Diasporic Alienation in Dangling Man

Abstract

Bellow's novel,Dangling Man,can be analyzed as a story of Joseph, the protagonist, who undergoes experience of alienation as a diasporic Jew inhabiting in American society. The novel portrays and projects how difficult and tormenting it is for Joseph to getadjusted and assimilate to new society where he remains as a diasporian subject, feeling culturally marginal and inferior. Joseph feels alienated ever since he knows that he is an alien living in different cultural situation. However, the feelings become more acute and deteriorating than ever during about those four months while he dangles as his enlistment into the Army is postponed repeatedly against his will. Thus, the thesis tries to show that Joseph's alienation results from his awareness of the fact that he is a diasporic and marginal man inhabiting in different cultural milieu. Joseph is at a loss about his identity. He is torn between his Jewish heritage and American culture. All these factors contribute to the evocation of alienation in him.Therefore, he enlists into the Army in an attempt to assimilate to new culture and get rid of alienation.