Saul Bellow June 10, 1914—April 5, 2005

Realist and Existentialist Growing up, Bellow was heavily influenced by his strong Jewish upbringings which led him to create mainly Jewish-American characters in his novels. His novels often chronicle characters who look for deep meaning in their lives, and fail to find any, but in the process of doing so discover their own true identity and place in the universe. His most famous novel, Herzog, was published in 1963.

Big Idea: The American Writer What defines “American” Literature? Bellow told his story of his unique experience growing up through fiction. This was one of his most distinctive features known as the Roman á clef. Autobiographical Overtone By telling others his life story, he could effectively communicate his philosophies and unprecedented social criticism to the American public without fear or embarrassment.

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Discussion Questions Why would writers use the Roman á clef in their writing? What sort of qualities does this bring out in a writer? What sort of qualities distinguishes a novelist in the literary community? What do you think defines American literature?

Biography Born in Lachine, Quebec, in His parents were immigrants from Russia. Moved to Chicago with his family at the age of two. At the age of eight, a period of respiratory illness forced him on bed rest. This is where he discovered a passion for reading. He went off to fight in World War II in It was here that he gained the inspiration for his first novel Dangling Man.

Biography Continued… In 1953 he had his first successful book, The Adventures of Augie March, published. His big break came in 1963 with Herzog. In 1975, after writing his second highly-acclaimed book Humboldt’s Gift, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Grabber I am an American, Chicago born—Chicago, that somber city—and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent. But a man’s character is his fate, says Heraclitus, and in the end there isn’t any way to disguise the nature of knocks by acoustical work on the door or gloving the knuckles. (The Adventures of Augie March 1)

Thesis A Bellow frequently describes the Jewish-American experience to stress the adversity an outsider faces growing up in an unfamiliar world by instituting an innovative writing technique in his novels known as “Roman à clef:” a novel that not only reflects Bellow’s own struggles and experiences through fiction, but also stands as a testimony to the lives of other fellow Jewish-Americans who were growing up and understanding what it truly meant to be uniquely American.

Thesis B Saul Bellow incorporated truly unique ideas in his writing, and while his works are original, they are not entirely uniquely American. Nevertheless, Saul Bellow is a master writer whose work should be regarded as truly classic as it enlightened readers to the truths of mankind and the essence of spirituality—so much that they are included among the titles that make up the coveted American literary canon.

Unique Features Human Experience Shaped By Suffering Unmitigated Social Criticism The importance of Spirituality

Human Experience Shaped By Suffering A common Jewish belief, Bellow felt it necessary to stress the importance of learning life’s greatest messages through suffering. In Herzog, the main character, Moses, struggles to find meaning in his life and suffers trying to live in a society where he feels like an outsider. “I know that my suffering, if I may speak of has often been…a more extended form of life, a striving for true wakefulness an antidote to illusion” (Herzog 344). Through this true suffering, Moses is able to reach a full awakening where he becomes aware of his own true identity and existence. Knowing Bellow’s habit for writing stories that reflect his life, this could be true for him as well.

Literary Analysis Herzog feels alienated from society within his own private life because he is a Jew. Feeling like an outsider, Herzog forces himself to write letters to others, including the dead: The ability someone to be aware of their own existence in the realistic and spiritual sense renders them fully capable of transcending society. “‘If I am out of my mind, it is alright with me’ thought Moses Herzog” (Herzog 3). Critical Quote: “The book ultimately becomes the memoir of a rather scarred and saddened middle aged man who defines himself as one singing in the middle of a desolate field” (Pollitt 93).

Literary Analysis Moses Herzog searches for a deeper meaning his whole life. This is a part of Bellow’s existential form of writing. However, once a car crash nearly takes his life, he develops a deeper understanding of life’s true meaning. “Moses received the steel pattern through his shoes, like Braille. But he did not receive a message” (Herzog 150). Critical Quote: “Bellow is bolder than he had been in his previous work, for he openly makes a connection between the force of the universe and a human or spiritual principle” (Opdahl 95).

Truly American? Where does this all come in?

Conclusion Why I picked Saul Bellow What I liked about his work Should we study his work in HAL? AP Project next year? What I learned