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The Melting Pot
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The Melting Pot

work by Zangwill
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Quick Summary

The Melting Pot is a play by Israel Zangwill that opened on Broadway in 1909. The play uses the story of forbidden lovers from Russian Jewish and Russian Cossack families to illustrate Zangwill's idea that America is a crucible where different European nationalities are transformed into a new race.12

Zangwill's work suggests that America is a place where old-world hatreds have no place, and immigrants are molded into a new identity. The play's title became a metaphor for the United States, symbolizing the assimilation of immigrants into a unified American culture.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Israel Zangwill
  2. Immigration - October 5, 1909 - The Melting Pot Play Opens on Broadway; Its Title Becomes a Metaphor for the United States

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