Sex & Sadism in Phillip Roth's Sabbath's Theater

A Brief Introduction to Roth’s Most Controversial Novel to Date

Aug 3, 2008

Published in 1995 Phillip Roth's Sabbath's Theater has been declared by some to be a masterpiece; others consider it to be obscene and controversial.

Mickey Sabbath the male protagonist, of Roth’s Sabbath’s Theater, embodies the attitude and the personality of the modern-day libertine. Extreme and indifferent, he lives his life continually in search of pleasure.

Mickey Sabbath's Motivation

Sabbath’s motivation is nearly always sexual in nature and he has no scruples about exercising mental cruelty in order to get what he wants.

Sabbath’s character is summarised perfectly by Michelle: ‘‘‘You have the body of an old man, the life of an old man, the past of an old man and the instinctive force of a two-year old.’’’ (Roth, 1996, p.335)

Sexual Motivation

In this respect, Sabbath is very much like the infant Freud conceptualised; continually in search of self-satisfaction and pleasure. It is also clear to see that Sabbath’s psyche is completely governed by his passions, or as Freud termed it, the Id.

Throughout the book, Sabbath revels in playing the role of the stereotypical ‘dirty old man.’ He masturbates in the bath over the picture of his friend’s nineteen year old daughter, continuing despite being interrupted; (Roth, 1996, p.151) He later steals a pair of her underwear. (Roth, 1996, p.154) Following this, Sabbath tries to seduce Michelle, the wife of the same friend.

Drenka and Sabbath

With the exception of Drenka, Sabbath is the dominant partner with other women he has relationships with. Drenka, however, is Sabbath’s female equivalent, his sexual collaborator.

The first blow to Sabbath is her death; he subsequently mourns her in a rather unusual way: ‘Sabbath was completing his mourning – by scattering his seed across Drenka’s oblong patch of Mother Earth.’ (Roth, 1996, p.68)

Sade’s Influence?

Sabbath is very much like the creations of Sade in that he doesn’t distinguish between what is considered ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ practices like the rest of us continue to do. Sabbath is such a sexual being that it is impossible for him to mourn Drenka in the traditional manner.

Sabbath and Rosie

The second blow to Sabbath is that his long-suffering wife, Rosie, throws him out. It emerges that Rosie is a recovering alcoholic and that Sabbath’s actions played a large part in her institutionalisation: ‘‘‘A failure! A ****ing nons-s-s-stop failure! A s-s-s-scheming, lying, s-s-sick deceiving total failure who lives off his wife and ****s children!’’’ (Roth, 1996, p239)

Sabbath’s Treatment of Rosie

Rosie is referring to her husband’s very-public arrest for disorderly conduct and obscenity and his affair with the young Kathy. During the course of her therapy it becomes clear that Rosie was sexually abused by her father. Rosie writes an imaginary letter to her father; Sabbath finds it and replies as though he were her father:

‘For five years I lived entirely for you… you were somehow to find it in you to write… to grieving Papa to tell him how remorseful you are for everything you did to ruin his life.’ (Roth, 1996, p.272)

Later Sabbath also remarks that he doesn’t believe Rosie’s allegations of abuse: ‘Could it be he killed himself not because they had consummated it but so they wouldn’t.’ (Roth, 1996, p.289)

Sabbath’s behaviour is beyond all rationality and is completely uncaring towards his wife; Sabbath is openly trying to sabotage her therapy and shockingly, attempts to place the blame for the sexual abuse she suffered with her, instead of with her father.

The affects of Sabbath’s behaviour on Rosie have proven to be completely destructive. One can only wonder if Sabbath enjoys and is aroused by the fact that his wife was sexually abused. Sabbath’s sexual tastes are incredibly close to those of paedophiles; talking to Norman about Debby he says: ‘I am sixty-four, she is nineteen. It’s only natural.’ (Roth, 1996, p.341)

Sabbath’s Fantasies

Sabbath even goes so far as to fantasise about what could be written on his tombstone: ‘Beloved Whoremonger, Seducer, Sodomist, Abuser of Women, Destroyer of Morals.’ (Roth, 1996, p.376)

This epitaph serves to summarise both Sabbath’s character and the life he both chose and revelled in.

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The copyright of the article Sex & Sadism in Phillip Roth's Sabbath's Theater in Modern American Fiction is owned by Sabrina Louise Webb. Permission to republish Sex & Sadism in Phillip Roth's Sabbath's Theater in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.