46 pages • 1 hour read
Sabbath's Theater
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Background
Authorial Context: Philip Roth
Philip Roth was one of the most prominent American authors of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Many of his novels received critical acclaim, including Portnoy’s Complaint, The Plot Against America, and American Pastoral. His novels share similar themes. Many of his characters are Jewish, and their experiences illuminate what it means to be Jewish in America, often enjoying a strong community but facing at times virulent antisemitism.
In addition, Roth’s characters are often men who are preoccupied with desire:
Mr. Roth’s other great theme was sex, or male lust, which in his books is both a life force and a principle of rage and disorder. It is sex, the uncontrollable need to have it, that torments poor, guilt-ridden Portnoy, almost certainly Mr. Roth’s most famous character (McGrath, Charles. “Philip Roth, Towering Novelist Who Explored Lust, Jewish Life and America, Dies at 85.” The New York Times, 22 May 2018).
Many of Roth’s characters, including the protagonist of Sabbath’s Theater, are obsessed with sex and use it as a guiding principle in their lives. Roth’s exploration of taboo behaviors also provides commentary on society’s limits and judgments.
Finally, many of Roth’s novels explore aging. In Sabbath’s Theater, Mickey Sabbath is a man “raging against the indignity of old age and yet saved from suicidal impulses by the realization that there are too many people he loves to hate” (McGrath). Sabbath combines two of Roth’s favorite themes—lust and aging. He is aware of how his aging body is limiting his sexual performance, which makes him all the more lustful. The frustration with aging manifests as well as hatred for others, which throughout the novel becomes his primary reason for staying alive.
Cultural Context: Puppetry
Mickey Sabbath is a puppeteer out of a job because of a scandal. While he does not actively perform during the novel, the art of puppetry is important to understanding Sabbath as a character. The art of puppetry is defined as “the making and manipulation of puppets for use in some kind of theatrical show. A puppet is a figure—human, animal, or abstract in form—that is moved by human, and not mechanical aid” (Speaight, George. “Puppetry.” Britannica). Sabbath manipulates the puppets into performing lewd acts to provide commentary on society’s dismissal of radical art. The puppets and their performance are completely within his control as he defines what they can do. He treats many of the women in his life the same way, choosing both of his wives, Nikki and Roseanna, because it is easy to manipulate them.
His success as a puppeteer is not solely because of his talents, however, as the style of puppetry necessitates audience buy-in: “In an impersonal theatre, where the projection of an actor’s personality is lacking, the essential rapport between the player and his audience must be established by other means. The audience must work harder” (Speaight). Sabbath works through his puppets, meaning that his own expression is missing, and that he often must exaggerate to imbue his puppets with emotion and comedy. The audience must also participate to bring the drama to life. Sabbath understands this and uses it; he often includes young women in his shows, drawing them in and unbuttoning their blouses. His action is in keeping with his themes of lewd performance and eventually earns him a trip to the courthouse for charges of obscenity.
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