Re derivation of the word Zhid

[Daniel Rancour-Laferriere]

18 Aug 98

In response to Jim Rice's comments on the term "Zhid" I would like to
mention one more author who has dealt with Dostoevsky's use of the term,
namely: the late Felix Dreizin, in his book _The Russian Soul and the Jew:
Essays in Literary Ethnocriticism_ (University Press of America, 1990), pp.
61-113.  Dreizin's work is psychologically more nuanced than previous
studies.  Dreizin shows that Dostoevsky often used "Zhid" in the pejorative
sense, especially in his private correspondence.  The translation "Kike" or
"Yid" is therefore justified.  His was a "zoological" anti-Semitism in
private, if a somewhat toned-down anti-Semitism in public.  There were also
interesting projective features to Dostoevsky's ethnic hatred, which fit in
with his general paranoid tendencies.  Dreizin lays this out in painful
detail.  Must reading for anyone interested in Dostoevsky.

Daniel Rancour-Laferriere
University of California, Davis
darancourlaferriere at ucdavis.edu