Abstract

The notion of discrimination and Othering acted upon people with different religious belief or race is as old as the human race itself. But the fact is that in modern times science even fueled the problem by presenting human hierarchy and the idea of superiority or inferiority of one race over the other. As a social phenomenon this issue entered into the realm of literary studies after it had been overtly or covertly used in literary works to foreground the problem. Bernard Malamud’s The Tenants deals with the conflict between two minority groups, Blacks and Jews, in American society. Emphasizing on the fact that physical features and religious belief are reasons for being treated as Other even in the most liberal society, Malamud indicates that the world has never been a Utopia and advances in science and technology did not eliminate racism and discrimination from society but they helped them change from one form to another.

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