Religious rigidity is not something that is widely accepted in society. People have become too fearful of someone knocking on their door and pushing religion on them. Likewise, people see religion as too organized and archaic, questioning why they have to believe in an invisible presence that is looking out for them or abide by the rules and commandments to be accepted into an invisible eternity. In Flannery O’Connor’s “Parker’s Back” and Eileen Pollack’s “The Rabbi in the Attic”, there is a gross imbalance of rigidity and laxness among the main characters (Curtis, 1998, pp.167-185, 236-266). In O’Connor’s “Parker’s Back”, O. E. Parker is the typical rebel who makes his own rules and says or does what he wants, not thinking about consequences.
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The leaders of the synagogue want this man to be forgotten. They think his mind is gone, perhaps from before the moment he comes into the position as Rabbi. Over time, his outbursts and rigidity show even more and the leaders fear he is losing more of his mind. Although, what they do not realize is that he is only reacting to the lack of attention to the Jewish laws. The students and congregation are becoming more and more lax in their studies and faith and Rabbi Heckler recognizes what is happening and attempts to force change upon them. His extreme ways push the leaders to go out searching for someone to take his place. This search leads them to Marion …show more content…
On the other hand, readers can read this story and ascertain that it is an issue of vanity as the main character’s downfall. During the course of this story vanity is prevalent in the tattoos on Parker’s body, as is pointed out by Sarah Ruth. It is clear to people reading Pollack’s “The Rabbi in the Attic” the theme is change versus tradition. Throughout this story, there is a struggle between holding onto, and letting go of, the way people have always performed their religious obligations. (Literary Devices, 2016, section:
The leaders of the synagogue want this man to be forgotten. They think his mind is gone, perhaps from before the moment he comes into the position as Rabbi. Over time, his outbursts and rigidity show even more and the leaders fear he is losing more of his mind. Although, what they do not realize is that he is only reacting to the lack of attention to the Jewish laws. The students and congregation are becoming more and more lax in their studies and faith and Rabbi Heckler recognizes what is happening and attempts to force change upon them. His extreme ways push the leaders to go out searching for someone to take his place. This search leads them to Marion …show more content…
On the other hand, readers can read this story and ascertain that it is an issue of vanity as the main character’s downfall. During the course of this story vanity is prevalent in the tattoos on Parker’s body, as is pointed out by Sarah Ruth. It is clear to people reading Pollack’s “The Rabbi in the Attic” the theme is change versus tradition. Throughout this story, there is a struggle between holding onto, and letting go of, the way people have always performed their religious obligations. (Literary Devices, 2016, section: