Deborah Feldman is
the daughter of a mentally ill orthodox man and an English mother who left then
family when she was young. She faces many challenges because of the strict
rules enforced by her family and community, and was out casted when her mother
left. This forced her to grow up mostly at her grandparent’s home and face
extreme criticism from her relatives. Feldman uses metaphors and Yiddish
language to depict her life story in Unorthadox.
Throughout the
book Feldman is extremely descriptive when explaining her lifestyle. She uses metaphors to describe her emotions. Living
in the orthodox community is very hard for Feldman and she depicts how “Dreams
hover above us like clouds, and mine seem bigger and fluffier” (Feldman 5).
This style of writing allows Feldman to discuss abstract ideas and connect with
her readers. Even when cultural differences create barriers she is able to
convey her ideas and feelings.
To add to the
authenticity of the story Feldman uses Yiddish words in her writing. The book
is a memoir that revolves around her cultural lifestyle and the language she
uses is a large component of it. As a young child Feldman did not even speak a
lot of English. When Feldman discusses her family she refers to her grandmother
as Bubby and her grandfather as Zeidy. At another point in the book, she
describes a time she encountered Hershey’s chocolate; “I take the chocolate
from her cautiously. Hershey’s, it says. Hersh is Yiddish for “deer.” It’s also a
common Jewish name for boys. The ey tacked on the end makes it an affectionate
nickname” (Feldman 20). This anecdote
recounts how big of a role Yiddish played in Feldman’s life. The language
background is clear for the reader though the addition of these words.
Feldman is able to
relate her story to her readers and give them a taste of her life experiences.
Through descriptive language and Yiddish words the book explains the challenges
of living in a strictly orthodox community.
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