13-The-Magic-Barrel

TheMagicBarrel(1958)BernardMalamud(1914-1986)BernardMalamudwasborninBrooklyn,NewYork,in1914toRussianJewishimmigrantsnamedMaxandBerthaMalamud.MalamudwenttohighschoolinBrooklynandattendedtheCityCollegeofNewYork,graduatingin1936.In1942hereceivedaMasterofArtsdegreefromColumbiaUniversity.MalamuddidnotbeginwritingseriouslyuntilafterWorldWarII,whenthehorrorsoftheHolocaustbecameknowntotheinternationalcommunity.TherevelationmadeMalamudmoreawareofhisownJewishidentity.“IwasconcernedwithwhatJewsstoodforwiththeirgettingdowntothebarebonesofthings.Iwasconcernedwith...howJewsfelttheyhadtoliveinordertogoonliving.”InaninterviewintheJerusalemPost,Malamudstated:“IhandletheJewasasymbolofthetragicexperienceofmanexistentially.ItrytoseetheJewasuniversalman.EverymanisaJewthoughhemaynotknowit.”In1945MalamudmarriedAnndeChiara.AnnandBernardmovedtoOregonStateUniversityin1949.There,Malamudrecalled,“IwasallowedtoteachfreshmancompositionbutnotliteraturebecauseIwasnakedlywithoutaPh.D.”Malamudwrote“TheMagicBarrel”inthebasementoftheuniversitylibrary.In1961MalamudmovedtoVermont,wherehetookajobteachingcreativewritingatBenningtonCollege—apositioninwhichhewouldcontinueforalmost25years.MalamudwonthePulitzerprizeinfictionforhis1966novel,TheFixer.Beforehisdeathin1986,BernardMalamudhadbecomeoneofAmerica’smostrespectedwritersoffiction.Askedwhetherhereadcriticismofhisownworks,Malamudreplied:Ilikeimaginativeinterpretationsofmybooks,whetherIagreewiththemornot.IenjoycriticismthatviewstheworkinwaysIhaven'tanticipated-thatsurprisesme.HistoricalContextYeshivah(para.1),inHebrew,meansaplaceofstudy.YeshivahUniversityistheoldestandmostdistinguishedJewishinstitutionofhigherlearningintheUnitedStates.Whileitshistorygoesbackto1886,theschoolwasnotnamedYeshivahuntil1945.Attheendofthetraditionalsixyearsofstudytobecomearabbi,then,Leowouldprobablybeconsideringmarriagesometimeearlyinthe1950s.Aremarkableperiod(themid-1950stothemid-1960s)inthehistoryofJewish-Americanwriting.•SaulBellow(1915-2005)TheAdventuresofAugieMarch(1953)•PhilipRoth(1933-)Goodbye,Columbus(1959)•NormanMailer(1923-2007)TheNakedandtheDead•JosephHeller(1923-1999)Catch22TheMagicBarrel.PartisanReview,21(November,1954),pp.587-603.PlotSummaryLeoFinkleisstudyingtobearabbi.Hedecidesheneedstogetmarried,andconsultsamarriagebrokernamedPinyeSalzman.Themarriagebrokersetshimupwithseveralwomen,butnonearequitewhathe'sclaimedtheyare.ThenSalzmanincludesapictureintheselectionofwomenofhisowndaughter,thenwithdrawsit,claimingitwasincludedbyaccidentandthatshe'stoowildandshamefulforarabbi.Finklefallsforher,andinsistsonmeetingher,butdoesn'tknowifhewasmanipulated.“QuintessentialMalamud—inform,content,andperhapsmostofall,inmoralvision,1.combineselementsofrealismandfantasyinanurban,Jewishsetting2.centersontheprotagonist'sstruggletobreakthroughthebarriersofpersonalisolation.3.themesaslove,redemption,andJewishidentity4.creativeuseofambiguity.Thematchmaker,“customarilyreceived5%ofthedowryinadditiontoaflatfee,neitheronenorbothenoughtomakehimrich.”PinyeSalzmanisinmanyways,then,astereotypicalfigurewhohassteppedfromtheworldofJewishoralhumorintothepagesofMalamud’sstory.WhatistheconflictinthestoryTheMagicBarrel?1.Leostruggleswithtwomainthings:hisinnernatureandwhetherhetrulyiscapableoflove--eitherofGodorawoman,andhisslightdisgustatthecommercialnatureofthematchmakingprocess.2.OtherconflictsinthestoryexistbetweenSalzmanandLeo;LeoisuncomfortablewithhowbusinesslikeSalzmanpeddlesmatches,thenisveryupsetthathemisrepresentsLeotoLily.ThenthereisconflictbetweenthetwoinregardstoStella.CharactersLeoFinkleAtfirst,Leoisacoldperson;hecomestorealizethat“hedidnotloveGodsowellashemight,becausehehadnotlovedman.(Para.114)”Finkle’stransformedcharacterwouldsuggestthat,unliketheirancestors,theyoungergenerationisopentopassion,tochange,andtonewbeginningsexemptfromtheinfluenceoftradition.”Leo’sstoryisajourneyofemotionalmaturity.“TheMagicBarrel”chroniclestherabbinicalstudent’s“Americanization,”hisgradualassimilationintoAmericanculture.CramerassertsthatFinkle“possessesfewofthetypicalAmericantraits—decisiveness,emotionality,action-orientation—buthemeltsintotheAmericanpotbytheendofBernardMalamud’spolishedpieceofwriting...”LilyHirschornAhigh-schoolteacherintroducedtoLeobySalzman.Atfirstherageisthirty-two,thentwenty-nine,andfinallysheturnsouttolookpastthirty-five.Leogoesoutwithherandunwillinglyexperiencesasuddenrevelationabouthimself.PinyeSalzmanMarriagebroker,traditionalEasternEuropeanJew;FirstorsecondgenerationAmericanandcompletelyunassimilated,poor,unlearnedwithaparticularandtraditionalrespectforscholars.StellaSalzmanSalzmanhasdisownedhisdaughter,evidentlybecauseshehascommittedsomegraveactofdisobedience.“Thisisnotabrideforarabbi.”WhenLeofinallymeetsStellasheissmoking,leaningagainstalamppostintheclassicstanceoftheprostitute,butLeobelievesheseesinhereyes“adesperateinnocence.”ThemesJewish/IdentityLeoFinkleisacharactertryingtofigureoutwhohereallyis.Heisanisolatedandpassionlessman,disconnectedfromhumanemotion.Asherealizesthetruthabouthimself,hebecomesdesperatetochange.Somec