Judaizm jako obiekt ironii w dialogu pisarzy amerykańskich z żydowską tradycją

Abstract

The article shows examples of how Jewish-American writers deal with judaism in their works, using irony as the tool. The three authors discussed in the article all belong to twentieth century literature, though represent different generations. Despite diverse styles of writing they share not only skillful use of irony, but also of elements of magic realism. The examples discussed come from Bernard Malamud’s short story „Jewbird”, Nathan Englander’s short story „Peep Show” and Joseph Skibell’s novel A Curable Romantic. In Malamud’s story the main aim of irony is to indicate the tragic contempt of the assimilating American Jews towards their East European traditions, in Englander’s story the writer’s goal is to ridicule the religious instruction in schools, while in Skibell’s novel the author looks with humour at the consequences of the impact of judaism at Jewish life in Easter Europe.