American Jewish Foodways in Modern Literature: Navigating Old World and New World Identities

Abstract

This study is an exploration of the usefulness of food studies for mainstream literature studies. Through a case study of American Jewish foodways it is demonstrated how literary analysis could benefit from analyzing food. Building on existing work from the fields of literature and food studies and (American) Jewish food studies, it asks: What is the function of food within the literary American Jewish narrative? Selected literary works from various genres are analyzed in order to see how American Jewish foodways are relevant for both the story and the audience in those texts.

Three themes, which are recurring features in the works discussed here, are analyzed. The first theme is that of immigrant struggles with balancing loyalty to traditions from the Old World and adapting to society in the United States. The second theme deals with coming to terms with an identity that is both American and Jewish. The third theme explores food as a means to reconnect with lost or neglected heritage.

The results indicate that food has a multitude of functions in the literature on, by, or related to American Jews and enriches our understanding of American Jewish identity, while at the same time it brings to light universal experiences such as food as power and food as communication. This is relevant because this confirms the potential of food as a widely used factor in literary analysis.