The Magic barrel
Written By
Bernard malamud
What are the meaning of these?
1. The nature of Leo Finkle :
Lovelessness, Self-abhorrence
Struggling for maintaining humanity, goodness
A contemporary man departed from Jewish values.
Writing assignment
2. Mr.Salzman's chanting; Prayers for the dead :
Instead of wedding march.
The Characters in "the magic barrel"
Leo's religious and redemptive love
doesn't match with secular animate world.
Do you agree with the idea that love is divided into only two ways; Matchmaker's secular way or Rabbi's religious way.
If not, is there any chance love comes from something else?
3. The meaning of the title; The magic barrel :
Irony of using the word, 'magic'.
A true love and a true feature cannot be accomplished by the secular ways.
1. Leo Finkle : Rabbinical student, No social life.
Lacks of identity, love toward human
Eager for redemption and salvation
by means of devotion, not of love.
2. Pinye Salzman : Jewish Matchmaker, poor man.
Epitome of traditional and
secular generations
3. Lily Hirschorn : Teacher, a little bit cougar.
Awaken Leo from his immatureness.
4. Mrs. Salzman : Matchmaker's wife, nothing left in her.
Soulless and loveless.
Hint of loveless marriage's destination.
5. Stella Salzman : Matchmaker's daughter. without shame
Eyes filled with desperate innocence.
The one whom Leo decided to dedicate.
The writer, Bernard Malamud
Bibliography
Born in NY, Jewish Family(1914)
entered adolescence at the start of the Great Depression (1930-40s)
Married to Ann de Chiara, an Italian-American Catholic(1945)
National Book award(1958, 1967)
Pulitzer Prize(1967)
"The book, the magic barrel"
Works
8 novels and 65 short stories
Title for collection of short stories(1958)
Main themes:
1. The life of Jewish immigrants (The Assistant, 1957)
2. The introspection about Love and life (The magic barrel, 1958)
3.The racial issues(The tenents, 1971), Anti-Semitism (The fixer, 1966)
4. The conflict between bourgeois and artistic values
(The pictures of Fidelman, 1969)
National Book Award for fiction(1958)
The stories included are :
"The First Seven Years"
"The Mourners"
"The Girl of My Dreams"
"Angel Levine"
"Behold the Key"
"Take Pity"
"The Prison"
"The Lady of the Lake"
"A Summer's Reading"
"The Bill"
"The Last Mohican"
"The Loan"
"The Magic Barrel"
Presented by Jae ho, Shin