major Dalleson, Major Hobart dared to agree with
Lieutenant Colonel Conn who asserted his opinion loudly for several weeks in officers’
mess in connection with Jews, the black and other immigrants. Lieutenant Hearn did not
accept Colonel Conn’s opinion and got into a debate with him.

He Hearn despised the six field officers at the adjacent table because
(…) they might hate kikes, niggers, Russians, limeys, micks, ...(Mailer
1993:80)

31
 After the incident General Cummings and Lieutenant Hearn was talking about the
same topic in the General’s tent, and Hearn admitted to himself there that he had similar
stereotypes about Jews just like the General had.

I don’t disagree with Conn. There's a hard kernel of truth in many of

the things he says. As, for example, "All Jews are noisy."'Cummings
shrugged. ‘They’re not all noisy, of course, but there’s an undue
proportion of coarseness in that race, admit it.’ (...) you don’t like
them either.’

Hearn was uneasy, There were ... traces of distaste he could detect in
himself. ‘I’ll deny that.’ (Mailer 1993:90)

The motives of anti-Semitism in case of high rank officers and field officers
probably did not derive from economic and social tensions, because these people came
from rich families with safe financial background. The reasons originated rather from
frustration because of their failures in their marriages, in their career and other fields of
their life. Also, stereotypes of religion, envy and prejudice could have lead them besides
xenophobia and ethnocentrism. Their education and socialization took part of forming
these views in them. They found their ambitions healthy, but in case of a Jew they
named the same desire pushiness and shamelessness. These statements are true in the
case of Lieutenant Hearn’s mother as well, but in her case stereotypes were in the focus.
Her anti-Semitism seems not so strong, perhaps it can be considered nearly
neutral.

Bobby Hearn’s mother

When we went out to Hollywood, Mrs Hearn says, we got taken over
the Paramount lot by some assistant director fellow, Jew, but he was
sort of nice. (Mailer 1993:334)

Among the personality features of these high class people resentment,

cowardliness, conventionalism, impatience, submission, cynicism, thirst of power, inner

32
fright, contempt towards others and exaggerated sexual interest can be discovered, it
means that the risk of anti-Semitism among them is not low.

5.2. Anti-Semitism Among Middle Class People

Middle class people were exposed to different hardships of life, partly because of
their financial situation. They could have faced economic uncertainty several times
during their life, mainly after becoming a family man. Because of the possible shortage
of money they lived the experience in different ways, and of course could have reacted
to them differently. During and after the Great Depression most members of the platoon
had to work really hard, and even in this way they faced problems. Lack of money was
a constant source of family arguments (for example in the case of Wilson). Adultery was
the other great problem that couples had to face. Probably the opinion according to
which a man can never trust any women, and all women are prostitutes arose because of
knowing a lot of unfaithful wives. (Mailer 1993:189-191) The lack of promotion also
caused frustration, besides getting nowhere.
There were more restrictions to which these men had to correspond, therefore they
have more repressed desires. As a consequence, the soldiers of the platoon can have
several explanations of becoming anti-Semiten, but they are not an excuse for becoming
one. Their courses of life show personality conflicts, frustration, aggression, a desire
towards authority, ethnocentrism, believing in stereotypes, prejudice, contempt, and
also, xenophobia. Private anti-Semitism proved to be a good area to let out their rage
and hurts. Again, low education, or the total lack of education influenced the attitude of
soldiers, but not in the same way. (RidgesWilson).

The truck driver

The truck driver probably was not well educated and served in the army for a
longer time, as he was familiar with the companies. He felt superior to the replacements
and showed his ’knowledge’ by giving advice. Probably he based his statement on his
false stereotypes of Jews and his prejudice.

