Mark Of Cain Essay

In the heart of the novel, Miller invokes the interminable suffering of the American Jews in order to underscore the historical suffering of the Jewish people throughout history. Here there is an implicit reference to Miller’s views that echoes the idea of “The Jewish people carry the mark of Cain.” By a way of illustration, when Newman and Gertrude went to spend the weekend out of town, so they went to stay in a hotel that Newman used to stay five summers ago. However, they were ignored for a while at the reception desk and then the hotel’s owner came and told them “you can’t get anything here. Full up” (Focus 114). This implies that there is no place for Jews in this country; that is, the hotel represents the country, homeland, and Newman and Gertrude represent the Jewish people. Miller’s assertion with Gertrude’s question to Newman: “why do you always let them make a Jew out of you?” (117). Such an ironic question indicates that Jews are not welcomed in the United States. By imposing this question, Miller echoes “Mark of Cain.” That is to say, according to the book of Genesis, after Cain’s murdered his brother, “God curses Cain to a life of toil and wandering” (Mroczek n.p). Cain’s heart was filed with fear and melancholy because his life is no longer life but an endless state of a jeopardy, God promises to protect him: “The Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him” (Gen 4:15). The mark is visible in Cain’s body, but it was interpreted differently. For instance, according to the Jewish Midrash, Cain was punished with leprosy (Genesis Rabbah XXII.12). Another

In his words, “the city and the millions upon millions hiving all over it-and they were going mad… Here were millions walking around as insane as anyone could be who feared the shape of a human face. They…” (Focus