Defender Of The Faith

This short story, written in the first person, reveals the internal processes of protagonist Sergeant Nathan Marx as he recovers from his experiences as a combatant during World War II. Set in a military base in southwest Missouri, the narrative follows Marx’s experience as he tries to discern which parts of his original self remain and which parts of his original self are forever lost, left behind in the European combat zones of World War II. When Marx engages with young trainee Sheldon Grossbart and his friends, Larry Fishbein and Mickey Halpern, Marx finds himself unexpectedly accessing a part of his identity that links his hardened combatant self with valuable and tender memories of his past and of his family. To make matters even more poignant, these emotional connections all take place against the backdrop of one of the most horrifying events of the 20th century: the Jewish Holocaust during World War II.

Marx himself is Jewish, but his relationship with Judaism is unexplained in the short story. He knows the customs and the dates of important Jewish holy days, and he understands the culture of Jewish families, but he discusses little more about his own Jewish identity. Marx does not reveal how he feels about being Jewish, and in this absence of personal exploration, the reader must surmise what is behind Marx’s negative reaction and vulnerability to Sheldon Grossbart, a scheming young trainee intent on surviving the war and resisting the anti-Semitism he experiences while in basic training.

Religious identity plays a significant role in this short story. The trappings of the faithful are manipulated by Grossbart when he uses his mutable sense of Jewish identity to get what he wants, and perhaps even worse, when he uses his friend Mickey Halpern’s deep and authentic faith to further his ends. Larry Fishbein, with his shallow Jewish identity, is happy to hang on Grossbart’s proverbial coattails, especially when it means the three trainees are able to enjoy special privileges. Led by Grossbart and aided by kind-hearted Marx, the three trainees escape mundane tasks like Friday night cleaning sessions and enjoy a weekend off the military base, to which they are not entitled. Marx’s own sense of being Jewish comes into play at every encounter with Grossbart, all of which take place during a war that has persecuted and victimized Jews all over Europe and in an environment where Jewish culture is not respected nor understood.

The character of Private Sheldon Grossbart is a complex one. Grossbart’s lies and exaggerations are clever; all of his statements regarding his faith and the faith of his friends are impossible to prove yet they suggest emotionally sensitive matters that few respectful people have the audacity to challenge. Grossbart’s phony piety rattles Marx, who is not fully aware of the limitations of his new self after his time in combat. Marx’s attachment to his softer, kinder, and more generous old self renders him vulnerable to Grossbart’s shameless manipulation, and Marx gives in to Grossbart time after time.

Marx’s many kindnesses towards Grossbart and his friends perhaps mean more to Marx than to the trainees. Marx’s close working relationship with Captain Barrett forces Marx to face anti-Semitic attitudes and ignorance, so Marx may feel inspired to do what he can for the young Jewish trainees whose experience of marginalization is legitimate. As well, by acting mercifully and following the example of his beloved grandmother, Marx feels once again like himself. Once it is clear that Marx has been taken advantage of, however, Marx reverts to his hardened state as a war veteran, the self he hopes doesn’t exist.

At the end of the short story, Marx employs a tone of resignation. He must accept his fate, just as the trainees who are headed for the Pacific must face theirs. While the trainees must face the possibility of injury, terror, and, in some cases, death, Marx must face the possibility that he is truly and permanently changed and hardened by his experiences at war.