33
 Several soldiers had been talking to a truck driver (...) The truck driver
was a big fellow with a round red face, and he had been telling the
replacements which companies were good and which were not. As he
meshed his gears and started to pull away he had shouted back, ‘Just
hope you all don’t get in F Company, that’s where they stick the
goddam Jewboys.’ There had been a roar of laughter, and someone
had yelled after him, ‘If they stick me there, I’m resigning plumb out
of the Army.’ And there had been more laughter. (Mailer 1993:61)

According to Goldstein, „that kind of face was behind all the pogroms against the
Jews.” (Mailer 1993:61)

Private Gallagher
He is a contradictory person. He is very sensitive, but hides his affections. He had
a hard childhood, during his socialization he was encouraged to fight with Jewish boys,
though, it was perhaps only a childish competition. His situation was not perfect even
after marrying Mary. He became disappointed during his marriage. He was naive, he
believed the seditious talks of Macnamara, one of the influential men of Democratic
Club. This name was only a code-name, the club was far away from democracy, just
like Christians United from Chritianity. These organizations were the bed of anti-
Semitism and anti-Communism in Boston. Xenophobia was one of the features of theirs
members. Through these organizations Gallagher became a follower of political anti-
Semitism, which was banned officially. Whatever Gallagher did, however hard he
struggled to improve his and his family’s situation, he did not move forward.
Macnamara deceived him by promising a career to him at the club. Gallagher worked
hard for them, as well as for Christians United, and finally somebody else was promoted
all the time. Because of all his disappointment and hopelessness he became frustrated
and poured his anger and tensions onto the Jews and Communists. In the platoon there
were two Jewish men, Goldstein and Roth, therefore Gallagher worked off his tension
and frustration on them. He behaved aggressively with them, and took the opportunities
to humiliate them. Ethnocentrism and stereotypes (including religious ones) also took
part in his attitude towards Goldstein and Roth, as he was the son of Irish immigrants
and is deeply Catholic (though, neglecting lots of religious commandments). He

34
projected his inner conflicts onto his Jewish fellows and blamed them for all his own
failures. In his case verbal and physical violence (he hit Roth on the head) also can be
observed among his actions. Political, ethnocentric anti-Semitism and perhaps anti-
Semitism of religion drove him, but for the lattest there is no particular evidence.

Gallagher as a boy during a competition between boys’ gangs

Get Packy and Al and Fingers, we’re gonna clean up the Yids. (Mailer
1993:272)
(On the way he passes a synagogue. ‘Ya yella?’ He spits on it.) Hey,
Whitey, I’m givin’ it one for good luck. (Mailer 1993:273)

Gallagher’s gang beat up a little schoolboy

And there was the time they Gallagher and the gang had made that
raid into Dorchester, and had taught the Yids a lesson. They had
picked one kid about eleven who was coming home from school and
they had surrounded him, and Whitey Lydon had asked, ‘What the hell
are ya?’ The kid had trembled and said, ‘I don’t know.’ ‘You’re a
mockey,’ Whitey had told him, ‘that’s what you are, a fuggin mockey.’
(...) The goddam Yids. (Mailer 1993:101)

Visiting Cambridge in the hope of a rendezvous one night, but the girl did not turn
up

I bet she ran off with some Jewboy who’s got the dough. I don’t know,
they always grab all the money, grab, grab, grab, (Mailer 1993:276)

Gallagher was not promoted at Democratic Club, according to Macnamara

because he worked at Christians United. The only contradiction is that Macnamara
himself direceted Gallagher to the United. Gallagher did not protested against it.
Perhaps he was too naive or cowardly. He again moved his anger onto someone else
instead of Macnamara and the Democratic Club. He may have wanted to belong to
someone, and he had noone else to be attracted to. Another contradiction that shows the
untruth of anti-Semitism that he assumed there were Jewish members of the Club.

35
Would a Jew fight against himself in an organization like Democratic Club? Would he
be allowed to?

I bet some of those rich kikes in the party are the ones that creamed
the CU. (Mailer 1993:280)

In the army other burdens were imposed on Gallagher. At first mainly

psychological and spiritual burdens, because of the assaults, being on guard, the danger
and possibility of being killed at any time, the death of his wife. But as the plot
progressed, the time of more and more monstrous and inhuman trials came. When his
situation became more unbearable, he started to realize that not the Jews were the
reasons of his sufferings, but the senseless war and the corrupt army with its officers
who had the power to send them into death. On the contrary, he still did not stop
bullying Goldstein and Roth. He still needed scapegoats as he could not rebel against
his superiors, he transferred his rage onto Goldstein and Roth unpunished.

