Survival and Identity: A Postmodern Exploration of Jewish Experience in Mordecai Richler’s Novels

Abstract

This paper examines Mordecai Richler’s exploration of the Jewish experience in Montreal through a postmodern lens, focusing on the themes of survival and identity. Richler's works, notably The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959), St. Urbain’s Horseman (1971), and A Choice of Enemies (1957), depict the complexities of the Jewish immigrant experience in postwar Canadian society, delving into the tensions between cultural assimilation and the desire to assert a distinct Jewish identity. The study uses postmodernist theories to explore the multifaceted narratives of Jewish characters who confront cultural marginalization, generational conflicts, and self-definition in a fragmented, postmodern world. By investigating Richler’s treatment of identity, survival, and cultural perseverance, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how postmodernism intersects with the Jewish experience in Montreal.