The Exploration of Metaphysical Slavery in The Slave Mario Lopez 12th Grade

The novel The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer is an introspective work in that it urges the readers to look amongst their own lives and determine what makes them who they are. Throughout the course of the novel the protagonist, Jacob experiences a variety of physical, and most tellingly, spiritual pitfalls that lead him on a journey to uncover what makes him and those of his lineage the ones that will be redeemed. Jacob may never exactly pinpoint the cause of human suffering as he so firmly declares, "we are all slaves... Gods slaves" one's life is preordained perhaps? Are humans subject to God in that they are slaves to both their shortcomings, thereby preventing self-progress, and additionally, humanities past imperfections? The author explores the concept of metaphysical slavery through the use of mood and by insinuating this as being a central theme.

Throughout the novel, Jacob acts in accordance with his moral standards as one brought up by the Jewish community, a stringent and vehemently rule-driven society. The Jewish mindset evidently places their ways as superior to all those which they would consider pagans, "We do not have such murderers among the Jews, No? What do the Jewish aristocrats do? The Jews have no gentry,...