Draft Three
Sophia Ruan
June 13, 2007
Draft 3The Greatest Love in the World
With a great amount of description on dialogs and movement in The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen, Bruno Lessing narrated a story about the process of contradiction, conflict, and reconciliation in a newly Jewish immigrant family in New York. Shadrach Cohen, the hero, invited by his two sons, came to the United States dreaming of the reunion of the family. However, discord arose soon after his arrival in view of the discrepancy caused by the wide generation gap. Then one day, when Shadrach was fed up with their rude and contempt manner, his temper finally erupted and it burst out to be a conflict, since when his sons were no longer allowed to run the business but assigned to be salesmen with no objection. Instead, Shadrach himself took over the business and by use of his rich experience and outstanding talent in business management; he made a tremendous success and won his sons’ admiration. In the end, with both great efforts, they reached the balance of their previous contrary attitudes towards whether to become Americanized. It was love between Shadrach and his sons that spanned the wide generation gap which aroused disharmony, and moreover, conflicts.
The thesis boils down to two aspects: love from father and love from sons.
To begin with, Shadrach never concealed his affection to his sons, which was the main reason why he always accepted any financial demands raised by the sons and put up with their defiant manner to his living habits and beliefs.
Disappointed as he was, Shadrach always tried to control his temper with greatest tolerance. Every time Abel and Gottlieb requested that Shadrach should change his life style and get Americanized to adapt himself to the US society, what Shadrach did was just “shut his lips tightly for a moment” and “keep his beard as it is” (46), though surprised, without irritation. As long as the sons raised a claim for money to run their business, Shadrach never asked too much but just gave support. He “seemed to take no interest in their business affairs”, but “responded cheerfully to all their requests for money” (47). Sometime he was so dismayed that he even felt money “was the only bond between him and his sons” (47). It can be concluded that disappointments inevitably arose in his heart, which was concealed before his sons and could only be occasionally confided to Marta, the maid having accompanied him for years. What he had been looking forward to in Russia, the dream of having a easeful life with sons, is broken. An old man living miles away from his homeland, whose only relatives were two disappointing sons, isn’t it love that carried him through all these depressions and estrangement with sons?The deeper the love reaches, the more severely the feelings get hurt. When Gottlieb refused to take Shadrach to meet his girlfriend on account of Shadrach’s way of life and appearance, Shadrach’s temper finally erupted, which burst out a dumbfounding tone, which “Gottlieb had not heard since he was a little boy” (45). Feelings of disappointment, aggravation and depression, repressed since he stepped on this continent, came flooding all at that moment. It was because of love that he felt disappointed when the sons asked him to abandon his ways. It was because of love that he was enraged when Gottlieb rejected his sincere and fervent wish. It was because of love that he finally came round becoming stern and unyielding. The purpose was to let them rediscover what is respect and personhood, which is also every parent’s supreme desire.
When it comes to the other line: love from sons, clues can be found from the following plots between lines. When the business began to prosper and they finally “saw vistas of prosperity beyond their wildest dreams”, the brothers “began to look upon their father with increasing respect” (50). That was when admiration first arose in their mind. Gradually they “yielded to the shrewdness of his brain”, and “became proud of their father” (50). From asking for money only to “learning the value of discipline, the beauty of filial reverence and the severe joy of the earnest life”, from urging Shadrach to become Americanized to picking up the praying habit themselves, Abel and Gottlieb’s attitudes changed sharply as Shadrach had shown his great talent in making money.
Dramatic conversion made his appearance for certain reasons. Nothing but the love brought about this tremendous change. Generation gap is the core of this story. Five years of separation in two distant countries with extremely diverse culture and religion believes largely responsible for the gap, the difference in thoughts and life styles, also the weakened relationship. There are no children who have an aversion to their parents. So it was with Abel and Gottlieb. Perhaps years of separation diluted their feelings of affection, and maybe in America, so commercialized a country, they lost their original guileless character and earnest life. Nevertheless, love shouldn’t be ignored. Having become Americanized, they felt that Shadrach was out-dated and old-fashioned. Misunderstanding brought about disrespect and impiety. But Shadrach’s fantastic business skills conquered them and lit up the extinguished fire of love to the father. If there are not affection and identification with Shadrach implanted in both of their minds, they would not appreciate or be proud of what he did but just keep on asking for money all day and being two bad halfpennies. After all, in spite of the vast differences of their living habits and beliefs, they are still lying in one of the most intimate relationship in the world ---- father and sons. No matter what dilutes the instinctive feeling, as long as some stimulus appears, in this story, Shadrach’s extraordinary talent, love from the deepest their hearts comes out. That’s why they behave so differently, as Gottlieb brought her girlfriend to Shadrach and they both picked up the praying habit.Love between parents and children is human nature, which can never be expunged. It is born before the children are born, when they are still in their mothers’ uteruses, and dies after the parents die, who leave all they have to their beloved children. When you face severe pressure in career, parents’ love gives the strongest support. When you are trapped in your dream of romance world and can’t help yourself out, parents’ love provides the warmest solicitude. When you make a great mistake which even can not be forgiven by yourself, parents’ love offers the broadest tolerance. Only love can help a person overcome all the reverses and change him thoroughly. Like Shadrach and his sons in this story, they made changes to meet each other’s demands and finally found the balance, retrieving the most valuable relationship.
Only love----the greatest thing in the world----can make it through all the obstacles.
Work Cited:
The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen by Bruno Lessing(1870-1940), United States, 1903