Trust In Philip Roth's Defender Of The Faith
Trust is, something that one will have faith in another entity. For example is a trust that a parent has when they leave the house in the hands of their teenagers hoping that they wont burn it down while they are away. In the short story, “Defender of the Faith”, Philip Roth uses imagery and characterization, to show why taking advantage of ones trust can make an individual act harshly. The “Defender of the Faith” is set in 1945, post to WWII, a military training camp in Missouri USA. The story is about a soldier named Grossbart who was taking advantage of a man named Sergeant Marx, so he can get all of the special treatment while he was in an army training camp. When Sergeant Marx finally found out, he took revenge by sending him
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over to the pacific to fight the remaining of the war. A few quotes that represent my theme of the story are when sergeant Marx says to Grossbart “No passes during basic Grossbart.” the Grossbart says,“But we’re off from now till Monday morning, Sergeant. I could leave the past and no one would even know.”(Roth pg. 17). The author uses characterization to show how Grossbart is trying to make Marx sneak him out the camp to go have dinner with his family, and not about if it could go wrong and putting Marx In trouble. A second quote is when Grossbart says to Marx “Sergeant, for two months, practically, I’ve been eating trafe till I want to die.”(Roth pg. 18). The author uses conflict to show how Grossbart is making excuses to try and persuade Marx to let him leave camp to go to eat dinner at his aunts. The third quote is Marx describing “… he followed me into the office where typed out a pass and signed the captains name, and my own initials after it.”(Roth pg.19) The author uses imagery to show how Grossbart persuaded Marx into finally making a pass for him to go out of the base and see his aunt.The fourth quote is Grossbart telling Marx ”… now all I ask is a simple favor. A Jewish boy I thought would understand. My aunt’s willing to go out of her way to make a Seder a month later.” (Roth pg. 19) The author uses characterization to show how Grossbart is trying to persuade Marx into letting him go out to a Seder that his aunt is making for him. The final quote is the scene when Grossbart enters Marx’s room, “… He followed me into the office where typed out a pass and signed the captains name, and my own initials after it.” (Roth pg. 20) The author uses imagery to show how Grossbart persuaded Marx into finally making a pass for him to go out. These quotes show how Grossbart is taking advantage of sergeant Marx”s trust to get what he wants.
As the story progressives sergeant Marx changes from being the defender of his fellow jews from prejudice to not being able to trust them anymore.
Some other quotes that prove this are, when Marx entered the chapel “His elbow slid into Grossbart’s side… he whispered something, and then, while the congregation next responded to the chant, Grossbart’s voice was among the others…”(Roth pg.7) The author uses imagery to show how the guys were lying about going to pray so they could avoid the G.I. party, but when Sergeant Marx came in, they started to participate. The second quote is Marx telling Grossbart “Grossbart – you were the one who wrote that letter, weren’t you?”(Roth pg.14) The author uses characterization to show Grossbart is a liar, and lies to get what he wants. The third quote is Marx stating to Grossbart that, “I’ve seen you eat. Do you know that? I told the captain I don’t know what you eat, but I've seen you eat like a hound at chow.” (Roth pg.14) Author uses imagery to show how Grossbart is lying about not eating so he can change the menu for the jewish people at the camp. The fourth quote is Marx telling Grossbart, “Seder! It suddenly occurred to me that Passover had been celebrated weeks before.”(Roth pg. 18) The author uses irony to illustrate that Seder has already passed and Grossbart says that his Aunt is having one. Meaning Grossbart is lying again so he can leave camp. Lastly Marx says, “Every single trainee was to be shipped to camp Stoneman, California, and from there to the pacific — every trainee but one. Private Sheldon Grossbart… I lifted the phone and called C. and A. and changes orders, making Grossbart having to go to the pacific. This shows how the Marx is doing something harsh to Grossbart for taking advantage of his trust. These quotes show how Marx changes from being the defender of his fellow jews from prejudice to not being able to trust them
anymore.
Throughout the story Jennifer Glaser, Philip Roth and Nancy Crampton have different opinions and criticisms that also prove the theme. The first criticism from Nancy Glaser is “Marx often feels powerless to refuse them. Marx has witnessed the destruction of once—great European cities and people…the devastation that he ha seen and the decimation of European Jewry.” Glaser explains that Marx cannot say no to his fellows and becomes a jewish activists to hide the horrible things he has witnessed during war. The second criticism from Nancy Crampton states that, “Roth has been called a social critic… conservative Jewish establishment…he exposes the foibles, coarseness, hypocrisies and materialism of middle—class Jewish families…” Crampton says that Roth talks about the way Jewish families live a harsh and overall imperfect life. The third criticism by Philip Roth is him saying,”When conflict occurs, resolution is seldom easy, and it always comes at a cost.”Roth is saying that when there is a conundrum there are always consequences. Another criticism from Nancy Glaser is “After agreeing to help Grossbart and his friends attend Jewish services on Friday night, Marx increasingly finds himself required to grant special privileges to the man because of their shared Jewish heritage.” Since Marx is also Jewish he thinks that he has to help the other Jewish soldiers for he thinks it is the right thing to do as being of the same culture. This criticisms show how sergeant Marx is persuaded into doing favors for his fellow Jewish soldiers, after noticing what was happening, it made him seek for revenge in harsh way.
