In Arthur Miller's 1945 novel Focus, there are many prejudicial attitudes that manifest themselves during the action; Miller clearly believes that all of these anti-Semitic views are irrational. The novel's setting is mid-1940s Brooklyn. The main character, Lawrence Newman, works in an office and essentially supervises the office secretaries. He is praised by his boss and all seems to be going well for Newman until he purchases a pair of glasses that look stereotypically Jewish. Once Newman starts wearing these glasses, his whole world is turned upside down. Newman is anti-Semitic at the beginning of this novel, but this position changes later due to all the hardships he endures. Miller says that he thinks the reason people are anti-Semitic is because they “feel in themselves that they don't belong” (Intro X), and Newman seems to fall into this category until the end, when he sheds his cultural fears. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayWhen Newman is first introduced in the novel, he is single, living with his mother, and has no real friends to speak of, which leaves him very lonely, alone with his thoughts. These thoughts leave him nothing to do but question his inadequacy. Newman worries about every little mistake that can be made during the day to the point of almost breaking down. He had an accident while he was on the train and now when he gets on he says: “his face has become pinker when he remembers that moment. His blood started pumping rapidly” and this shows that he is afraid of everything in life. This is understandable though because he has no one to talk to. He could tell his mother, but she is getting older and he shouldn't bother her with these kinds of problems. Instead, Newman is forced to confront his inadequacies in other forms, such as taking out anger on other cultural groups. Newman eventually meets a girl he likes more than a friend and she helps him overcome some of his anti-Semitism, but he still can't figure it all out. When Newman first meets Gertrude Hart, she is looking for work at her first job. Newman thinks she looks Jewish because of the way she dresses, and so does her boss. Newman doesn't hire her just because she dresses like a Jewish person might and looks as educated as a Jewish person might. Gertrude realizes that this is why she isn't getting hired, and even tells Newman that "They should hang, eh!" (34) because she thinks he is Jewish while still judging her. When they meet again, Newman is the one looking for a job, and she is the one who has a job. Fortunately, she forgives Newman and they begin dating. Newman and Gertrude eventually move in together and get married, and he finally has someone to help him with his loneliness. In reality, however, Newman is so concerned with being the perfect husband that he becomes even more stressed and left to deal with his thoughts while everyone around him begins to think he is Jewish. He has moments of clarity because during the time spent with Gertrude he also begins to talk to Finkelstein and understand some things. Newman, however, still truly believes that Finkelstein is a lower class than him due to some stereotypes. However, once Newman forms a real bond with Finkelstein, he is able to truly overcome his anti-Semitism. The neighbors begin knocking over his garbage cans and also kick Newman out of the Christian Front meeting that his friend Fred told him he should come to. When the Christian Front group tries to attack Newman and Gertrude, the.