Jewish American:
Saul Bellow
Seize the Day
The Bellarosa Connection
Asian American
Hispanic American
Native American
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Characters
Tommy Wilhelm is a young man desperate for money. His father is not supportive of him financially or emotionally. His wife, whom he is separated from, will not allow him to divorce her and yet demands that he continue to pay her bills. These situations lead him to go to a desperate measure, investing in the stock market, to obtain money.
Dr. Adler is the father of Tommy. He is disappointed in his son for not being established like the rest of the family. For this reason, he does not support Tommy in any way.
Dr. Tamkin is a coniving sneak. He sets up an "equal" deal with Tommy to invest in the stock market but does not contribute his share. This investment causes Tommy to lose all of his money. In order to escape repaying Tommy, he leaves town.
Summary
Tommy Wilhelm is the main character. He is separated from his wife and is currently living with his dad, Dr. Adler, in a hotel. His father regards him as a failure because he dropped out of college and is the least educated of everyone in his family. While in college, a man named Maurice Venice contacted him and told him the he (Wilhelm) could be an actor. This is why he dropped out of college and then moved to California. His acting career did not work out, and he got a job as a salesman. He was passed up for promotion because the promotion was given to a relative of the man in charge, so he quit his job. This is when he moved in with his father and the "present" (when the story takes place) begins. His dad refuses to help support him financially or emotionally. Trying to make money, Wilhelm takes the advice of Dr. Tamkin and gives Tamkin the rest of his money ($700) to invest in the stock market. Tamkin invests the money and loses all of it. Tamkin then skips town for a vacation in Maine. Wilhelm is left in despair because his wife is demanding money and he needs to pay rent, but he no longer has any money and his dad will not help him out. He stumbles into a funeral and sees a dead man and begins to cry for him, and then for all humanity. This is a form of catharsis. He leaves a new man with new hope.
General Critique
The story takes place in New York City in the period of twenty-four hours. The author creates empathy for Tommy by showing his father's indifference toward him. The story is sometimes hard to follow due to the interruption of the events by Tommy's flashbacks. The story is realistic in that there is not a happy ending. Tommy's problems are not solved, but rather he obtains a new view of life. The book requires concentration from the reader as it is rather slow moving and can get quite tedious at times.
Style/Literary Technique
Bellow uses a very conversational tone in this book. A large part of the story is told through Tommy's conversations with his father. Flashbacks are used to reveal events in Tommy's past. Due to this, the events run together in a random manner.
Symbols
1. The dead man symbolizes the route of mankind. Tommy's crying is his catharsis.
2. The dead man also symbolizes the insignificance of Tommy's problems. Bankruptcy seems unimportant compared to death.
Themes
1. It is important to learn to take control of life and to "seize the day."
2. Money is basically evil.
3. Family expectations can be very overwhelming.
Thought Questions
1. How is the title revealing to the story?
2. What do the characters of Dr. Adler, Dr. Tamkin, and Margaret all have in common?
3. Do you feel that Wilhelm's father is being too unsupportive, or do you believe that Wilhelm brought it upon himself?
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