Reviewing The Novel Focus By Arthur Miller English Literature Essay

In the novel “focus” by Arthur Miller, he was trying to raise the issue of racism that the Jews suffered from the Americans in the Second World War. Lawrence Newman was anti-Semitic, which was also his job to be an anti-Semite. He was a personnel manager in a venerable New York company, his duties entailed making sure that no Jews, and other undesirables (as he referred to the gentiles and other minorities) were employed in the company. He was proud because he could be able to tell if someone was a Jew by just a stare. When he was in his forties, his eyes began to fail him and he had to use spectacles that he used to claim were for Jews. This could be his downfall and the making of him. It was after noticing the difficulties he went through in his work and the pressure from his boss that he decided to wear the glasses. The boss then demoted him to a back office to prevent people from seeing him. Since those days, the company had its image to keep. Instead of accepting the demotion, Newman decided to quit his job. During his tenure in the company, he had an encounter with a woman who he fell in love with. First, he thought she was a Jewess but later she cleared his doubts and he eventually married her.

The glasses worn by Newman were a perfect metaphor for his corrected vision. Newman’s progress can be discovered through his glasses, when he wears them, takes them off, the time they were damaged by the hooligans and when they were stuck in the flesh of his nose which almost became permanent part of his life. The message challenged Americans who had prejudice of some kind.

The point of Jewish discrimination was evident when the author of the novel shifted his attention from the discussion of anti-Semitism to the scrutiny of the endless suffering the Jews experienced as explained in the character of Mr. Finkelstein as a representative. Mr. Finkelstein was a grocer who struggled on deciding whether to leave the Christian neighborhood due to the harassment he suffered from the anti-Semitic thugs. He then remembered a story his father would often narrated to him. The story was about Itzik, a peddler, who lived in a Polish village where the gentiles had gotten tired of a ruling baron and rebelled against him. They stole more than one million kroner’s from him. The baron made death threats to Itzik forcing him to con the peasants the treasure they had found for themselves. The cunning baron then covered his role in the fraud by organizing a progom to murdered Itzik entire family and then took back the money.

Finkelstein realized that his father and other Jewish fathers had wrongly understood the moral of the story thinking that Jews were destined to death. According to him, Itzik could have tricked by the baron, instead when he realized that the baron was diverting his anger on the Jews he could have let his fury to carry him away and go straight to his home. When he accepted, the money was used as a bait to blindfold and weaken him. Later Finkelstein decides not to run away saying he was not Itzik.

In conclusion, according to Chas. De Levy’s letters, he named some of the prominent Jews as the conspirators who wanted to overthrow the government. He then made an apology to them. The novel raises the issue of racism that the Jews suffered from the Americans in the Second World War. Lawrence Newman being a personnel manager of a prominent company discriminated against the Jews. He made sure that no one outside his race got employment in the company. When his eyes began to disturb him, he suffered too. His boss demoted him and placed him in back to protect the company image. He later resigned from the job since he could not cope with the demotion. The point of Jewish discrimination was evident as explained in the character of Mr. Finkelstein as a representative. He remembers a story narrated to him by his father, which he later analyzed and made him change his mind about leaving town.

Peyton Place

Peyton place plot is set in a small town life, with a single parent and a dysfunctional family. The two main characters in the set are Samuel Peyton and Selena Cross who is similarly cast as the marginalized others in the novel. Samuel Peyton is mentioned earlier when an outsider arrives in town and makes challenges to what most of the folks in town take for granted. A Greek named Tomas Markris arrive in Peyton Place from New York City after been hired as a school principal due to a sudden death. After his arrival in the town, the folks start talking stereotypically. He is shocked by the way, the people in this place engage little in conversations. When he asks about the origin of the name Peyton Place, he receives evasive answers.

Constance Mackenzie reflects on her life in the New England town where she was brought up. Constance had left Peyton Place for New York when she was young. She met a man with whom she got pregnant. The man was Allison Mackenzie who later died soon after the child was born. Constance adopted his name and the two returned to Peyton Place posing to be a widow. Beneath the towns peaceful, serene laid a number of dark secrets like sexual attractions and repression, rape, illegitimacy, class arrogance, intolerance, and gossip. Allison was a beautiful young high school student aspiring to be a writer. She struggled to mature under her emotionally crippled single mother. Her mother, Constance Mackenzie rebuffs advances by the handsome high school principle, Michael Rossi. Allison had a friend who lived on the other side of town, named Selena Cross.

Serena Cross represents the social and discursive margins of the Peyton Place. Serena is the daughter of a domestic worker named Nellie Cross and she is a stepdaughter to Lucas Cross who is a millworker. The characterization of Serena touches a controversial subplot in Peyton Place, like the taboo subjects of incest, rape, and teenage sexuality. Constance daughter who was also Serena’s friend always wondered why she never invited her to their home. While waiting for Selena, she witnesses Serena’s drunken stepfather abuse her sexually though she did not see the whole scene. Lucas Cross, Serena’s stepdad assaults her sexually and she becomes pregnant. He lives her in this troublesome situation leaving her with an option of getting an abortion. The doctor performing the abortion advised Lucas to escape from town. When Nelly discovered that her husband had assaulted his stepdaughter, she committed suicide by hanging herself. There comes a time when Allison left town but later returns when her friend, Serena now accused of having murdered her stepfather. In this plot lies other tales revolving around love, sex, and war.

The movie illustrates the effects of marginality like in the issues of poverty, sexual exploitation, and domestic abuse. The landscape of the entire town is described as marginal, unpredictably and unevenly affected by the historical events in that period for example the depressions of the Second World War. Poverty, alcoholism, and sexual assault are not the only evidence of the silence and danger of the town’s trivial landscape but also the way everyone in town avoids speaking in public.

In conclusion, Peyton place plot was set in a small town life, with a single parent and a dysfunctional family. When a Greek named Tomas Markris, arrive in Peyton Place from New York City after been hired as a school principal due to a sudden death, the folks started talks, which were stereotypical. He wondered how the people lived with the limited conversations. This reflected how the people in the US discriminated the Jews. Serena Cross represents the social and discursive margins of the Peyton Place. Beneath the towns peaceful, serene laid a number of dark secrets like sexual attractions and repression, rape, illegitimacy, class arrogance, intolerance, and gossip.