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Neighbors is a magnificent work written by Isaac Bashevis Singer.He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.He wrote a numerous magnificent works in which a short novel Neighbors impressed me most.
I.A brief introduction about Neighbors
In the short novel Neighbors，the author depicts two central protagonists-Morris Terkeltoyb and Margit Levis with the first person narrative in the early twenty century.Two old persons are Jewish immigrants.They have no relatives in America.The narrator witnesses their lives and death as their neighbor.He experiences the process of two old Jewish people from constant quarrel to mutual dependence.The narrator shows great sympathy and deep pity upon two helpless and poor Jewish old persons.At the same time，it reflects the coldness and carelessness of Americans towards the Jewish people.To some extent，it is easy to know that American people hold prejudice against the Jewish immigrants.
II.Discrimination Towards Jews in America
The short novel was written in the third decade of the 20th century when the great depression was a heavy blow to the American Jewish community.The discrimination against Jewish people and Jewish culture is reflected vividly in the short novel Neighbors.Morris Terkeltoyb’s stories and plays can’t be accepted by publishing press and the theater directors.The proofreaders not only refuse to correct the mistakes he marks in his stories but intentionally cripple his text.Although Morris is a creative writer with clairvoyance，the publishers don’t look over his proofs very carefully and consider them unworthy.Margrit Levy has the same experience.All the evil powers ruin Margrit Levy.A broker who has invested her money becomes a devotee of race tracks and squanders her capital.A physician who is supposed to cure her rheumatism gives her an injection that brings out a rash on her body and causes an illness that almost kills her.Her pocket is snatched in the street crowded with passers-by.She is driven by the selfish spinster without warning to move away and is treated by some other neighbors with indifference.When Margrit Levyis sent to hospital because of a gallstone，she is cut up by American doctors as if she is already corpses.These people are representative of the huge American society.They rob a pocket of an old women in ignore of her age.Doctors treat patients impatiently in ignore of lives.Publishers treat Jewish works badly in ignore of their wit and creativity.From these actions，we can infer American people hold prejudice against Jews and Jewish culture. In Neighbors，Jews make constant efforts to assimilate into American society.“When Morris Terkeltoyb ate herring with his fingers and started to wipe his hands on his sleeves，Margrit said to him，‘Use your napkins.This is New York，not Kilmontow.He replied，‘Nu，so be it.’” From the sentence，it is easy to know that Jewish immigrants try their best to integrate into American society and adapt themselves into the society.
III.The prejudice against Yuddish in America
In Neighbors，Morris Terkeltoyb’s creative stories in Yiddish can’t be accepted by publishers and directors，which entails that Yiddish，as a Jewish culture，can’t find its existence in America.“Jake，the printer’s devil，often ran off proofs so sloppily that letters were missing on the margins or lines were missing because the paper was too short to carry the whole column.Even though Margit Levis didn’t know Yiddish，she seemed realize that some of the proofs were defective and she went to look for Jake among the humming linotype machines.The boy screamed at her and call her names，she complained，‘is this the way they treat literature in America.’” From the complaint，we can infer that American publishers don’t respect and assimilate the Jewish culture Yiddish.Although Jews like Morris Terkeltoyb and Margit Levis make constant efforts to adapt into the local society，they are still discriminated.
ⅣConclusion
The life of two lonesome and helpless old persons is an epitome of lives of American Jews.As a prosperous country in terms of politics and economics，America is supposed to reject the dross and assimilate the essence of other countries.American Jews try their best to adapt themselves to American society.Only by mutual understanding and effort，can we realize a harmonious society in which the arts have free expression and the schools of thoughts contend without restrictions.
I.A brief introduction about Neighbors
In the short novel Neighbors，the author depicts two central protagonists-Morris Terkeltoyb and Margit Levis with the first person narrative in the early twenty century.Two old persons are Jewish immigrants.They have no relatives in America.The narrator witnesses their lives and death as their neighbor.He experiences the process of two old Jewish people from constant quarrel to mutual dependence.The narrator shows great sympathy and deep pity upon two helpless and poor Jewish old persons.At the same time，it reflects the coldness and carelessness of Americans towards the Jewish people.To some extent，it is easy to know that American people hold prejudice against the Jewish immigrants.
II.Discrimination Towards Jews in America
The short novel was written in the third decade of the 20th century when the great depression was a heavy blow to the American Jewish community.The discrimination against Jewish people and Jewish culture is reflected vividly in the short novel Neighbors.Morris Terkeltoyb’s stories and plays can’t be accepted by publishing press and the theater directors.The proofreaders not only refuse to correct the mistakes he marks in his stories but intentionally cripple his text.Although Morris is a creative writer with clairvoyance，the publishers don’t look over his proofs very carefully and consider them unworthy.Margrit Levy has the same experience.All the evil powers ruin Margrit Levy.A broker who has invested her money becomes a devotee of race tracks and squanders her capital.A physician who is supposed to cure her rheumatism gives her an injection that brings out a rash on her body and causes an illness that almost kills her.Her pocket is snatched in the street crowded with passers-by.She is driven by the selfish spinster without warning to move away and is treated by some other neighbors with indifference.When Margrit Levyis sent to hospital because of a gallstone，she is cut up by American doctors as if she is already corpses.These people are representative of the huge American society.They rob a pocket of an old women in ignore of her age.Doctors treat patients impatiently in ignore of lives.Publishers treat Jewish works badly in ignore of their wit and creativity.From these actions，we can infer American people hold prejudice against Jews and Jewish culture. In Neighbors，Jews make constant efforts to assimilate into American society.“When Morris Terkeltoyb ate herring with his fingers and started to wipe his hands on his sleeves，Margrit said to him，‘Use your napkins.This is New York，not Kilmontow.He replied，‘Nu，so be it.’” From the sentence，it is easy to know that Jewish immigrants try their best to integrate into American society and adapt themselves into the society.
III.The prejudice against Yuddish in America
In Neighbors，Morris Terkeltoyb’s creative stories in Yiddish can’t be accepted by publishers and directors，which entails that Yiddish，as a Jewish culture，can’t find its existence in America.“Jake，the printer’s devil，often ran off proofs so sloppily that letters were missing on the margins or lines were missing because the paper was too short to carry the whole column.Even though Margit Levis didn’t know Yiddish，she seemed realize that some of the proofs were defective and she went to look for Jake among the humming linotype machines.The boy screamed at her and call her names，she complained，‘is this the way they treat literature in America.’” From the complaint，we can infer that American publishers don’t respect and assimilate the Jewish culture Yiddish.Although Jews like Morris Terkeltoyb and Margit Levis make constant efforts to adapt into the local society，they are still discriminated.
ⅣConclusion
The life of two lonesome and helpless old persons is an epitome of lives of American Jews.As a prosperous country in terms of politics and economics，America is supposed to reject the dross and assimilate the essence of other countries.American Jews try their best to adapt themselves to American society.Only by mutual understanding and effort，can we realize a harmonious society in which the arts have free expression and the schools of thoughts contend without restrictions.