Best selling author Herman Wouk died last week at the age of 103. Wouk, an Orthodox Jew, won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Caine Mutiny, and also wrote many Jewish-themed novels, including The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, and Marjorie Morningstar. Marjorie Morningstar told the story of a young Jewish woman who pursued a life in the theatre, where she became involved with another actor, Noel Airman, who attempted to lead her into a non-traditional life and an affair. When Marjorie tried to get him to settle down to a suburban middle class Jewish life, what pejorative nickname did Noel assign to her?
Herman Wouk 2014 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
A. He referred to her as Ginny, derived from virgin. He used this nickname in a demeaning way, as he was critical of her for feigning interest in him but ultimately not proceeding with a physical relationship.
B. He called her a JAP, the term he coined for a Jewish American Princess, a now-offensive name that in the late 1950’s became part of the cultural lexicon when referring to some upwardly mobile but vapid Jewish women.
C. He called her Mother, to indicate that despite her claim to be a modern young woman, she in fact clung to the old-world values of her mother.
D. He called her Shirley, his term for a stereotypical privileged Jewish woman who only wanted the conventional suburban middle class life.
E. Marjorie refused to have premarital sex with Noel, saying, “We are not married. I will not have sex with you.” Surprised, he said, “Surely you can’t be serious,” to which she replied, “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.”