An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in <i>Herzog</i> from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism

Xiao yan Xu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism

Xiao yan Xu^*

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 12, Issue 5)

Received: 28 August 2024 Accepted: 18 September 2024 Published: 29 September 2024

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Abstract

The novel Herzog by the American writer Saul Bellow has received wide attention since its publication in 1964. It centers around the protagonist Moses Herzog’s life after his second divorce, in which he is often in a state of uneasiness, going from place to place to avoid problems, writing unsent letters to express dissatisfaction, seeking comfort from others when in trouble, and losing himself in memories when frustrated. According to the Chinese-American humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan’s escapism theory, the behavior is in fact escapism. What Herzog really wants to escape is society, others, and himself, and escaping from place to place or person to person, and creating material world and spiritual world, are the different ways of his escapism. And during the process of escape, with embarrassment, pains, impulse and constant self-introspection, he gradually gains strength, and evolves from negative escapism to positive escapism, temporarily achieving reconciliation with reality. There are many reasons for Herzog’s escapism, among which his American Jewish identity, the turmoil of the American society in 1960s, the decline of the intellectuals’ status and the rise of feminism at that time all play a key role. Herzog’s escapism is actually a product of his time, a process of reconstruction of relationship between male and female, and a seeking-existence journey of an intellectual with different ethnicity in American society, with positive escapism born out of negative one.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 12, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
Page(s)	127-132
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Herzog, Moses Herzog, Escapism, Behavior, Analysis

References

[1]	Chen Rong. Saul Bellow’s “Herzog”: Exploration and Innovation of Letter Writing Techniques. Journal of PLA Foreign Languages University, 1999, 22(1): 91-94.
[2]	Duan Liangliang, Shan Xiaoming. A parody interpretation of “Herzog”. Foreign Literature, 2004(3): 79-83. https://doi.org/10.16430/j.cnki.fl.2004.03.015
[3]	Wang Hanli. Culture Conflicts and Social Identity—Anxiety over the Social Identity of Saul Bellow Revealed in Herzog. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University (Social Sciences), 2012, 13 (4): 33-37.
[4]	Liu Yinxi. Ethical Identity and Ethical Choice in Herzog. Foreign Literature Studies, 2015, 37(06): 109-115. https://doi.org/10.19915/j.cnki.fls.2015.06.014
[5]	Zhao Lu. On the image of Madeleine in Herzog from the perspective of Feminism. Language Planning, 2017(15): 27-28. https://doi.org/10.16412/j.cnki.1001-8476.2017.15.014
[6]	Peng Tao. On the Integration of Narrative Modes and Jewish Motifs in Herzog. Contemporary Foreign Literature, 2023, 44(01): 104-111. https://doi.org/10.16077/j.cnki.issn1001-1757.2023.01.007
[7]	Tingting Du. Jewishness Reflected in Herzog. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature. 2024, 7 (1): 192-198. https://doi.org/10.23977/LANGL.2024.070130
[8]	Michael K. Glenday. Saul Bellow and the Decline in Humanism. London: Palgrave Macmillan London, 1990: 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-10774-2
[9]	Cresswell, T. Steering His Own Ship: Yi-Fu Tuan (1930–2022). Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 2023, 113(3), 790–797. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2022.2158023
[10]	Tuan Yi-Fu. Escapism. Translated by Zhou Shangyi & Zhang Chunmei. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Education Press, 2005: 7 (Preface), 108, 37.
[11]	Li Wei. When geographers answer 'Who am I?' [N]. Qingdao Daily, November 13, 2023 (011) https://doi.org/10.28617/n.cnki.nqdrb.2023.003503
[12]	Saul Bellow. Herzog. London: Penguin Modern Classics, 2007: 66, 107, 68, 106, 167, 124, 64, 5, 12, 32, 306, 11, 341, 2, 17, 207, 340, 170, 56, 66.
[13]	Ma Manhua, Qi Tao. The Burden of Life: An Interpretation of Herzog's Anxiety from a Cognitive Perspective. Journal of Chaohu University. 2023, 25(01): 131-137. https://doi.org/10.12152/j.issn.1672-2868.2023.01.016
[14]	U.S. News. The 1960s: Polarization, Cynicism, and the Youth Rebellion. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/03/12/the-1960s-polarization-cynicism-and-the-youth-rebellionredirect [Accessed 29 August 2024].
[15]	ThoughtCo. The Women’s Movement and Feminist Activism in the 1960s. Available from: https://www.thoughtco.com/1960s-feminist-activities-3529000 [Accessed 29 August 2024].

