Operation Shylock: A Confession: Analysis of Major Characters
"Operation Shylock: A Confession" is a novel by Philip Roth that explores themes of identity, deception, and Jewish diasporism through a complex narrative. The story unfolds as Roth, a writer recovering from knee surgery and experiencing psychological distress, discovers that someone is impersonating him while making controversial public statements in support of Diasporism, the belief that Jews should leave Israel and return to Europe. The impersonator, Moishe Pipik, is portrayed as a terminally ill patient who adopts Roth's identity to advocate for this cause, which he views as a desperate response to the perceived threat against Jews in the Middle East.
Key characters include Wanda Jane "Jinx" Possesski, Pipik’s nurse who grapples with her own biases and romantic feelings, and George Ziad, an old friend of Roth's who supports Pipik’s ideology without knowing the truth about him. Another significant figure is Louis B. Smilesburger, a retired jeweler who complicates Roth's situation by involving him in an intelligence mission related to Diasporism. The narrative culminates in a series of confrontations and moral dilemmas that force Roth to navigate the complexities of Jewish identity and the implications of a divided community. Overall, the novel raises critical questions about authenticity and the nature of belief within the Jewish diaspora.
Operation Shylock: A Confession: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Philip Roth
First published: 1993
Genre: Novel
Locale: Jerusalem
Plot: Novel of ideas
Time: 1988
Philip Roth, the narrator, a writer in his mid-fifties. Following knee surgery, Roth had a mental breakdown, possibly caused by the drug Halcion, which caused him to be delusional. At first, he wonders whether the events in the story he tells are in fact delusions. He relates the story as a confession and says that he has changed the names of characters to protect their identities. In January of 1988, he discovers that someone is impersonating him. The impersonator is attending the trial, in Jerusalem, of John Demjanjuk and is making public appearances and statements to the press. Roth decides to go to Jerusalem, where he confronts the impersonator, whom he begins to call Moishe Pipik. An old, seemingly impoverished Jew (later identified as Smilesburger) gives him a check for $1 million to support Diasporism, a cause promoted by the impostor. George Ziad, an old friend of Roth, tells Roth of his support for Diasporism. Roth pretends to believe in it and says that he would be glad to meet Yassir Arafat and discuss it. On his way back to his hotel that evening, Roth is stopped by Israeli soldiers and is almost beaten, but one of the soldiers recognizes him and allows him to continue on his way. When he returns to his hotel, he discovers that Pipik is in his room. Pipik asks for the $1 million check, and Roth discovers that it is missing. Roth gets Pipik out of his room, but Jinx Possesski arrives later and tells Roth about Pipik's plot to kidnap John Demjanjuk, Jr. Roth plans to leave Jerusalem but stays because he realizes that if Pipik succeeds in his kidnapping attempt, the elder Demjanjuk would be supported in his claims that he cannot get a fair trial. Roth later is kidnapped, apparently with Smilesburger's complicity. Smilesburger asks Roth to participate in an intelligence gathering mission. In the epilogue, Roth describes a letter, purportedly from Jinx, telling of Pipik's demise; he think it actually was written by Pipik. The letter says that Pipik died on January 17, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War. The letter warns him not to ridicule Pipik or Diasporism in a book or he will never be left alone. Roth sends a copy of his manuscript about the Pipik incident to Smilesburger for approval and later meets with him. At the meeting, Smilesburger says he has retired. He pleads with Roth to say that the work is fiction or to remove the chapter about his intelligence mission, and he hints that Roth might put himself in danger by printing the entire book as fact. Smilesburger offers back the manuscript, in a briefcase that contains an envelope full of money; he claims not to know that the money was there. Smilesburger urges Roth to take the money; if he does not, an insidious campaign will be launched to ruin his reputation. All he asks in exchange is that Roth let his Jewish conscience be his guide. Roth's book excludes the chapter about his mission and ends with a note that it is fiction.
Moishe Pipik, Roth's impersonator. Roth refers to him by this nonsense name, translatable as Moses Bellybutton and referring to a make-believe character who causes mischief. Pipik is a terminally ill cancer patient in remission who assumes Roth's identity to make public statements and promote Diasporism, the idea that Jews should leave Israel and go back to homelands in Europe. He believes that Jews face annihilation in the Middle East and that it would be better to spread out and have Israel retreat to its original borders. He begs Roth, in a letter, to allow him to continue his impersonation. His concerns with Jewish identity seem to date from his onset of cancer, when he felt summoned to dedicate himself to a higher calling.
Wanda Jane “Jinx” Possesski, a beautiful woman about thirty-five years old who delivers two letters from Pipik to Roth. She was Pipik's oncology nurse and fell in love with him. Earlier, she had burned out on the suffering of cancer patients and the callousness of those who treated them, coming to hate the Jewish doctors and developing severe anti-Semitism. Jinx goes to Roth's hotel room after Roth has made Pipik leave. She tells Roth that Pipik plans to kidnap John Demjanjuk, Jr., and that she is trying to stop him. She says that she realizes, after a year with him, that Pipik is crazy.
George Ziad, an Arab friend of Roth from the mid-1950's, when they were in college together. They have not seen each other since then. Ziad is Egyptian but is from Jerusalem. His father lost everything to the Jews when he had to leave. Ziad believes in the Diasporism promulgated by Pipik; not knowing that Pipik is an impersonator, he asks Roth how he can help promote Diasporism. Later, he warns Roth that the Israeli police will try to get him, as a Jew who opposes them. He wants Roth to go to Athens to meet some Jews who believe in Diasporism and can help. Roth thinks he is being recruited for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In the epilogue, Smilesburger tells Roth that Ziad is dead.
Louis B. Smilesburger, a retired New York jeweler who gives Roth a check for $1 million to support Diasporism. When he confronts Roth after Roth is kidnapped, he tries to be friendly and says the guards should have told Roth he was free to go. He has heard of Ziad's rich Jews supporting the PLO, and he wants to speak to them. Smilesburger gives Roth the $1 million check again, saying that Roth must have dropped it. Smilesburger also says that he knows about Pipik but is not working with him. His group has been watching Pipik, thinking he might somehow be valuable. Smilesburger persuades Roth to participate in an intelligence mission, finding out about Ziad's contacts.
John Demjanjuk, formerly a Cleveland autoworker, on trial in Jerusalem because he is accused of being Ivan the Terrible, a concentration camp guard who committed atrocities against prisoners. He is a large, stocky man of sixty-eight years. He claims to have been in a German prisoner-of-war camp while Ivan the Terrible was active.