21 pages • 42 minutes read
Philip RothDefender Of The Faith
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1959A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
This short story has been criticized by religious leaders of the Jewish community. In your opinion, what elements of the story might be considered deserving of their criticism?
Which of the three young trainees inspires the most feelings in you while reading the short story? What are these feelings? Support your response with a character analysis of the trainee in question.
Which of Grossbart’s deceptions is the most egregious, and why?
Trace the experiences that cause Sergeant Marx to undergo a change, beginning from the memories of his past life to the end of the story. What experience shaped his personality the most?
Explain the significance of Grossbart’s use of the Yiddish term of endearment “leben.” What impact does it have on Marx? Support your response with evidence from the text.
At no point in the story is the Holocaust mentioned. Why might this omission be deliberate?
Discuss the significance of the title. Who is the true defender of the faith in this short story? From what is the faith being defended?
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By Philip Roth