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Xu, X. Y. (2024). An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 12(5), 127-132. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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Xu, X. Y. An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2024, 12(5), 127-132. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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AMA Style

Xu XY. An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. Int J Lit Arts. 2024;12(5):127-132. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12,
  author = {Xiao yan Xu},
  title = {An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism
},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {12},
  number = {5},
  pages = {127-132},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20241205.12},
  abstract = {The novel Herzog by the American writer Saul Bellow has received wide attention since its publication in 1964. It centers around the protagonist Moses Herzog’s life after his second divorce, in which he is often in a state of uneasiness, going from place to place to avoid problems, writing unsent letters to express dissatisfaction, seeking comfort from others when in trouble, and losing himself in memories when frustrated. According to the Chinese-American humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan’s escapism theory, the behavior is in fact escapism. What Herzog really wants to escape is society, others, and himself, and escaping from place to place or person to person, and creating material world and spiritual world, are the different ways of his escapism. And during the process of escape, with embarrassment, pains, impulse and constant self-introspection, he gradually gains strength, and evolves from negative escapism to positive escapism, temporarily achieving reconciliation with reality. There are many reasons for Herzog’s escapism, among which his American Jewish identity, the turmoil of the American society in 1960s, the decline of the intellectuals’ status and the rise of feminism at that time all play a key role. Herzog’s escapism is actually a product of his time, a process of reconstruction of relationship between male and female, and a seeking-existence journey of an intellectual with different ethnicity in American society, with positive escapism born out of negative one.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism

AU  - Xiao yan Xu
Y1  - 2024/09/29
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 127
EP  - 132
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
AB  - The novel Herzog by the American writer Saul Bellow has received wide attention since its publication in 1964. It centers around the protagonist Moses Herzog’s life after his second divorce, in which he is often in a state of uneasiness, going from place to place to avoid problems, writing unsent letters to express dissatisfaction, seeking comfort from others when in trouble, and losing himself in memories when frustrated. According to the Chinese-American humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan’s escapism theory, the behavior is in fact escapism. What Herzog really wants to escape is society, others, and himself, and escaping from place to place or person to person, and creating material world and spiritual world, are the different ways of his escapism. And during the process of escape, with embarrassment, pains, impulse and constant self-introspection, he gradually gains strength, and evolves from negative escapism to positive escapism, temporarily achieving reconciliation with reality. There are many reasons for Herzog’s escapism, among which his American Jewish identity, the turmoil of the American society in 1960s, the decline of the intellectuals’ status and the rise of feminism at that time all play a key role. Herzog’s escapism is actually a product of his time, a process of reconstruction of relationship between male and female, and a seeking-existence journey of an intellectual with different ethnicity in American society, with positive escapism born out of negative one.

VL  - 12
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Xiao yan Xu

School of Foreign Languages, Yancheng Teachers’ University, Yancheng, China

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4043-4967

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APA Style

Xu, X. Y. (2024). An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 12(5), 127-132. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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ACS Style

Xu, X. Y. An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2024, 12(5), 127-132. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

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AMA Style

Xu XY. An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism. Int J Lit Arts. 2024;12(5):127-132. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12,
  author = {Xiao yan Xu},
  title = {An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism
},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {12},
  number = {5},
  pages = {127-132},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20241205.12},
  abstract = {The novel Herzog by the American writer Saul Bellow has received wide attention since its publication in 1964. It centers around the protagonist Moses Herzog’s life after his second divorce, in which he is often in a state of uneasiness, going from place to place to avoid problems, writing unsent letters to express dissatisfaction, seeking comfort from others when in trouble, and losing himself in memories when frustrated. According to the Chinese-American humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan’s escapism theory, the behavior is in fact escapism. What Herzog really wants to escape is society, others, and himself, and escaping from place to place or person to person, and creating material world and spiritual world, are the different ways of his escapism. And during the process of escape, with embarrassment, pains, impulse and constant self-introspection, he gradually gains strength, and evolves from negative escapism to positive escapism, temporarily achieving reconciliation with reality. There are many reasons for Herzog’s escapism, among which his American Jewish identity, the turmoil of the American society in 1960s, the decline of the intellectuals’ status and the rise of feminism at that time all play a key role. Herzog’s escapism is actually a product of his time, a process of reconstruction of relationship between male and female, and a seeking-existence journey of an intellectual with different ethnicity in American society, with positive escapism born out of negative one.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - An Analysis of the Protagonist’s Behavior in Herzog from Yi-Fu Tuan’s Escapism

AU  - Xiao yan Xu
Y1  - 2024/09/29
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 127
EP  - 132
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.12
AB  - The novel Herzog by the American writer Saul Bellow has received wide attention since its publication in 1964. It centers around the protagonist Moses Herzog’s life after his second divorce, in which he is often in a state of uneasiness, going from place to place to avoid problems, writing unsent letters to express dissatisfaction, seeking comfort from others when in trouble, and losing himself in memories when frustrated. According to the Chinese-American humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan’s escapism theory, the behavior is in fact escapism. What Herzog really wants to escape is society, others, and himself, and escaping from place to place or person to person, and creating material world and spiritual world, are the different ways of his escapism. And during the process of escape, with embarrassment, pains, impulse and constant self-introspection, he gradually gains strength, and evolves from negative escapism to positive escapism, temporarily achieving reconciliation with reality. There are many reasons for Herzog’s escapism, among which his American Jewish identity, the turmoil of the American society in 1960s, the decline of the intellectuals’ status and the rise of feminism at that time all play a key role. Herzog’s escapism is actually a product of his time, a process of reconstruction of relationship between male and female, and a seeking-existence journey of an intellectual with different ethnicity in American society, with positive escapism born out of negative one.

VL  - 12
IS  - 5
ER  -

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