That Jew had been having a lot of goddam luck, and suddenly his
bitterness changed into rage, constricted his throat, and came out in a
passage of dull throbbing profanity. ‘All right, all right,’ he said, ‘how
about giving the goddam cards a break. Let’s stop shuffling the
fuggers and start playing.’ (Mailer 1993:14)

He felt his mute anger growing, and because it gave him a rich
satisfaction to say it, he burst out suddenly, ‘I see we got a couple of
fuggin Yids in the platoon.’ (Mailer 1993:101)

‘I wouldn’t trust a fuggin one of them,’ Gallagher said fiercely.

(Mailer 1993:101)

‘What’s the matter, you want some gefüllte Fisch? He stopped, and
then as if delighted with what he had said, he added,’That’s right,
what Goldstein needs is some of that fuggin fish.’ (Mailer 1993:134)

To the Japan soldier who was caught by Croft

36
 The soldier was silent for a moment, and then began to plead again.
His voice had a desperate urgency which rasped Gallagher’s senses.
‘You look like a fuggin Yid with all that handwaving,’ he shouted.
(Mailer 1993:199)

The members of the platoon were drinking whisky, bought by Wilson. Goldstein
made excuses for not drinkig with them.

Gallagher snorted. ’Take the goddam drink or leave it, Izzy,’ he said.
(…) All of them showed contempt. Croft spat, and looked away.
Gallagher looked righteous. ’None of them drink,’ he muttered.

Gallagher got the news about his wife’s death

I bet a fuggin Yid was the doctor, he said to himself, (…) ’I bet a
fuggin Yid was the doctor,’ he said aloud. (…) ’The Yid killed her.’ It
relieved the tension he was feeling.

Gallagher after getting the last letter of his wife

Goddam Yids, fight a war for them. He thought of Goldstein. (Mailer

1993:290)

Gallagher talking to Stanley, Wilson and Martinez at the latrines one morning
after Toglio was wounded and sent home.

For that Roth and Goldstein, you could shoot 'em in the nuts and they
wouldn’t even know the difference.

The platoon was climbing up Mount Anaka with the lead of Sergeant Croft.
Everybody was dreadfully exhausted, mainly Roth. He dropped and got up a lot of
times, the others were impatient, as Croft did not let them sit down. Therefore they had
to wait for Roth standing on their feet. They were not brave enough to revolt against
Croft, they shifted their emotions onto Roth.

Their anger began to shift from Croft to Roth. (Mailer 1993:658)

Gallagher grasped him under the armpits and tried to lift him. The
dead resisting weight was enraging. He dropped Roth and clouted him

37
 across the back of his head. ’Get up, you Jew bastard!’ (Mailer
1993:659)

By the end of the story Gallagher has changed, he acknowledged that his Jewish
comrades were in the same cruel situation, and were victims just like him.
Therefore an honest verbal manifestation of his feelings sh can be taken as a
counter-example on behalf of him when talking about Roth after Roth’s death. First he
felt guilty for Roth’s accident, (how Croft named it) but later he relized that actually
Croft was the person who caused Roth’s fate. On the other hand, his feeling of guilty for
his deeds against Goldstein and Roth also could have induced his change. Gallagher
even wanted to help Roth jumping over the mountain-gorge when climbing up to the
top. At the same time he considered his wife’s death as a warning from God.

’I never liked the guy particularly, but I never wanted him to get it like
that. I never wanted nobody to get hit.’ (Mailer 1993:686)

Corporal Stanley
Stanley was a corporal by that time, but he still did not fulfilled his ambitions. He
wanted to go on with the platoon in order to get into confidential relation with Croft. He
found that was the way up in hierearchy at the army. When he was ordered to carry
Wilson back helping the others, he was disappointed. He poured his rage and frustration
onto the members of the carrying group, mainly onto Goldstein. Brown, Stanley, Ridges
and Goldstein were carrying back wounded Wilson on a stretcher to the shore. Wilson
was extremely thirsty, but because of having a wound in his stomach he was not allowed
to drink anything.
Goddamit, Brown, what the hell do ya want to do, torture him?’ He felt himself
driven by an excitement, a necessity. ’Give him a drink, what will it cost ya?’
’It would be murder,’ Goldstein said.
’Aw, shut up, ya dumb Jew bastard.’ Stanley spoke with fury.

