"Hemorrhoid" by Etgar Keret

I just read another very moving story by Etgar Keret titled "Hemorrhoid." By the name, you already get a sense of how strange some of his writing is. You are not alone when you think to yourself, "why would someone write a short story about hemorrhoids?!"

Well, in this story, Keret writes about how there is a man who has a very minor hemorrhoid. Yet as time goes on it grows and grows and becomes more difficult to deal with. But the man continues on with his daily life (work, private time, and as Keret simply puts it -- fucking). Eventually, the hemorrhoid becomes bigger than the actual man himself! So then the hemorrhoid has to live his daily life with this annoying little man attatched to his vein.

The way I interpret this story is Keret had created a metaphor for the Jewish people. The Jews are always seen as annoying and a waste of space. Yet slowly over time, we have managed to turn the tables and become the ones on top. This has more significance to me than ever right now considering this is exactly what we're studying about in Jewish History. The formation of the Jewish state is a perfect example of how no one thought anything special about the Jews -- they just wanted to get rid of them -- but then we overcome everything around us and thrive as a people and a nation. I think a little bit of Etgar Keret's Jewish pride shines through in this odd two-page story.

I definitely plan on continuing to read through Keret's "Suddenly, A Knock On The Door." It's already lived up to my expectations and exceeded them greatly!