Philip Roth'un the human stain ve indignation romanlarındaki kimlik politikaları ve bunların hoşnutsuzluğu

Identity is formed as a result of a person's interaction with the culture and environment they live in. Since construction of identity relates to surrounding factors, the sense of identity is shaped by others. Thus, rather than static, identity must be perceived as a fluid discourse, which evolves from the negotiation between individuals and their significant others. Accordingly, the rejection of these significant others might lead to tragedies. In both The Human Stain and Indignation, Philip Roth reveals the struggles of protagonists who pursue an autonomous identity independent from significant others. Also, they reject social, cultural, racial and ethnic impositions and try to assert their unique identities. In return, they suffer from the repercussions of going beyond the social boundaries established by the American majority. This dissertation aims to explore how the protagonists in these books are punished by the American "persecuting spirit" on their journey of self-invention. The tragic ends of Coleman and Marcus reflect the oscillations of American identity between the principles promised in the foundation and the practices in contemporary America. Although America was built upon such values as self-reliance and individual freedom, people face tragic repercussions when they threaten the American social classification. Keywords: Philip Roth, Identity, Significant Others, Impositions, Social Boundaries, Classification.