I.B. Singer’s work is set in Poland in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Through the changes happening in Jewish family members’ lives, Singer explores how the drastic changes in science and technology impact everyday lives. Our worldviews are influenced by society and it has real implications for our actions. Jews in Poland have lived for more than 800 years and their lives are characterized by religious traditions, every aspect of their lives has been controlled by religious beliefs. The moral beliefs they follow, the festivals they celebrate, and the role of men and women in the family were all influenced by religious beliefs. Things start to change as currents of modernity start sweeping Jewish lives, growing economic prosperity, and changes in science and technology forced ordinary Jews to question their religious beliefs.
The characters in this novel start questioning beliefs like if there is a creator, how do we know if the Jewish Torah is the only true way what about religious beliefs practiced by other religions? Scientific discoveries like Darwin’s evolution, and understanding in astronomy question the idea of the existence of a creator. These doubts result in a confused state of these characters, if there is no creator and if there is no central importance to the ten commandments, if there is no idea of sin, how do we make everyday choices? Does this really help humanity, if everything is defined by chance events and there is no moral order behind that governs human actions then how do humans find meaning?
The novel begins with the failed revolution of the Polish aristocracy against the Russian rule present in Poland during that time. Although the Jews are not directly participating in this it affects their fortunes positively indirectly. The novel’s central character Calman Jacoby takes over the running of a Polish estate confiscated by the Russian authorities after the failed revolution. Calman’s fortune changes after this event, a pious Jew he becomes prosperous. The changes happening in Poland like the construction of railroads, contribute towards his riches. It is through following the lives of Calman and his family we understand the changes happening in Jewish life. It is a family saga in an epic scale, each member of his family and those they relate to their lives become a sort of microcosm of Jewish life in Poland.
Calman himself is torn between living a pious Jewish life, and also getting caught up in the drastic life changes happening around him. A man who till his end is constantly trying to grapple with desires, especially carnal ones, his life sees ups and downs. His economic prosperity gives him mobility in social status, he gets introduced to aristocratic Jews who are liberal in their lives. Yet he is never able to overcome his traditional Jewish beliefs. All of Calman’s daughters’ lives are impacted to varying degrees due to the changes happening in society. After the death of his wife, he marries Clara a Jewish frivolous woman, from the beginning Calman is aware of the stupidity of this decision. His conscience constantly warns him against the baseness of the woman, but he seems to be unable to control his desires and falls to her. This is a constant theme in the novel, men and women seem to be powerless against the desire that determines their destiny. Singer seems to be concluding that without a strict moral compass, human beings will fall for desire. This a very sober and sometimes depressing read that one gets by the constant failings of these characters. Clara till her death never seems to be able to live a content life, she is constantly falling in love and every time she gets closer to death she seems to repent but once she is healthy she is back to leading a life of frivolity. Calman’s marriage with Clara ends in a disastrous manner, as she gets involved in incestuous relationships he is morally sickened by her baseness. Even after being separated from Clara, Calman is constantly struggling against carnal desires and passions. His only recourse seems to be to live a life defined by Jewish beliefs. Even if these beliefs might not be scientifically valid yet his life without them seems to be much worse.
Compared to Calman, Clara’s life is one characterized by duplicity and falsehood. There is a fascinating episode in the novel when Clara falls out with her lover, they charge against each other and find out they both cannot agree on what is true. They confess that they cannot swear on a god as both of them do not believe in a god. This seems to be the problem for both of them. During this time in Poland among Jewish intelligentsia there are three major viewpoints about how Jews should try to change themselves. The socialists believe in the revolution they do not believe in religion or god and consider it exploitative. The modernists want Jews in Poland to assimilate with the Polish society by learning the language, learning science, and technology rather than believing that every wisdom is contained in the Torah. There are zionists who believe Jews should migrate to Israel and create a Jewish nation.
All these three viewpoints are represented in these novels. Somehow Singer does not seem to be so convinced by any of them. The character Ezriel represents this dilemma very clearly, he is a modern and enlightened Jew, and he moves to Warsaw and studies to become a doctor. He is married to Shaindel the second daughter of Calman. Ezriel in the early stages of the novel wants to reform and lead a life of a modern man, he disconnects himself from his father a rabbi himself, and he is ashamed of the Jewish ways of his wife. Yet all through the novel, he could never get convinced by the modern ways. His own sister gets herself involved in the socialist movement in Poland and is sentenced to hard labor in Siberia. He gets to see the conflicts among the socialist movements, their violent ways, and their complete lack of respect for their own forefathers is not to his liking. Ezriel himself gets involved in an affair with a widow, he is torn by guilt of his actions yet unable to overcome his desire. There is something seductive about the guilt that gives men pleasure, whereas a moral life looks boring and dull at the outset. Ezriel gets caught in this trap, and Shaindel in her later life is diagnosed with mental illness. She is admitted to an asylum, and Ezriel starts living with the widow. He visits her but she is caught up in her own fears and illusions. For Ezriel the mental illness that characterizes modern humans stems from a lack of belief and moral framework to lead life. The way Ezriel and his secret lover fool themselves and get involved in their secret desires showcases masterfully the complexity of the human condition.
Calman’s other daughter Mariam Leiba’s life is one that is completely tragic. She elopes with a gentile named Lucian and becomes a Christian. Her family completely severs her ties. Her life with Lucian is tragic and sorrowful. Lucian is one of the characters in the novel who is completely sold to evil. Others in the novel seem to be oscillating between the extremes of good and bad. Lucian continuously cheats everyone, having multiple affairs, with no proper work he gets even jailed for murder. Lucian probably represents the extremes of human cruelty. In one of the poignant moments in the novel, Ezriel comes to meet Mariam Leiba on her deathbed. She warns Ezriel not to leave Shaindel, even though she is not aware of Ezriel’s affair. She warns him that these things never end well. Mariam Leiba was the most beautiful and intelligent girl amongst Calman Jacoby’s daughters, he suggests to her to marry a very pious man called Jochanan. She refuses to marry him, and in turn her younger sister Taipele marries Jochanan.
Jochanan is a mystic Hassid who is an extremely pious Jew, every moment of his life is dedicated to the study of the Torah. He is struggling with consumption at the end of the novel. He is considered a saintly person, Jews from different places constantly visit him. Did Mariam regret not marrying him or does she still prefer the struggle and suffering over the docile life of Taipele? At the end of the novel, we see Ezriel coming back to Jochanan and reconnect with the Jewish people. He asks Jochanan to teach his son the Jewish ways and the Yiddish language. Jochanan asks him have you seen the truth that you were looking for? and Ezriel responds saying no I have seen their lies.
These lines seem to reflect Singer’s view, although religion might not have answered all the questions at least it gave certainty and consistency to its believers, modern science seems to be placing people in the no man’s land. The novel is a must-read for people trying to understand Jewish life in Poland and its challenges in the 19th century.
Ashok 