A war against prejudice - Analysis of Irwin Shaw´s short story Act of Faith

A WAR AGAINST PREJUDICE Prejudice is defeated not by force but by faith in the goodness in the hearts and minds of men. This idea is what Irwin Shaw tries to express in his short story "Act of Faith" through his character Norman Seeger, an American soldier during the second World War, who is confronted with the dilemma of how to deal with prejudice against the Jewish race. Throughout the story, Seeger's inner strength is …

…in himself and trust the American people by rendering his weapon. Many times do people find themselves in situations where all they can count on is faith, and it is not always that people are strong enough to choose to believe in the kindness of others. Irwin Shaw's "Act of Faith" shows through Seeger's inner conflict that strong people are those who are willing to fight with confidence in themselves, as their most powerful weapon.