ABSTRACT

Based on the analysis of the short story “The Bus”, written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, this study is intended to illustrate the root cause of the final breakup among a tour group which is externally harmonious while internally tortured by the traumatic memory of Concentration Camps in the Second World War. It is aimed to expose the influence of traumatic memory on Jews’ mental health in daily life by focusing on the temptation and disillusion haunting the narrator who attempts to heal his affectional trauma by taking the tour. By analyzing this short story, this thesis will also shed light on Jewish survivors’ painful failure in their attempt to establish their own identity and then reveal how the Jews maintain their nationality in the historical process where they have been wandering and migrating for centuries.

Taking the theme as the main direction, this thesis will develop itself by analyzing the characters and the plots to discover the hidden theme in the story. Hence, this study helps to expand the sphere of study on this short story where the majority of scholars tend to limit their studies to narrating strategies or narrative point of view.

Keywords：Trauma; Identity; the wandering Jews

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Introduction of Isaac Bashevis Singer-1

1.2 Literature Review-2

1.3 Plan of the Thesis-4

Chapter Two TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE AND TRAVEL-6

2.1 Individual Traumatic Experience-6

2.1.1 Failure of love affairs before the bus trip-7

2.1.2 Disillusion of the bus trip-7

2.2 Holocaust and National Traumatic Experience-8

2.2.1Traumatic experience in the Concentration Camp-9

2.2.2 The aftermath of the Holocaust-10

Chapter Three JEWISH IDENTITY AND THE WANDERING JEWS-12

3.1 Exodus and the Wandering of Jews-12

3.1.1The fate of the Jews-12

3.1.2 The bus trip and the wandering Jews-13

3.2 Jewish Identity-14

3.2.1 Cultural assimilation and the American Dream-15

3.2.2 Cultural conflicts and loss of identity-16

Chapter Four CONCLUSION-19

WORKS   CITED-20