SOURCE: "Sholem Aleichem: A Typology of His Characters," in Prooftexts, Vol. 6, No. 1, January, 1986, pp. 7-15.

In the following essay, which was originally published in 1908, the critic examines prominent character types in Sholom Aleichem's stories and how they reflect Jewish reaction to life in exile.

Sholem Aleichem is one of the fortunate Yiddish writers who does not have to wait for an anniversary celebration to publicize his name among the broad masses of our people; his name was a household word before the critics even began to take notice of him. It was not unusual for an entire town to wait with baited breath for a new issue of Der yid in which Sholem Aleichem, with a broad grin, lambasted a certain class of speculators and stock market sharpies. Among the folk, there is hardly a celebration or gathering where the guests are not asked: "Would you care to...