Cynthia Ozick’s literary style and prose stands out amongst Jewish-American writers as she’s willing to make sacrifices and take literary risks that define her as a master of fiction. Stemming from her early days, when she would devour novels and began to develop her style through the works of Henry James. Readers often interpret Ozick’s fiction as a sort of a message or lesson to learn. In her writing, the ideology of worshipping idols is often present as Ozick believes that idolizing art related to historical aspects will hinder the significance of that historical event such as, the Holocaust.
Ozick deems that idolizing will destroy the Jewish faith, ”The single most useful, and possibly the most usefully succinct, description of a Jew – as defined ‘theologically’ – can be rendered negatively: a Jew is someone who shuns idols” (The Cannibal Galaxy, Ozick). She believes that those who remain true to the Jewish faith must uphold their faith by dedicating their belief to god and disregard idolizing. Additionally, in The Pagan Rabbi, she exhibits this ideology of idolatry through her protagonist Isaac Kornfield. Throughout the story, Ozick utilizes her expertise of writing to create a world of fiction for the reader, she expresses herself in what seems to be poetic and awing writing. When Isaac is discussing his faith as a rabbi, he often states his disgust for idolatry, and its effects on the Jewish faith. Kornfield is perhaps a window to a darker, more imaginative Ozick. Through her protagonist, she warns her readers and others in society with any interest in protecting its history.
Although, Ozick also states in several interviews and essays that she’s not interested in representing the Jewish faith, “As a writer of fiction, I know today that I essentially don’t want to be responsible for Jewish culture” (Interview by Elaine M. Kauvar). She comprehends the enormous responsibility that would come with representing the vast number of people. Ozick believes that writers of fiction should focus on storytelling and the components of their writing rather than, the pressure that comes with being a Jewish-American writer.
When Ozick had first begun writing, she was often criticized by her male peers as they believed she could only write in a female perspective and didn’t have the necessary skills to compete against her male counterparts. In a conference with Norman Mailer, a young Cynthia Ozick decides to rebuttal against Mailer as he was quoted diminishing the work of female writers, “A sacerdotal sexual transcendentalist priest cannot be concerned with justice rooted in civilization” (Town Bloody Hall Documentary). Her expertise is illustrated in this clip as she’s also able to make witty remarks while simultaneously deducing Mailer’s comments against women. Ozick had only begun writing at this time however, she was able to portray herself as a strong writer and speaker which demonstrated her capability for future successes.
Due to the criticism she faced early on while writing and in life for being a woman, Ozick had become a feminist. In several interviews Cynthia Ozick reminisces on the first day she went to Hebrew school and the Rabbi told her grandmother, “A girl isn’t supposed to learn! Take her Home!” (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Woman). Perhaps this is where Ozick’s fiery spirit had commenced and had continued on through her adulthood.
Henry James had been one of the first influences in Cynthia Ozick’s writing style. She had begun with James’ “The Beast in the Jungle”. As Ozick states in her essay “The lesson of the Master”, “From that time forward- gradually but compellingly- and now I yield my scary confession- I became Henry James”. Discussing her connection to Henry James is extremely crucial in comprehending Ozick’s work and establishing connections between her life and her work. Her sixth novel, Foreign Bodies which was published in 2010 echoes her obsession with Henry James and acts as another tribute to his literary work. She had decided to set the novel in Paris, a city that she’s never actually been to. Another aspect of her writing that Ozick has refined and adopted from James is his moralist approach, “Like James, Miss Ozick is a moralist – not a purveyor of slogans, of dark or optimistic lessons, but someone who is always submitting experience to an ethical inquiry” (Images of a Mind Thinking). The ethical questions posed and answered by Ozick in her writing add a layer of complexity and critical understanding of the world from her perspective.
One of the aspects of Ozick’s novels that make her standout is her willingness to take literary risks that most writers have not. In The Pagan Rabbi, she delves into the world of suicide and begins the story with its ending: Isaac Kornfeld’s death. As stated by Carole S. Kessener in his analysis of Ozick’s work, “Out of her humanity, her moral seriousness, and literary challenge, Ozick instantly chose the very subjects that most pioneers of Jewish American writing had avoided” (Foreign bodies: a pentimento). The most famous Jewish American writers, Bernard Malamud, Saul Bellow, Phillip and Henry Roth had mostly avoided the very subjects that were the foundation for Ozick’s impeccable work.
During the holocaust, Ozick had experienced “the best years of her life” (A Conversation with Cynthia Ozick by Lawrence Bridges), it was a time of literary exploration and self-discovery for Ozick. Meanwhile the war was progressing, Cynthia Ozick was in New York City reading the works of some of the greatest writers in history. The setting of Ozick’s work largely represents her upbringing as well. New York City is a constant setting for her characters. The Pagan Rabbi, The Shawl, Bloodshed, The Cannibal Galaxy all include one or several aspects of New York City. In The Shawl, her protagonist is a “survivor” from World War II whose child, Magda was killed in the beginning of the novel. Her writing is simplistic and straightforward in her novel however, more importantly the reader comprehends that this is Rosa’s story and not Ozick’s. She makes it clear by creating a sort of distance between the text and herself, “Rosa’s stasis in the past does not embrace tradition and memory… [it] instead separates Rosa from others” (Disruptive Memories). Her happiness during a time of suffrage is present in her novels as she speaks about the Holocaust from a distance as she’s fully aware she did not experience these horrific tragedies.
This can also be a homage to her parents as her grandparents had immigrated to New York by 1906. She explains that, “stories passed on to her by her mother and grandmother”. Its evident that these stories have made their way into Ozick’s writing and reciprocated in her life. In the story “Passage to the New World” it seems as if Cynthia Ozick had been completely influenced by these stories as she writes about a “mother’s legacy of strength and spirit to her daughter”. (The Uncollected Autobiography of Cynthia Ozick)
Manfrer Espinal's Composition Portfolio 