Private Wilson
Wilson lead a rather loose life, he had huge sexual interest, everything made him
think about one thing, sex and women. Though he had a family, he thought about only

38
his eldest daughter May, and only sometimes about his wife, Alice. When he imagined
Alice’s face, virtually only the quarrels came into his mind. He wanted to leave Alice
after the war. The reasons for their arguments nearly all the time were the lack of money
(because Wilson spent their money on drinks, prostitutes and unnecessary things) and
the disloyalty of Wilson to his wife. Wilson was a funny and good fellow to his
comrades all the time. His joy of life was disturbed when he was shot, he felt himself
cheated. From time to time he had hope in recovering, but as his condition was getting
worse he realized his chances. Therefore he felt defenceless, frustrated, but tried to keep
his cheerful manner within his limits. Other risk factors of anti-Semitism can be found
in his character. He was illiterate, therefore uneducated and xenophobia as well. He did
not like and contempted the black living near to his father’s house. He always kept
himself from having a sexual relationship with a black woman, though, he played with
the idea. His final struggles made him lose his temper so much that he said an offending
remark on Goldstein.
Dying Wilson asked for some water, but Goldstein was steady in not giving him
any.
’Water, goddammit, y’ fuggin…’
’No water,’ Goldstein gasped.
’Y’ goddam Jewboy.’

Showing that Wilson was not a habitual anti-Semiten here are some counter-
examples on behalf of Wilson when talking to and about Goldstein (and Ridges).

’You’re a good bunch of men they ain’t nobody better’n you two
men.’ (Mailer 1993:668)
Ah mean it, they ain’t any two men like you to be found in the whole
fuggin platoon.’ (Mailer 1993:668)
Wilson wanted to say something to them. They were good men, he
thought. (Mailer 1993:675)

He was friendly with Roth as well, they had a good talk together.
Some other members of the platoon were also friendly and helpful to Goldstein
and Roth, for example Minetta and Ridges.
An other counter-example on behalf of Minetta when talking to Goldstein

39
 ’It’s a funny thing about you Jews. You know you feel sorrier for
yourself and sorrier for everybody else than most people do.’ .(Mailer
1993:476,477)

Sergeant Croft
Croft had several mental injuries, the most important of them was the
unfaithfulness of his wife who cheated him lots of times after their marriage grew cold.
Finally his wife left him and that hurt his male dignity. As a consequence he became
contemptuous towards everybody and only one thing took him forward, his ambition
and the desire of self-justification. Human lives did not count for him, even he felt joy
in killing. He projected all his bitterness onto his surrounding world. He was a power-
mad and did not let any chance for protest. In order to fulfil his own desire he inclined
to sacrifice his men. He was extremely cynical and aggressive. These personality
features not surprisingly lead to inclination to anti-Semitism. He can be very cruel.
Croft shamed Goldstein in a truck when Goldstein wanted to look around why the
trucks were held up

Suppose you just set down and beat your meat if you’re getting
anxious. (Mailer 1993:131)

Because of his prejudice he blamed Goldstein when Goldstein, Toglio and Wyman
let a gun fall back into a draw because of Wyman’s fault. Croft was not interested in the
truth really, he decided that it was Goldstein’s fault.

‘Yeah,’ Croft said. A spasm of rage worked through him, and he

turned on Goldstein and said, ‘Listen, Izzy.’ (Mailer 1993:144)

‘Listen, for as long as you’ve been in the platoon, Goldstein, you’ve

done nothing but have ideas about how we could do something better.
But when it comes down to a little goddam work, you’re always
dicking off. I’ve had enough of that bullshit from you.’ (Mailer
1993:144-145)

40
 The other members of the platoon who are not mentioned individually could also
have had feelings connected to anti-Semitism. They were silent participants of the
events, noone interfered either verbal violence, nor Gallagher’s physical violence most
of the times. It can mean that comrades being on the spot agreed with those deeds.

