Abstract

This article analyzes issues of contested identity in Ben Katchor's 1998 graphic novel The Jew of New York. I argue that it is key to understand the historical context of early nineteenth-century America in which the novel takes place, the pull of "new world ways" that complicated definitions of both Jewish and American culture, and the role of performance in both creating and subverting accepted definitions of American identity. In addition, this essay looks at the way in which graphic novels work on both the visual and narrative levels, creating a unique relationship with the reader.

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