T 1290.pdf - Pondicherry University DSpace Portal

fellowmen and flnd our strength in helping them". (1946, 38).Thus a struggle for a new order of life with compassionas lts cardinal principle seems to characterize Jewishtraditlon supported by their history. The affirmation of humanvalues In the waste land world has been emphasised by creativewriters In general. While reflecting the disorder, defeat anddespair of the day, the writer has to face the moral question,the essence of whlch according to Bellow 1s-"In what form shallllfe be justified?" (Bellow 1973,62) Bellow further assertsthat "the moral functlon of a wrlter cannot be dlvorced fromart". (Bellow 1973,62)The conscientious writer cannot be content wlth justmlrrorlng the times. He feels the need to suggest or instruct,however indirectly ~t may be, wlthout lnvltlng upon himself therisk of being a propagandist. Bernard Malamud, quoting AlbertCamus, says: "The purpose of the writer is to keep civilizationfrom destroying ~tseif."(Hassan 1963,5) Belng "crvlllzed"lmplies a sense of fellow-feellng and compassion, the lack ofihlcn IS the root cause of all problems In the modern world.Man, Faulkner believes, wlll endure and prevall because he has"a splrlt capahle of compassion and sacrifice andendurance".(Faulkner 1963, 348) Jacob Bronowskl makes a veryPerceptive comment In hls book The Face of Vlolence: An Essay-wlth a Plav: "We are all lonely .... We've learnt to plty One