Why Not Say What Happened: A Sentimental Education

The memoir offers an engaging exploration of the author's journey from a religious upbringing in a Jewish family to a broader intellectual and cultural awakening. Through humorous and poignant anecdotes, Morris Dickstein recounts his experiences as a yeshiva student, his rebellious teenage years in the Catskills, and his immersion in literature and theater. This narrative highlights the conflict between his traditional roots and the allure of cosmopolitan life, symbolized by his transition from a yarmulka to a Yankees cap and the clandestine enjoyment of Shakespeare amidst religious studies.