Philip Roth

The 2nd story in Philip Roth's 1959 debut collection, Goodbye, Columbus, is the classic The conversion of the Jews ( title an homage to Marvell and much easier to parse than the title if the collection) about a kid in Hebrew school, Itzie (Isaac) who figures that if god could create the universe in six days he could also arrange a virgin birth - rabbi horrified by this insolence has Itzie think about the error of his ways but Itzie memorably tells his friend : I've thought about it for an hour and I think he could do it! That had me laughing out loud. Rabbi strike at I and accidentally bloodied his nose leading Itzie to run up to the temple roof. A crowd gathers and I says he'll come down if the rabbi and all will kneel as in xtian prayer and admit it could happen. I kind of wish Roth had left it there but he has Itzie mouth some platitudes about you should never hit someone Bcz of a religious dispute - which makes the ending a little too tendentious. I think we need to know a little more about the rabbi too - and wish Roth has written a story about him. At end of story Itzie jumps from the roof into a net firefighters are holding - a really scary image - but we have to assume he lives - but why does he do this? Prob to show his complete faith in god - in any just god Jewish or xtian - as the protector of the innocent.

Sent from my iPhone