THE CONCEPTS OF INTERPERSONAL LOVE IN
Bernard Malamud’s
The Magic Barrel
By
Ana Thahara
1. Introduction
Love is always becomes an issue until today. Much literature works talks about love. Many poets and philosophers have been trying to define what love is.
The question of the meaning of love and its place in our lives is perhaps the most significant philosophical question we face as humans. Thich Nhat Hanh (2006:1). As meaning of love the concept of love is still questionable. How does love comes? What does involve in love material (physical, intelligent, social status, etc) or emotional (heart) or spiritual (destiny)? A love story with a surprising outcome, ‘‘The Magic Barrel’’ traces a young man’s struggle to come to terms with his identity and poses the religious question of how people—Jews and others— may come to love God. Is human love, the story asks, a necessary first step to loving God? This paper tries to answer what the concept of love The Magic Barrel short story?
2. Analysis
Bernard Malamud (April 26, 1914, Brooklyn, New York – March 18, 1986) was an author of novels and short stories. Along with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, he was one of the great American Jewish authors of the 20th century. www.wikipedia.com
As Malamud attained a reputation as a respected novelist in the 1960s and 1970s, his short stories were widely anthologized and attracted considerable attention from literary students and scholars. A writer in the Jewish-American tradition, Malamud wrote stories that explore issues and themes central to the Jewish community. (www.sparks notes.com)
The Magic Barrel focuses on the interaction of two main characters: a young, unmarried rabbinical student named Leo Finkle and Pinye Salzman, a vulgar, yet colorful, marriage broker who smells distinctly of fish. At the story's outset, an acquaintance advises Finkle that it will be much easier for him to find a congregation after graduation if he is married. Having spent his life studying, Finkle has little experience in the area of romance and reluctantly decides to engage the services of Salzman. The marriage broker shows Finkle numerous pictures of potential brides from his "magic barrel" and comments on their qualities, particularly their ages, educational backgrounds, family connections, and the size of their dowries. Finkle, however, seems uninterested in Salzman's usual selling points and constructs flimsy excuses for rejecting many of the candidates. Salzman eventually convinces Finkle to meet a woman named Lily Hirschorn. During his traumatic encounter with Hirschorn, Finkle recognizes that his life has been emotionally empty and that he has lacked the passion to love either God or other humans. Finkle's discovery of a picture of Salzman's daughter, Stella, prompts him to act on his new self-knowledge. Distinctive from the women in the previous photographs, Stella appears to be someone who has lived and suffered deeply. Salzman refers to her as a fallen woman, stating that "she should burn in hell," and argues that the presence of her picture among the others was a mistake and that she is not the woman for Finkle. Finkle, however, remains strongly attracted to Stella and envisions an opportunity to "convert her to goodness, himself to God”.(www.sparks notes.com)
The Magic Barrel is essentially a love story that incorporates themes of suffering and self-discovery. Finkle's search for a wife leads to his realization of his essentially dispassionate nature, and his love for Stella stems in part from his recognition of her suffering as a mark of having truly lived. The story also suggests the presence of the miraculous or destiny in everyday life.( www.sparks notes.com)
After his meeting with Lily Hirschorn, Finkle realizes that his life has been emotionally empty and that he has lacked the passion to love either God or other humans. He found love when he start mending his heart and believe he will get a wife and wants to try to find another woman again.” God as being "full of loving kindness." (Al-Quran). All who hold the faith have God's love, but to what degree or effort he has pleased God depends on the individual itself. “Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love."(Erich Fromm)
Finkle’s love to Stella seems irrational and illogical since the criteria of Finkle’s woman are not like Stella. "You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." (Sam Keen)
Finkle’s love to Stella is not intended by Salmanz neither Finkle. It is just happened. It is called destiny. It happens beyond our intension. “What God writes on your forehead you will become”.(Al-Quran)
God writes Stella not other who is better as Finkle’s destiny. Neither Finkle nor Stella is religious. “Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny”. (Tryon Edwards). “Your bridge is from your group”. (Islamic philosophy)
After finding his love, Finkle intends to convert Stella into goodness, and his self to God. True love gives him such kind of God’s guidance. Love is powerful. There is spiritual essence in love."To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven."(Karen Sunde )"See life with the wife you love" (Jew)
3. Summary
The concepts of love found in Bernard Malamud’ The Magic Barrel are:
1. Love is about emotional and spiritual not about material.
2. Even love is a part of destiny but we draw our own destiny.
3. Our faith will help us to find love, the other way love can lead us to find God and love God more. It is the power of love.
References
Hanh, Thich Nhat. 2005. Compassion is A Verb.www. Cannonschool.com. April 19th 2010
http://www.1-love-quotes.com/cgi-bin/viewquotes.cgi?action=search&Category=DESTINY
http://www.1-love-quotes.com/cgi-bin/viewquotes.cgi?action=search&Category=LOVE www.sparks notes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment