Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Writing and Rhetoric
Reader 1
Kimberly Drake
Reader 2
Glenn Simshaw
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2025 Nicole K Smith
Abstract
“The Exile’s Child” is a pair of personal essays examining the author’s attempts to reconnect with her Jewish identity and navigate the complex emotional and political relationships that Jewish Americans have to Israel in a post-Oct. 7th world. Both pieces chart the journey through difficult conversations with family members and acquaintances with the goal of understanding Zionism’s hold on the Jewish American community. By incorporating elements of fables and ghost stories, the essays begin to dissect the narratives that underlie how we talk about Israel. The first piece, “Exodus,” unravels the Jewish yearning to return to a homeland and considers how to forge a home in a haunted diaspora. The second essay interrogates questions of antisemitism, the veracity of Israel’s role as Jewish protector, and the cost of military might, all framed by the allegorical folktale of “The Golem.”
Recommended Citation
Smith, Nicole, "The Exile's Child" (2025). Scripps Senior Theses. 2822.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2822
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
