“I’m the One He’s Looking For”: Responsiveness to the Other in David Grossman’s A Horse Walks into a Bar

This article explores the ethical dimensions of the novel A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman, aiming to elucidate positions arising from the literary work regarding the issue of relationships with the Other. At the heart of the novel is the story of Dovaleh, a stand-up comedian at the end of his career who forces his audience to listen to a continuous confessional story. The story is presented through the perspective of Avishai Lazar, a former judge who was acquainted with Dovaleh in his childhood. This article illustrates that the relationship between the two lies at the core of the book. The novel is divided into two parts, separated by a moment of an ethical transformation. In the first part, Avishai experiences a sense of dread appearing in Dovaleh’s gaze and yearns to escape the show. Throughout the novel, he comes to understand the magnitude of his responsibility toward his friend, an insight that develops until the dramatic moment when he stands up and defends Dovaleh against the anger of the audience. This moment facilitates the second part of the novel, which deals with responsiveness to the ethical demand embodied in the face of the Other. This article will interpret the resolution in favor of responsibility after it occurs in the novel in light of Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophy, arguing that an encounter with the face of the Other imposes responsibility on the subject and constitutes an awareness of the ethical obligation imposed upon him.