American Literature

So I only got a B on my American Literature Midterm. I talked to the professor after class today, and she says that I generally do well on the essay questions, but really need to take the time to study for the short answers. This has pretty much been the story of my life.

Today we discussed “The Magic Barrel” a short story by Bernard Malamud. It is a 20th century story about a Jewish rabbi, Leo who wishes to form a congregation. Before he can from the congregation he must first get married. He calls upon the services of a match maker, a man names Salzaman. The theme is about Leo’s self discovery, and also his inability to love. The first women the Salzaman sets Leo up with represent everything that is wrong with Leo. Like the women, life had past Leo by. He is searching for something in these women that he can not find within himself.

The matchmaker is a very ambiguous character. It is not entirely clear whether he is a sick old man, or perhaps even a ghost. His motives are also unclear. Salzaman says that he does not think that his daughter, Stella, is a good match for Leo, and yet he still puts her picture in with the others. It seems that Salzaman knew all along the Stella and Leo would work well together, but waited until Leo was ready for love. This is why he had Leo date the other women first, letting him grow as a person.