Macnamara at Democratic Club in Gallagher’s ward

Macnamara was a cunning man, he took advantage of Gallagher’s naivity. He
turned the attention from their own dirty affairs and made the Jews and the Communists
the scapegoat for every bad thing. His speeches were contradictory and ridiculous,
though he created political anti-Semitism within people whom he could convince of his
truth. This type of anti-Semitism is the most dangerous, it can result in incalculable
outcome. In his speeches the old stereotypes of conspirator Jews, raping the women of
other nations came alive again.

they work against the international plot, you know the one the rich
kikes got all figured to bring us communism (Mailer 1993:277)

A big guy at Christians United was a fat man with similar capacities and similar
aims as Macnamara. He wanted to affect to the rage of people being unemployed,
telling themt that the reason of their unemployment are the Jews, not the Great
Depression.

We gotta start mobilizing and get ready, the International Jews is tryin’
to get us to war, an’ we gotta get them first, ya see the way they take
away all the jobs, we let it go an’ we won’t have a fuggin chance,
they’re high up but we got our friends too. (Mailer 1993:277)

The speaker at a meeting at Christians United

All right, we’re in a war, men, the speaker says, we gotta fight for the
country, but we don’t want to be forgettin’ our private enemies. He
pounds the speaker’s table over which a flag with a cross is spread.
There’s the foreign element we got to get rid of, that are conspiring to
take over the country. There are cheers from the hundred men seated
in camp chairs. We gotta stick together, or we’ll be havin’ our women
raped, and the Red Hammer of Red Jews Fascist Russia WILL BE
SMASHING YOUR DOOR DOWN. (Mailer 1993:282)

41
 Who takes away your jobs, who tries to sneak up on your wives and
your daughters and even your mothers ’cause they wouldn’t stop at
nothing, who’s out to get YOU and YOU ’cause you ain’t a Red Jew,
and you don’t wanta bow down before a filthy goddam no-good
Communist who don’t respect the Lord’s name, and would stop at
nothing.
Let’s kill them! Gallagher shrieks. He is shaking with excitement.
That’s it, men, we’re gonna clean up on ’em, (Mailer 1993:282-283)

5.3. Anti-Semitism Among Drop-outs

People living at the lower layers of society also became victims of stereotypes.
Their level of education or uneducatedness was one of the reasons why they could have
been persuased. They did not have an overall picture about the connections between
things, they just caught something and thought they knew everything to form real
opinion. It was easy to incite them to rebellion. These people also like to hide behind the
impersonality of the mass. They avoid responsibility, and sometimes are aggressive
(mainly when drunken) and superstitious. They do not like submission, although they
would do nearly anything for some money, even if they are lazy. They also find
somebody to project their frustration and failure onto. Political anti-Semitism can be
nera to them, as they can behave like a trained rabble. They also blame talented Jews for
taking away the jobs from them, just like the ungifted members of middle class.

Vagabonds in the camp outside the town talking with each other beside Red
Valsen.

Listen, boys, I watched it myself right from the beginning, it’s the
fuggin Jews, it’s the fuggin International Jews. (Mailer 1993:232)

5.4. Observed Anti-Semitism in American Society

(…) the synagogues and cemeteries are fouled with language and symbol, ’The
fuggin kikes’ and the cross or swastika. (Mailer 1993:272) in Boston

42
 Private Goldstein
Seven-year-old Joey Goldstein going home from school with a wound on his face
Ma, they beat me up, they beat me up, they called me sheenie.
Who did, who was it?
It was the Italian kids, a whole gang, they beat me up.

5.5. Consequencies

Examining anti-Semitism in different social layers it can be stated that it is an

