Welcome to my portfolio for my Freshmen Writing Inquiry Seminar (FIQWS). In this class, I studied the literature of modern Jewish-American authors. Not only did this class instill a strong appreciation for the literature I studied, it also helped me develop my writing skills, and I learned how to express my ideas through writing. The books we studied in this class ranged from Cynthia Ozick’s novella, The Shawl, to Nathan Englander’s novel, For Relief of Unbearable Urges. Studying Jewish-American literature gave me insight into what Jewish immigrants were feeling as they moved from European culture to an alien world of America, and how all struggled to maintain their identities, but also assimilate to an American lifestyle.
In this class, the books I read focused on the life of Jews in America. Most had to somehow come to terms with their pasts, finding for themselves what was important to them identifying as a Jew and what aspects of their life were there only for the sake of tradition and could be exchanged for assimilation with their new environment. Those who could assimilate moved towards a more secular lifestyle, sometimes drifting from the sacred rituals of their past. Those who could not assimilate became outsiders, left by themselves on the fringes of society, spectators of life. Some, however, recognized the imbalance but thought they could do nothing to change their situation, living their lives in misery, and making poor choices that continued the melancholy cycle of life. In the books I read, each author was able to present a unique perspective on the life of a Jew and what he must do, and refrain from doing, to maintain his identity in a foreign society.
This portfolio will present all the assignments I wrote for this class. Each assignment has helped in expanding my writing skills and teaching me different writing formats but also helping me understand what I am capable of. My gratitude extends to the professors who taught me this material and invested their interest in my education.
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