In Arthur Miller's 1945 novel Focus, many prejudiced attitudes are evident throughout the action; Miller clearly considers all of these anti-Semitic views to be irrational. The novel's setting is Brooklyn in the mid-1940s. The main character, Lawrence Newman, works in an office and essentially supervises the office's secretaries. He is praised by his boss and everything seems to be going well for Newman until he buys a pair of glasses that seem 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 later changes due to all the hardships he endures. Miller says 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 gets rid of his cultural fears. Say no. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay When Newman is first introduced in the novel, he is single, lives with his mother, and has no real friends per say, which leaves him very alone with only his thoughts. These thoughts leave him with nothing to do but question his inadequacy. Newman worries about every little mistake that can be made throughout the day until he almost breaks down. He had an incident while riding the train and now, when he gets on the train, he says, "His face turned pinker remembering that moment." His blood started pumping rapidly” and this shows that he is afraid of everything in life. This is understandable because he has no one to talk to about it. He could tell his mother, but she's getting old and he shouldn't bother her with these kinds of problems. Instead, Newman is forced to confront his inadequacies in other forms, such as expressing his anger against other cultural groups. Newman eventually meets a girl he considers more than a friend and she helps him overcome some of his anti-Semitism, but he is still unable to understand it all. When Newman first meets Gertrude Hart, she is looking for a job at her first workplace. Newman thinks she looks Jewish because of the way she dresses, just like her boss. Newman doesn't engage her solely on the fact that she dresses like a Jewish person and looks educated like a Jewish person would. Gertrude remarks that this is why she isn't hired, and she even tells Newman, "They should hang Yiz!" (34) because she thinks he is Jewish while judging her. When they meet again, Newman is the one looking for a job, and she is the one with 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 overcome his loneliness. In reality, however, Newman is so worried about being the perfect husband that he becomes even more stressed and self-indulgent as everyone around him begins to think he is Jewish. He has a few moments of clarity as during his time with Gertrude he also begins to talk to Finkelstein and figure out some things. Newman still believes that Finkelstein belongs to a lower class than himself because of certain stereotypes. Yet once Newman creates a real connection with Finkelstein, he is able to truly overcome his anti-Semitism. The neighbors start turning over his trash and also kick Newman out of the Front meeting.