everyday matter throughout American nation. Why does it happen in a free country
where everybody is equal? The answer is in the origin of the inhabitants of the country.
Originally all white people were immigrants on the big continent from the Middle Ages
onwards. But who arrived earlier they forgot where they came from and why they left
there homeland in the hope of providing a peaceful and prospering life for their
descendants. Most of them arrived from European countries where strong roots of anti-
Semitism can be found. People moving to America took their false stereotypes and
prejudice with themselves besides their belongings. In the new land they used their
heritage and gave to their children through long centuries. This is why anti-Semitism
can be present in the United States of America.
Focusing on the novel it can be noticed that there was real anti-Semitism among
the members of upper class, but the officers could not have revealed this attitude in front
of lower rank soldiers.
Middle class people also shared the attitude of public or political anti-Semitism,
as well as private anti-Semitism in its different types. This was a feature of American
society. Ethnocentric anti-Semitism also had victims, for inhabitants of Italian and Irish
origin attacked little Jewish boys and beat them.
To summarize this chapter, all kinds of anti-Semitism can be noticed in all social
levels of the United States. This is based on the fact that the soldiers of the army
represent all social levels. Members of all layers found reason for anti-Semitism, it
proves that there was no need to find a real reason. People will find a scapegoat in all

43
cases they have problem of any nature. Therefore anti-Semitism is a widespread
phenomenon in the United States as well.

44
6. Pedagogical Implications

6.1. Background Information to the Lesson

The aim of teaching is duplicated. Besides transferring information (I call

education) teaching is also pedagogy in a direct or indirect way. For that reason the
particular goals of the lesson are reading literary text (improving reading skills) and
encouraging students by this to read literary works in English. This is not an easy task
as students hardly read any literary works even in Hungarian recently.
The other role of the lesson is to demonstrate the nature of anti-Semitism to
students.
What can be achieved with this lesson? The teacher can do against prejudice and
anti-Semitism. Young people still do not have firm ideology; their value system can be
formed. As in the fourth chapter of this thesis is written, older or less educated people
generally are more apt to be prejudiced, more inclined to racial hatred, such as to anti-
Semitism. Thus, it is important to call the attention to the dangers of these phenomena at
a young age. With youngsters there is a better chance to turn the ideology, to influence it
into a positive direction. Departing from a wider scope the teacher talks about
discrimination in general, gives examples of distinction. He/She can mention
discrimination of Gypsies, homosexuals, and the black. Nowadays people above forty
or fifty and women with young children are also distinguished in Hungary. The teacher
can also name discrimination on the basis of financial situation, because young people
between the age of ten and nineteen feel fear most of all of the lack of money. So the
shortage of money in the age of pleasure-hunting can exclude young people from the
groups of (school)friends, social life and can result in frustration, in juvenile
delinquency, and even in suicide. Therefore it is vital to make students aware of their
and others’ values without respect to their social status or origin. It is significant to
emphasize the value of human life whatever nation a certain person belongs to. Seeing
the problem globally racism not necessarily leads to war, but in a troubled world

45
running towards egoism and madness there can be the risk of seeking and finding a new
scapegoat, or discover the “old scapegoat” again.
After getting familiar with the different types of discrimination the teacher can
arrive to the type of anti-Semitism. From this onwards, the discussion can go on about
anti-Semitism.
From methodological point of view the aim during the lesson is to develop as
much skills besides reading as possible. Though, the emphasis is on reading skill, not
neglecting the other skills makes the lesson varied. It is important to a greater extent in
the course of teaching children in order to catch and keep their interest alive.
The teacher should use teaching aids during the lesson such as blackboard;
pictures of people of any minority, of crying, grief people, a Jew person wearing
traditional Jewish clothes, showing the march of Jewish people in concentration camps.
Also, photocopied sheets with the quoted text(s), the list of definitions below the text,
and reading comprehension task(s) are needed. Optionally, the reduced-sized pictures of
that are used in the class can be seen on the top of the sheets, for it arouses the interest
of students and help to memorize the learnt material. The text itself should not be a part
consisting of a lot of obscene words and expressions, therefore the teacher should be
very cautious when selecting it.

