Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2000. [Vol. 6.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)

Studies - Tibor Tóth: The Golden Cradle: Philip Roth's Revision of the Golden Bough Tradition

TIBOR TÓTH THE GOLDEN CRADLE: PHILIP ROTH'S REVISION OF THE GOLDEN BOUGH TRADITION Philip Roth's search for adequate artistic modes of expression and technical solutions often imposes the parallel discussion of stereotypes, of the foundations of contemporary theoretical, scientific or technical developments and his fictional character's search for freedom. This authorial attitude makes possible the centrality of the conflict between authority and freedom both at the level of the plot and at a fictionally theoretical level. In one of the American writer's best known early novels, in Portnoy's Complaint the fictional characters' search for freedom directs attention to the relationship between individual freedom and Freudian fiction, but also demonstrates the inadequacy of art, or the aesthetic in solving life's problems even when the existential is declared fictional. Most of the characters of his early fiction are victims of their indiscriminate admiration of art, but for Nathan Zuckerman, an artist figure who has an extremely long career in Philip Roth's books 'high art' serves as a cradle. This is so because the contemporary American novelist is convinced that art like magic in general is of great help for those who understand it but is a great danger for those who misinterpret it. Yet, in Philip Roth's interpretation art is mainly important because it can provide the human intellect and the ingenious individual with meaningful and valuable experiences. On the other hand art can imprison the undeserving. Nathan Zuckerman transforms the golden bars, which exasperate David Kepesh and Peter Tarnopol into elements of a golden cradle. In this paper I intend to discuss the 109