Oldal 401 [401]
398
Anna M. Rosner
double-windowed pawnshop —Moses Levi. Hats, shawls, and other garments are
visible through the windows. Five figures presented in the cartoon can be easily rec¬
ognized as three Jews and two Britons. The locals are dressed in a modern manner, in
colorful clothes and standing erect. The Jews are wearing dark and partly torn outfits,
all of them have sacks on their shoulders or next to their feet and are in bent-over po¬
sitions. They have beards and dark hair, and two out of three wear two hats on their
heads. The hat (a motif returning in many pictures) is very important and can be
read as a symbol of assimilation—what for the Jews meant acceptance within the so¬
ciety and equality of rights,'* to the British had seemed an attempt to become “more
British than the Britons.” In the mid-nineteenth century, the increasing number of
immigrants was considered a threat to the stability of the state and its economy. The
Jews themselves were not seen as a danger, but assimilation of the lower classes caused
questions connected to social aid and relief possibilities and needs.
Unlike the previous caricature, this one focuses on several types of behavior con¬
sidered by the author of the picture important enough to point out. The signature
below the picture says, “Get de Monish—honestly if ye Can,—but get de Monish!”
where monish is an old word meaning to be warned. This warning is clearly meant
for the Britons and suggests an anti-Jewish message aimed at showing the public
what sort of behavior could be expected from the Jewish minority. The Jew on the
pavement across the street from the pawnshop holds a garment over an opened sack.
His face shows more of a cunning leer than a kind smile. He’s most likely present¬
ing objects he is about to sell. There is a second Jewish figure behind the merchant,
quarreling or bargaining with a stout man. A third Jew is visible just outside the
shop, pickpocketing a dandy-gentleman in front of him.
In 1837, Charles Dickens published Oliver Twist; Or, the Parish Boy’s Progress.
The scene not only recalls Dickensian London itself, but most of all the Jewish thief
looks like one of Fagin’s boy gang members. In the book, the Jewish youth gang
leader, an elderly Jew by the name of Fagin, orders his juveniles to steal handker¬
chiefs from well-off citizens. In this case the title of the cartoon is an obvious word
play referring to the word “juvenile.” Of course the caricature is dated before the
publication of Dickens’ novel, but the precise date of publication of the caricature
remains unclear; secondly, it is well known that the writer had focused on showing
London as he saw it. Therefore, it seems clear that such thefts and minor offenses
were rather common (but committed not only by Jews). Moreover, the cartoon’s
caption indicates that wares bought from Jewish merchants were likely to have
been stolen.
(http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/search-our-collections-new?adlibid=6927&offset=0 accessed 04.
07. 2012).
16 In the nineteenth century, most countries did not grant the Jewish population access to the rights
that the non-Jewish population had. Among them were access to universities, participation in elections
(both passive and active), and access to certain occupations.