6.2. The Course of the Lesson

This chapter is based on Harmer’s ideas about teaching English language

(2001:Ch.14-15, 22). The lesson starts with a situational game in which the teacher tries
to create the feeling of being discriminated. The aim with this task is producing similar
atmosphere to that one in which distinguished people may live. Through this lead-in
exercise students can experience the emotional burden and may feel being under
pressure, therefore this section of the lesson will not be long as it can be demanding.
This game is to illustrate the accidental, blind way of seeking for a scapegoat. The other
goal of this task is to create interest in students towards the other parts of the lesson.
The teacher begins the lesson with the question “What color eyes do you have?”
addressed to individual students. After that the teacher asks his/her students to choose a

46
color from the colors they mentioned as the color of their eyes The next question
inquires about problems the students are concerned about in those days. After answering
the teacher asks students to change their places in a way that students whose eyes’ color
correspond with the chosen color should sit within an area separated from the others. At
this stage the teacher suggests students to imagine that students sitting separated can be
blamed for every single problem they mentioned. The teacher asks the questions “How
would you punish these people?” After some brainstorming idea of punishment the
teacher would ask the members of the chosen group the questions “How do you feel
yourself being condemned?” “Do you feel responsible for the problems?” “What would
you do with the people who marked you?” should be responded by discriminated
students.
After this game the teacher can show the pictures to students and asks them to talk
about them. What comes to their minds when watching the pictures, do any members of
their family have any personal experience in connection with the events that are
illustrated in the pictures, and similar questions can be asked.
As the next step, the teacher puts flashcards of words on the blackboard in a list.
Another group of flashcards of definitions is put on the other part of the blackboard in a
random mess. Meanwhile a student distributes the worksheets among the others. The
base of this task is the pre-taught vocabulary in the previous lesson. Students are asked
in turns to put a definition card beside the appropriate word in the list at the blackboard.
The others check and correct (and also the teacher if necessary). If they do the
correction themselves, it is less unpleasant and will not discourage them from
participating in the lesson. Students write the suitable words besides the definitions on
their worksheets. (This version is more time saving than writing the definitions beside
the words in the list, and on the other hand, it requires their attention to avoid
confusion.) While students write, the teacher is monitoring them.
In the next stage of the lesson students are asked to say sentences with vocabulary
items they wish in turns from the list. This is a good feedback about their understanding
of the words, and also, improves speaking skills.
The next activity consists of the silent reading of the selected part of the novel. At
this stage the teacher has to call his/her students attention to general understanding, not

47
all vocabulary items should be understood. Students should be aware of the fact that
they probably will not understand every single word even in real life, but at the same
time they have to catch the message of what they hear or read.
For the second time students read the text loudly. This activity develops their
pronouncation. Reading aloud is more demanding than silent reading. In the first case
students can not rely on their perception, therefore understanding the text is more
difficult. They also have to pay attention to pronouncation, they have to share their
attention. For this reason the only task besides reading is to watch for specific
information asked on the worksheet.
After reading the teacher asks students to do the comprehension writing task on
the sheet. The task examines general understanding and the finding of specific
information. This task should be completed strictly in a limited amount of time.
Correction is made first in pairs (encouraging participation), then together under
the control of the teacher. Optionally, an overhead projector can be used for quicker and
safer correcting. In this case the saved time can be used up at speaking activity that
follows.
For the follow-up activity students are asked to retell what they understood from
the text in their own words. In this way they are “forced” to find synonyms of the new
words and this helps to deepen the new information.
As a cooling-down exercise the teacher asks students to find connection between
the pictures (shown at the beginning of the lesson) and the text. They have to make up
stories in pairs using the new words and read them in front of the class.
The homework activity can be the making up of other stories related to the text
and the pictures. Reduced-sized pictures on the top of the worksheets can prove very
useful at this exercise. This task is a follow-up to the next lesson at the same time.

6.3. The Lesson Plan

Level: intermediate/upper intermediate Age: 17/18 Topic: DiscriminationsAim:

Developing all skills, and making students aware of the dangers of any kind of
discrimination (including anti-Semitism) and prejudice

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Act. Skill Method/ Timin Task/Activity Aids Notes
No. Interaction
g
1. Speaking T-SS 10’ T ask the SS the following Introduction of
questions: What color the topic
eyes do you have? Creating interest
SS answer in turns.
SS choose a color
T asks about their
problems, SS answer
Changing places
Blaming the scapegoats
Punishment ideas
How do scapegoats feel
themselves? T asks them

