Jun Xu
Christopher Bishop
Lit Trans 275
25 April, 2012
Image of Jewish Women’s Identity in 19th Century Denmark Imagine, how bad can a person’s life be? How about being in the lower class in society, struggling mentally, and being tortured by one’s own identity both sexually and racially? In Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Servant,” the protagonist, named Sara, lives exactly such an unpleasant life. In this paper, Jewish identity, the role of women in 19th century Christian Denmark, and how these two identities intersect will be analyzed. In this tale, Andersen uses the dichotomy of “Deity and Death” to portrait the life of the unique character with both Jewish identity and female identity in 19th Century Denmark. In “The Servant,” Sara’s Jewish identity makes her unable to “formally” accept or be assimilated into Christianity, though she is pro-Christian in her heart. “I can no longer be a silent spectator of the gleaming eyes of the child, and of her deep and earnest longing for the words of the Gospel,’ said the teacher.” (Andersen 488) Sara is forbidden to become a Christian because of her parents’ intervention, especially her mother’s will. Why Sara’s family leaves Sara such a heavy burden? How does Jewish culture relate to Jewish beliefs? What is the idea Andersen trying to express behind? The religious belief among the Jews is so unique that they define how their religion is long time ago. Judaism is the religion, philosophy, and way of life of the Jewish people. (Jacobs, 551) Judith Lieu writes about Jewish people that, “by law or by fear of punishment for ’loving their ancestral customs’” (259) Jewish people strictly follow traditions which are inherited from their ancestors because of fearing being punished by their ancestors. "Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath-day," said a voice within her, the voice of the