My decision to write this essay began with a self-exploratory question: what was it about Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Etgar Keret’s “Cocked and Locked,” and the film School Ties that I found so gripping? The answer, it turns out, came to me only days before my first draft was due; all three narratives deal rather explicitly with Jewish understandings of what constitutes victory and defeat for men. As a Jewish man, these are concepts that affect me deeply, so engaging with them on a more intense intellectual level has been quite enjoyable. Though “Cocked and Locked” didn’t make the final cut, it remains one of the most fascinating pieces of literature I’ve ever read and its influence on my thought in this paper is immeasurable.
LEVI MASTRANGELO is a CAS Religion major at BU with a minor in Judaic Studies. When he’s not engaged in his studies (and even when he is), Levi can usually be found at BU Hillel, where he is president of the Orthodox Minyan Group and an active member of the Religious Life Council. In addition to all those who read this essay and offered feedback, a special debt of gratitude is owed to Rabbi Ben Greenberg, whose Passover D’var Torah on oscillating narratives provided the thread that tied the various literary elements of this paper together.