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영어

This study aims to look into the thematic design of the works of Bernard Malamud and Ernest Hemingway in view of Judaism and Code. Malamud is chiefly interested in establishing Judaic values to restore human dignity, and Hemingway’s chief literary purpose is to embody his own sportsman code to maintain human decency, even in the face of death or harsh reality. For Malamud, Judaic values inherent in Judaism are based on an ethical monotheism which is Bible-centered. They are characterized by Jewish covenant with God, humanism, and moral action. They represent human confidence in God and provide proper reasons for man’s meaningful existence. Judaic values are concerned with “goodness,” “love,” “mercy,” “humanity,” “dignity,” “responsibility,” and so forth. These positive values spread throughout Malamud’s fiction. Most of Malamud’s protagonists achieve their moral growth by embracing Judaic values through their suffering or hardship caused by their ego-centric lifestyles. Malamud ironically shows that the protagonists’ realization of Judaic values is consistent with their observance of Law, which is essential to the cure for their fragmented selves. In Hemingway’s literary world, engaging in any athletic activities such as bullfighting, fishing, hunting and any other sports in the correct way entails the values involved in writing which is true to himself and readers, which corresponds to his ethical attitudes. For Hemingway, the true sportsman, or the faithful writer, or the reliable hero acts on the sportsman code exercising self-control and grace and courage so that he can maintain his own human dignity. In conclusion, Malamud’s treatment of Judaism is in agreement with Hemingway’s deal with the sportsman code, for both writers establish human integrity to keep civilization from destroying itself to save humanity.