Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel The Slave is an introspective work as it urges readers to look into their own lives and determine what makes them who they are. Over the course of the novel the protagonist, Jacob, experiences a series of physical and, more importantly, spiritual pitfalls that lead him on a journey to discover what makes him and those of his lineage the ones who will be redeemed. Jacob may never pinpoint the exact cause of human suffering as he so firmly declares, “we are all slaves…slaves of God,” perhaps someone’s life is preordained? Are human beings subject to God in the sense that they are slaves both to their defects, thus impeding personal progress, and, furthermore, to the imperfections of humanity's past? The author explores the concept of metaphysical slavery through the use of humor and insinuating this as a central theme. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Throughout the novel, Jacob acts in accordance with his moral standards, having grown up in the Jewish community, a strict and vehemently rule-driven society. . The Jewish mentality evidently considers their ways superior to those they consider pagan: "We have no such murderers among the Jews, do we? What do the Jewish aristocrats do? The Jews have no nobles, who owns the land? The Jews have no land" (23). By taking Jacob away from the land of his ancestors, Singer effectively places him in a situation where he is out of his element and with no immediate escape routes, thus the reader can see with him a more solid understanding of the 'murderous pagans'. Wanda is the means for this change of mentality, with her infatuation towards this ignorant and impure infidel. Jacobs' parochial mentality is allowed to wander into the realm of uncertainty. This never leads him to openly go against his teachings or his faith, but allows him to reflect on the causes of suffering through a broader lens, "he lamented the injustice inflicted on all living beings: Jews, Gentiles, even flies and gnats crawling on the flanks of cattle (63) In addition to freeing the scope of his opinions, Jacob through his physical liberation is better able to identify the causes of his spiritual bondage Jacob cannot help but see the injustices. in his lands visits even among his peers, but it is clear that, despite the strong examples that Singer conveys, through his text, they do not serve to drive Jacob away from his journey towards God's dominion on dark and forbidden paths, at least Jacob does not feel in this This is the essential point, since Jacob, regardless of the cardinal and constant sins he has committed, is not ashamed to stand in the presence of his creator at the end of the novel, it demonstrates that he has at least unconsciously freed himself from the chains of implicit inadequacy. . No, he considers himself neither redeemed nor forgiven, he remains firm in his convictions as one would with his foundations, but what frees him from despair is essentially the affirmation of being inadvertently tied: "Everything remained the same, the ancient love , the ancient pain... or who knows, perhaps they were always the same Jacob and the same Rachel" (279). Singer here wants the reader to reflect on whether this concept of preordination, of an infinite cycle, as a means for redemption, going back to Jacob's statement that we are all his slaves, does this belief eliminate free will and agency from the equation? the Jews for their part follow a cycle of slavery, but in a way that does not bode well for.