Shaping Swede Levov: The Myth of American Adam and Narrative Distance in Phillip Roth's American Pastoral

Phillip Roth's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, American Pastoral, characterizes Seymour Irving Levov as a tragic hero of Adam with unique narrative techniques. The novelist-narrator Zuckerman adds metafictional features to the realistic narration story Swede and varies distance in novel. This article discusses effects on characterization Levov. It argues that dynamic change novel at first mythologizes successful Jewish Adam, then undermines mythical narrative, last reconstructs flawed hero. Through sophisticated control distance, Roth emphasizes analytical position its exploration myth Adam.