Intermountain Jewish news., 1925-11-12
Is This the Jewish Main Street?

oDocinb by Haroyld A. Loeb Ioni and Livcright,
This novel is study Of what Mr. Loeb termed AN
Overlooked American. He believes there many
houses on Main Street" occupied by as Henry
Bs~iah nss who rs1udintc tho gogeer who deny ilai
life Is one constant relentless push forward Is purely
eoincncc that Jews have almost uniformly seen onl,
the other side of the coin? Sinclair Lewis with his Main
Street. his Rabbit his "ArrpwsmsthT has thrown n
snrng light IN what that novelist believes pre-
d"a,nnt type If American With scorchiie irony he TX
1cses the ordinary resident of these Cnites States III
~oskl divide his countryae, into categorics the lad
and the essi. All on Main Street had. ~
Elmer Rice with Ills adding ilnfhihe.- tcsrr KAuf
man with "Ieggar Horseback" Nathan Asch "The
Ofbce reveal men who appreciate the softer. more
tangible values or nj least who grovc after
things In Hontonous existence II Rces ranging him.
srf the opi'-c side OF Is pure
coincidence then TO introduce the question of Jew
Jew is exraneous Hut how Is to aecnt for the acr
Jews Sho too have taken Issue wh thu author OF Main
Street! VIII II not be stretching the matter to mro-
ability to accept the situation scri~s Of coiden,,?
Why 1t tint las tuken Jews to discover warm
values In the common man?
All of the characters whom these novclfs,s and play
wriShis have utilised prc.un.Alay Iinrad
Locb's "Doodab" Is Also that But why is that Sinclair
Lewis. nOnJew himself with Insight and Dte,ii-
and sympathy has mot been able Ia the hu
maIDess Of his fellow nonJcws? Why has he usy
taknve stupidity, ran. hypocrisy uid mock hrroism''
One is led to the suspicion that perhaps 'the Jews
referred utilized nofiJcwisii
ir reshaps their Gentle prossonists merely mnss
for Jewish souls Ii 1t improshlr>thnt Harold Loeb
projected Henry Doo,ab representative of II certain
Jew IN whom IIpi finally discovered the
tisty 1" suy aud isvablenrss? All te evidence would
lead up 10 such ccicll,sion - I'D.
Others may 'trgue that II takes stranger r., zee
accurately II is thus that Jews have discovered the beSt
traits in nonJcws while Sinclair Iwis ns sn blinded
and prejnircd by his and relationship. Also
good theory. not hold as much water as our
fond s,spicion.
"Doodn' Is the record Of the external and internal
life of Henry Doodai Insignificant manu-
featuring After twenty years Of ncosequcnal
service he has learned live life in his dreaas. Am
tion aud foreign him his hopes
long been turned into the channels OF faraway dreams
His nte for Civilization expresses itself only in the
illusions which he hnrbors after work His dis
charge from the organization throws him violently out "f
the ru and gives him his opportunity start life
new and in his way But Henry Doodab died he
lived accidentally.
Mr.. Loeb will In remembered coetiitor of Broom.
the International Magazine of the Arts first published in
Rome. Those interested in his story will find abit
him in Alfred Kreyml,orgs "Trou,adc,,r." "Doodab'
he considered OF the best written novels of
the publishing 1t is well denc almost
t. defy its cinenntization.
Copyright. 1895, Feature syrdcatc)
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