魔桶The-Magic-Barrel评论

TheMagicBarrel:AnAnalysisofLeoFinkle’sAttitudetoLoveandGodInBernardMalamud’sshortstory“themagicbarrel”,themainroleLeoFinkle,arabbinicalstudent,wasadvisedthathemightfinditeasiertowinhimselfacongregationifheweremarried.SoLeowenttothematchmakerSalzman’sforabride.Intheprocess,LeoFrinkle’sattitudetoloveandGodchangedobviously.ThisarticlewillanalyzethechangesindetailbycomparingLeo’sdifferentbehaviorsformdifferentaspects.1.FirstmeetingwithSalzmanFirstly,wetakealookatLeo’sanswerstowardsSalzmanintroductionofsomegirls.ThefirstSophieP,young,healthy,smartandofhighknowledgebutawidow,wasrefusedbecause“marryingawidowhasneverenteredmymind”(p133),saidLeo.ThoughSalzmanspokemanygoodwordsofSophieP,Leostillshookhisheadwithouthesitation.ThesecondwasLilyH,fromawellAmericanizedfamily,beautifulandhavingherowncareerbutofhighagecomparedwithLeo’s.WhenhearingLily’sage,LeodirectlyturneddownLily.Well,ontheotherhand,whenasked“ifRothschild’sadaughterwantstomarryyou,wouldyousayonaccountherage,no?”(Rothschildwasawell-knownandwealthyGermanfamilyofbankers.)(p134)Leoansweredno.Weknowfromhisanswerthatageisacceptableifaperson’sstatusforLeoisgoodenough.ThethirdwasRuthK,astudentquiteyoungandfromagoodfamily.“‘Didyousaynineteen?’Leoaskedwithinterest.”,“‘Issheattractive?’Heblushed.‘Pretty?’”(p135)FromthesetwosentencesandthecaseofLily,weknowLeowantsayoungbride.Afteraskingabouttheappearance,Leothoughtaboutlove,“Butdon’tyouthinkthisyounggirlbelievesinlove?”Notgettingaclearanswer,Leocleverlyasked,“Howisherhealth?”Theanswerwasdepressingthat“sheisalittlelameonherrightfootfromanautoaccidentwhenshewastwelveyearsold.”(p135)Now,Leofeltcuriouslybitterandupbraidedhimselfforhavingcalledinthemarriagebroker.Shakinghishead,Leogaveareasonwhichobviouslywasalieandrefused.Fromthethreecasesabove,wecanhaveageneralunderstandingofLeo’srequirementsofhisfuturebride.Althoughhisoriginalpurposewastofindabridejusttomeettheneedsofhiswork,whenhelearnedaboutthegirlsSalzmandescribed,heaskedformorethings:youngage,beautifulappearance,healthybodyandlove.Buthere,hedidnotlongforlovestrongly.2.MeetingwithLilyNowlet’sseehowhisfeelingoflovewasdeveloped.ThesecondtimeSalzmancame,Leo“disturbedtoseehimagain,yetunwillingtoaskthemantoleave”(p136)whichreflectsthatLeostillhadhopeinSalzman.WhenhearingthatLilywasinfactyoungerthantheageSalzmansaidbefore,andthatshewasparticularandwantedthebest,Leo’sinterestinLilyH.wasaroused,andhebeganseriouslytoconsidercallingonher.LeohadagoodimpressionofLilyimmediatelyandhadabeautifulillusionabouther.“Lily,petiteandnotunpretty,hadonsomethingsignifyingtheapproachofspring.Shewasaucourant,animatedly,withallsortsofsubjects,andheweighedherwordsandfoundhersurprisinglysound---scoreanotherforSalzman,whomheuneasilysensedtobesomewherearound,hidingperhapshighinatreealongthestreet,flashingtheladysignalswithapocketmirror;orperhapsacloven-hoofedPan,pipingnuptialdittiesashedancedhisinvisiblewaybeforethem,strewingwildbudsonthewalkandpurplegrapesintheirpath,symbolizingfruitofaunion,thoughtherewasofcoursestillnone.”(p139)FromthesesentenceswecanseeLeo’sgoodemotionbecauseofLily.SoonLeosensedthatLilymusthavehadsomeexperiencewithmen.Buthewasnotdispleasedwithherhonesty.However,whenLilyaskedhimsomethingaboutJudaismandGod,hegraduallyrealizedthatSalzmanhaddescribedatotalstrangertoLilyratherthanhimself.Whenasked“wasitasuddenpassionateinspiration?”“Leo,afteratime,slowlyreplied,‘Iwasalwaysinterestedinlaw.’”(p140)Here,Leowasabitdispleasedbecausehedidn’twanttotalkaboutJudaism.Thenonemorequestioncame,“YousawrevealedinitthepresenceoftheHighest?”“Leonoddedandchangedthesubject.”(p140)FromthisweknowLeowasimpatientwiththistopicwhichwasdislikedbyLeo.Onceagainwhenasked“didyoubecomeenamoredofGod?”,“hestaredather.ThenitcametohimthatshewasnottalkingaboutLeoFinkle,butaboutatotalstranger,somemysticalfigure,perhapsevenpassionateprophetthatSalzmanhaddreamedupforher---morelationtothelivingordead.Leotrembledwithrageandweakness.Thetricksterhadobviouslysoldherabillofgoods,justashehadhim,who’dexpectedtobecomeacquaintedwithayoungladyoftwenty-nine,onlytobehold,themomenthelaideyesuponherstrainedandanxiousface,awomanpastthirty-fiveandagingrapidly.Onlyhisselfcontrolhadkepthimthislonginherpresence.”(p140)Now,LeobecameangrywithSalzmanbecauseSalzmanhadcreatedamysticalimageofhiminLily’smind,whichwasnotreallyhimself,justasSalzmanhadmadeafalseaboutLilytohiminthefirstplace.Leo’sinterestinLilywassuddenlygone.ThelastsentencereflectsthathewouldhaveleftLilyasquicklyaspossibleifitwerenotforhispatience.“‘Iamnot,’hesaidgravely,‘atalentedreligiousperson,’andinseekingwordstogoon,foundhimselfpossessedbyshameandfear.‘Ithink,’hesaidinastrainedmanner,‘thatIcametoGodnotbecauseIlovedHim,butbecauseIdidnot.’”(p141)HisanswerexpressedhisattitudetowardsGodclearlyandbrokehisformergoodimageinLily’sheart.3.Theself-analysisofattitudetoloveandGodTheunhappymeetingwithLilyledLeotothinkaboutsomething,“thetruenatureofhisrelationshiptoGod,andthatapartfromhisparents,hehadneverlovedanyone.Orperhapsitwenttheotherway,thathedidnotloveGodsowellashemight,becausehehadn