Philip Roth has written many stories throughout his lifetime. “Defender of the Faith” is a
short story that was published in his first collection entitled Goodbye, Columbus which
also included four other short stories and a novella. To understand Roths writing one must
first look at his life and where he got his general ideas from. In many of Roths stories he
encompasses parts of his life that he has dealt with such as being a Jewish American.
In “Defender of the Faith” we watch a Sergeant in the United States Army come back from
fighting in World War II and come to terms with his Jewish faith and what it truly means to
him by reconnecting with a part of his heart he hasnt been able to use for a long time. The
story is written in first person allowing us to follow Sergeant Marxs true perspective and
feelings on what he is going through in the story. The main characters in this story also
include Sheldon Grossbart, Michael Halpren, and Larry Fishbein, three Jewish trainees
trying to deal with the difficulties of basic training and also those of being true and faithful
Jewish men. Roth joined the army in 1955, just ten years after the end of World War II, so
through these mens difficulties you can see what Roth himself probably went through
during training. Roth brings himself and his family alive through the characters and
happenings of the story. The men tell of how their parents are very concerned and
overprotective of their sons. In a biography of Roths life by Lee Hermoine it discuses how
he had a “over-possessive mother who, like most Jewish mothers only wanted the best for
her son.” This theme is conveyed throughout the book.
Roth characterizes Sergeant Marx as a man who mostly has been in the army for too long
and has lost the warmness in his heart only because hes had no other choice so that he
could deal with the things the army brings with enlisting in it. It is said in Hermiones
biography of Roth that he seems to have a “less loving view of the lives of Jews.” This
could be why we see that Marx has forgotten some of his faith and has gotten over things
such as eating kosher for the right to serve in the army. We watch the changes in Marxs
character and personality as he gets to know the three privates who remind him of the