2. Speaking T-SS 3’ T asks SS to tell their Pictures Brainstorming

ideas in connection with Lead-in exercise
the pictures.
3. Writing S-SS 3’ T puts flashcards on the Blackboard Linking up with
(Speaking) blackboard and asks SS to Worksheet previous lesson
pair them. SS correct and when vocabulary
also the T if necessary. was pretaught
SS write the words in Revision
their worksheets to the Pre-reading task
appropriate place the T
monitors meanwhile.
4. Speaking T-SS 2’ SS are asked to say Feedback of
sentences with the understanding
vocabulary items. Pre-reading task
5. Reading T-SS 5’ SS are asked to read the Worksheet Beyond level
text silently text, skim-
reading
6. Reading T-SS 5’ SS read the text aloud Worksheet Scanning

7. Writing S 5’ Comprehension writing Worksheet Post-reading

task activity
Eliciting
8. Speaking S-S 3’ SS discuss the solution Worksheet Feedback
T-SS first in pairs, then together
9. Speaking SS-SS 3’ SS retell what they Follow-up
understood from the text activity
Deepening
10. Speaking S-S 5’ Creating stories in pairs Students’ Follow-up and
Reading SS-SS and reading them in front exercise cooling-down
of the class books exercise

11. Writing T-SS 1’ Giving homework: Follow-up to

creating other stories in next lesson
connection with the topic
in writing

49
Conclusion

The aim of this thesis was to discover the presence of anti-Semitism in the United
States of America of the 1940s through Norman Mailer’s novel The Naked and the
Dead. This presence was a supposition that needed to be proved by examples. In order
to make a good work of discovery the thesis gives a great deal of background
information. With the help of them the real picture of American life becomes closer and
subtle. Through these pieces of information it is easier to understand the actions and
deeds of the characters in the novel. The phenomena of anti-Semitism in the state of
liberty is quite unusual for an impartial obsrever, therefore he or she has to look behind
the curtains.
In the first chapter there is a review of the historical background. It shows the
process how the United States entered the Second World War after a time of neutrality.
It shows the steps of this happening, also give short details about war movements as
well as on European theatre of war as well as in the Pacific. Some economic data are
also provided in this part of the thesis. Besides these pieces of information the chapter
also describes the change in the status of women, the elderly, children, minority groups
and immigrants. Their struggle in factories and other workplaces that never opened up
before them earlier totally turned their lives. Unfortunatelly, it took sorrowful changes
in marriages as well that can be caught in the novel several times.
The next chapter deals with the literary life of post-war America. It shortly
describes its main trends and its most well-known representatives naming some titles of
them. It reveals how the writers of that age felt themselves, what gave them inspiration
to his/her works. It shows the situation of writers of any minority groups including
Jewish writers. It tells what kind of burden they had to carry, even if they did not want
to. It places Norman Mailer into this row showing his connectins to writers of different
trends.
The third chapter describes the stations of Mailer life up to his debut, emphasizing
those events that somehow return in his novel. A collection of his best works also can be
read in this part besides some typical criticism of him.

50
 Chapter four tries to give definitions of the basic terms in connection with the
topic. It tells the history of forming anti-Semitism from ancient times until the modern
times. It depicts the main characterizations of the different phases and takes examples of
possible reasons of anti-Semitism through diverse theories. Several types of
manifestation are listed at last.
Chapter five shows particular examples of anti-Semitism found in the novel. It
lists the brief description of those characters who are considered to be guilty of anti-
Semitism, and also, their victims if possible. The chapter tries to investigate th reasons
that made the characters behave as they behave. It examines the personal tragedies that
lead to the apparent situations.
In the last chapter thoughts about teaching this topic can be read. It gives ideas
how to lead in this issue, what kind of aids can be used during the lesson so as to make
the lesson more varied and exciting. It shows a possible way of conducting the lesson
and also, do not forget to stress the importance of this issue, which is unfortunately still
current after more than two thousands years. Besides these goals the chapter also
focuses on how to make reading in English more enjoyable for students.
In the conclusion the achieved aims are presented shortly considering the
individual chapters. The question of the Introduction part whether anti-Semitism was
the part of everyday American life in the 1940s can be answered with yes
unambiguously. This answer, which is gained from examining the novel The Naked and
the Dead, perfectly correspond to the historical facts that are outlined in chapter four.

51
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