In the process of becoming an American, many people often find themselves unable to fully assimilate into the culture of the vast new nation. Sometimes people are limited by their desire to hold on to their customs brought over from the “motherland,” while others are brought up following the traditions of the country their ancestors came from. All in all, people who keep their traditions end up blending American culture with their own.
This, however, is not the case for David Levinsky. Although Levinsky shaved off his sideburns and beard while gradually detaching himself from his Russian-Jewish traits, he still feels like he is not truly American. By leaving his culture behind, he was hoping to shed the image of being a “greenhorn” and becoming successful in his new country. Even after becoming successful, he still felt like he wasn’t quite who he thought he would be. Because of this, Levinsky is caught in a paradox due to the fact that he sees himself as someone who is neither a Russian-Jew nor an American.
As readers realize that Levinsky is stuck in this identity crisis, the meaning of the book’s title becomes clear. Even though Levinsky doesn’t exactly “fall” in social or economic status since he became an extremely successful businessman, he still fell when it came to maintaining a stable identity. Since he was so bent on the thought that he would make a name for himself, he was unable to think about the results of his actions. He couldn’t foresee that he would end up being lonely and homesick for the place he eagerly abandoned soon after arriving in America. In the end, Levinsky could have easily held on to his roots while still being an American because retaining his culture would not diminish the fact that he is part of this nation.