over to the pacific to fight the remaining of the war. A few quotes that represent my theme of the story are when sergeant Marx says to Grossbart “No passes during basic Grossbart.” the Grossbart says,“But we’re off from now till Monday morning, Sergeant. I could leave the past and no one would even know.”(Roth pg. 17). The author uses characterization to show how Grossbart is trying to make Marx sneak him out the camp to go have dinner with his family, and not about if it could go wrong and putting Marx In trouble. A second quote is when Grossbart says to Marx “Sergeant, for two months, practically, I’ve been eating trafe till I want to die.”(Roth pg. 18). The author uses conflict to show how Grossbart is making excuses to try and persuade Marx to let him leave camp to go to eat dinner at his aunts. The third quote is Marx describing “… he followed me into the office where typed out a pass and signed the captains name, and my own initials after it.”(Roth pg.19) The author uses imagery to show how Grossbart persuaded Marx into finally making a pass for him to go out of the base and see his aunt.The fourth quote is Grossbart telling Marx ”… now all I ask is a simple favor. A Jewish boy I thought would understand. My aunt’s willing to go out of her way to make a Seder a month later.” (Roth pg. 19) The author uses characterization to show how Grossbart is trying to persuade Marx into letting him go out to a Seder that his aunt is making for him. The final quote is the scene when Grossbart enters Marx’s room, “… He followed me into the office where typed out a pass and signed the captains name, and my own initials after it.” (Roth pg. 20) The author uses imagery to show how Grossbart persuaded Marx into finally making a pass for him to go out. These quotes show how Grossbart is taking advantage of sergeant Marx”s trust to get what he wants.
As the story progressives sergeant Marx changes from being the defender of his fellow jews from prejudice to not being able to trust them anymore.
Some other quotes that prove this are, when Marx entered the chapel “His elbow slid into Grossbart’s side… he whispered something, and then, while the congregation next responded to the chant, Grossbart’s voice was among the others…”(Roth pg.7) The author uses imagery to show how the guys were lying about going to pray so they could avoid the G.I. party, but when Sergeant Marx came in, they started to participate. The second quote is Marx telling Grossbart “Grossbart – you were the one who wrote that letter, weren’t you?”(Roth pg.14) The author uses characterization to show Grossbart is a liar, and lies to get what he wants. The third quote is Marx stating to Grossbart that, “I’ve seen you eat. Do you know that? I told the captain I don’t know what you eat, but I've seen you eat like a hound at chow.” (Roth pg.14) Author uses imagery to show how Grossbart is lying about not eating so he can change the menu for the jewish people at the camp. The fourth quote is Marx telling Grossbart, “Seder! It suddenly occurred to me that Passover had been celebrated weeks before.”(Roth pg. 18) The author uses irony to illustrate that Seder has already passed and Grossbart says that his Aunt is having one. Meaning Grossbart is lying again so he can leave camp. Lastly Marx says, “Every single trainee was to be shipped to camp Stoneman, California, and from there to the pacific — every trainee but one. Private Sheldon Grossbart… I lifted the phone and called C. and A. and changes orders, making Grossbart having to go to the pacific. This shows how the Marx is doing something harsh to Grossbart for taking advantage of his trust. These quotes show how Marx changes from being the defender of his fellow jews from prejudice to not being able to trust them
anymore.
Throughout the story Jennifer Glaser, Philip Roth and Nancy Crampton have different opinions and criticisms that also prove the theme. The first criticism from Nancy Glaser is “Marx often feels powerless to refuse them. Marx has witnessed the destruction of once—great European cities and people…the devastation that he ha seen and the decimation of European Jewry.” Glaser explains that Marx cannot say no to his fellows and becomes a jewish activists to hide the horrible things he has witnessed during war. The second criticism from Nancy Crampton states that, “Roth has been called a social critic… conservative Jewish establishment…he exposes the foibles, coarseness, hypocrisies and materialism of middle—class Jewish families…” Crampton says that Roth talks about the way Jewish families live a harsh and overall imperfect life. The third criticism by Philip Roth is him saying,”When conflict occurs, resolution is seldom easy, and it always comes at a cost.”Roth is saying that when there is a conundrum there are always consequences. Another criticism from Nancy Glaser is “After agreeing to help Grossbart and his friends attend Jewish services on Friday night, Marx increasingly finds himself required to grant special privileges to the man because of their shared Jewish heritage.” Since Marx is also Jewish he thinks that he has to help the other Jewish soldiers for he thinks it is the right thing to do as being of the same culture. This criticisms show how sergeant Marx is persuaded into doing favors for his fellow Jewish soldiers, after noticing what was happening, it made him seek for revenge in harsh way.