BERNARD MALAMUD

School: EducationTeacher: Yony Cárdenas CornelioStudent: Guadalupe Roque Polo

San Marcos University

November 22th, 2011

“I am quite tired of the colossally deceitful

devaluation of man in this day. … The devaluation exists because (humanity) accepts it

without protest”

BiographyBernard Malamud was born on April 26, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York.

His parents were not highly educated and knew very little about literature or the arts.

Malamud attended high school in Brooklyn and received his bachelor's degree from the City College of New York in 1936.

Although he wrote in his spare time, Malamud did not begin writing seriously until hearing of the horrors of the Holocaust, when the Germans, led by Adolf Hitler .

Ann typed his manuscripts and reviewed his writing. Ann and Bernard had two children, Paul and Janna. Janna Malamud Smith is the author of a memoir about her father, titled My Father is a Book.

Biography

Writing career

•Traces the life of Roy Hobbs, an American baseball player. •The book has mythic elements and explores such themes as initiation and isolation.

The Natural (1952)

•It was awarded the National Book Award in 1959.

The Magic Barrel (1958)

•It is one of his most powerful works. This book is based on the historical account of Mendel Beiliss, a Russian Jew who was accused of murdering a Christian child.

The Fixer (1966)

Writing career

•It tooks Malamud over five years to write, the main character, William Dubin, attempts to create a sense of worth for himself, both as a man and as a writer.

Dubin's Lives

(1979)

•He studies both the original Holocaust and a new, imagined Holocaust of the future.

God's Grace (1982)

The First Seven Years

Analysis

Literacy focus

Revelation and EpiphanyA point at which a character comes to see something with a deep understanding. The character may achieve self-knowledge or a deeper knowledge of another character; relationships between characters may become clear; the meaning and implications of an event may take shape.

Characters

Feld

Sobel

MiriamMax

Feld’s wife

The First Seven Years Summary

The story is about Feld, a Jewish shoemaker who seeks a suitable husband for his daughter Miriam. But she is not interested in his choice of Max, a college student. Feld soon discovers that his assistant, Sobel, a Polish Jewish refugee, is in love with Miriam, and that she returns his affections.

Miriam sees spiritual qualities in Sobel, but Feld is dismayed because he wants her to do better for herself. Feld is faced with a moral choice: will he allow Sobel to wed Miriam? Can he put his daughter’s feelings above what he thinks is appropriate for her?

Can he learn to see in Sobel what Miriam sees in him? In the climax of the story, Feld tells Sobel that if he works for two more years, making seven in all, he can ask Miriam for her hand in marriage.

Theme

• The Material v. the Spiritual

Although Feld wishes the best for his daughter and wants her to find a husband who can provide her with a better life, he takes account only of material values. He thinks of himself as a practical man, which is why he favors Max as a husband for Miriam. Max is studying to be an accountant, developing knowledge of financial matters. But that is all he is interested in. He has no depth. Miriam is soon aware of this, and tells her father that Max has ‘‘no soul.’’

Theme

• Irony

The father wants something better for his daughter, that is why he sets up a date with Max. Miriam wants to marry Sobel, who can't give her a better life. Miriam's life will then end up being just like her Parent's.

Symbolism

• During the prelude of the story Feld is annoyed by Sobel's "fanatic pounding at the other bench”. The continuous pounding of Sobel's hammer symbolizes the strength of Sobel's love for Miriam.

• For years Sobel silently exhibits his love by working hard at a very low salary. As Sobel is "pounding with all his might upon the naked last“ he shows his frustration for his plight. Not only will he not be a suitable husband in Feld's eyes, Feld never even recognizes the bond being established by the couple through their books.

• Later in the story Feld admits his awareness of Sobel's feelings, but does not want to face the prospect that Sobel might become Miriam's suitor.

WORKSHEET

Jig saw readingRead each paragraph in groups. (one paragraph per each group)

Answer the following questions.