New York City Under the Scrutiny of Holocaust Survivor in Mr. Sammler’s Planet

Saul Bellow’s seventh novel Mr. Sammler’s Planet combines the urban narrative of New York City with the Holocaust narrative, revealing the crisis of postmodern American society. This paper explores Sammler’s unique perspective as a witness to the Holocaust history and the social phenomena of the 1960s, so as to excavate the characteristics of New York City. Under the shackles of modern instrumental rationality and social order, the feverish Holocaust turns into fanatical destruction that subverts traditional ethical values. Sammler discerns the destructive factors in history and the darkness in human nature, but he is not entirely pessimistic and makes exploration for the future of New York City.