Seize the Day.doc

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Seize the Day

by Saul Bellow

KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS

SETTING

The first five chapters are set in various parts of HotelGloriana in New York. The main

character of the novel Tommy !ilhelm moves throu"h the twenty#thir$ floor the

fourteenth floor the lobby the mezzanine the $inin" room an$ the newsstan$. %n

&hapter ' the settin" shifts to Broa$way an$ the crow$e$ theatre of the brokera"e office.

&hapter '% has several locations inclu$in" a cafeteria a market a shop an$ the stock

market. &hapter '%% is set in the street a massa"e parlor the lobby of Hotel Gloriana

Broa$way an$ a funeral parlor.

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Major Characters

Tommy Wilhelm a mi$$le a"e$ man who e(hibits neurotic symptoms.Those who are

close to him # his father his estran"e$ wife an$ Tamkin # systematically punish him.

Their betrayals evoke the memories of earlier betrayals an$ humiliations. He is $enie$

any successful a$ult accomplishment of masculine self# sufficiency an$ self#esteem. He

is $eprive$ of the ability to have "oo$ relations or to pursue anythin" real.

Mi!or Characters

"r# A$ler # !ilhelm)s father who lives in his ti"ht ti$y ol$ man)s worl$ of money save$.

His entire philosophy of life is base$ on stin"iness. *or him to love means to spen$

money which he is unwillin" to $o. He wants nobo$y on his back inclu$in" his son.

"r# Tam%i! # a pseu$o#philosopher an$ a pseu$o#psycholo"ist. He is a shrew$ charlatan

who cheats !ilhelm seizes his money an$ $isappears. Durin" part of the novel he is

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!ilhelm)s surro"ate father. Tamkin)s unbelievable tales of self#"lorification represent a

fulfillment of !ilhelm)s own unrealize$ fantasies

Mrs# Tam%i! # the $ecease$ wife of Dr. Tamkin who is $escribe$ as an alcoholic yet

Tamkin calls her the most spiritual woman he has ever met.

Mrs# A$ler # Dr. ,$ler)s $ecease$ wife who is remembere$ an$ spoken of by ,$ler an$

!ilhelm. !ilhelm feels that he has inherite$ his sensitive feelin"s from her. She wishe$

that !ilhelm woul$ stu$y for the me$ical profession.

Catheri!e # Dr. ,$ler)s $au"hter an$ Tommy !ilhelm)s sister. She hel$ an important

position before her marria"e. She is very fon$ of paintin" an$ seeks financial help from

her father to start an art "allery.

Ma&rice 'e!ice # a man who $upes !ilhelm by "ivin" him false hopes about his

chances to become an actor in Hollywoo$. He also or"anizes a rin" of call "irls an$ is

later arreste$.

Nita Christe!(erry # a beautiful mo$el with whom -aurice 'enice falls in love. She

"ets arreste$ because of her involvement with prostitution.

-r. erls # a resi$ent in Hotel Gloriana an$ a frien$ of Dr. ,$ler.

Mar)aret # !ilhelm)s wife who creates problems for !ilhelm by $eman$in" money

a"ain an$ a"ain. They are about to be $ivorce$ but she $oes not allow the $ivorce to

come throu"h.

Esto!ia! la$y # a woman who is well known to Dr. ,$ler an$ many other people in the

hotel. She lives with her pets an$ is consi$ere$ eccentric.

R&(i! # the man at the newsstan$ who $oes not talk much. He $oes however make

certain remarks which set !ilhelm thinkin" about the mistakes committe$ by him in the

past.

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Mar)aret*s mother # the $ecease$ la$y who has a""ravate$ !ilhelm)s financial

problems by investin" money in e$ucational insurance policies for her "ran$sons

0-ar"aret an$ !ilhelm)s sons1.

Artie # !ilhelm)s cousin. He is a well#e$ucate$ man who becomes a professor.

Wilhelm*s so!s # aul an$ his el$er brother. They live with their mother -ar"aret.

!ilhelm supports them financially. He says that -ar"aret has turne$ them a"ainst him.

Scissors # -ar"aret an$ !ilhelm)s $o". !ilhelm is very attache$ to it but -ar"aret $oes

not allow him to take it when they separate.

CONFLICT

+rota)o!ist,

Tommy !ilhelm an over#size$ e(#salesman is the prota"onist of the novel. He is

portraye$ as a character on whom the worl$)s bur$en an$ a"ony fall heavily. He is a man

who has been 2strippe$ an$ kicke$ out2. He is spurne$ by his father persecute$ by his

wife an$ victimize$ by crooks. They all e(ert a real an$ sinister power over him. By the

en$ of the novel he is "enuinely e(hauste$ bowe$ $own an$ totally $eprive$ of his inneran$ outer resources. Throu"h him the novelist e(plains the problems an$ sufferin"s of

humanity at lar"e. His emotional crisis an$ final catharsis is his symbolic $eath by

$rownin".

A!ta)o!ist,

!ilhelm)s anta"onist is really himself. *orces within him make him commit mistakes at

every sta"e of his life. Several people in the novel a""ravate his problems inclu$in"-aurice 'enice his father Dr. Tamkin an$ -ar"aret.

Clima-,

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The clima( of the novel is reache$ in chapter '% when !ilhelm loses his last 455 $ollars.

He is frantic an$ $esperately searches for Tamkin who has $isappeare$ without even

informin" him. This heavy blow shatters him completely for he is strippe$ of $i"nity an$

without financial means. He also has nowhere to turn as proven by his father an$ his

wife)s in$ifference to his situation.

,n anticlima( is also reache$ in the novel. !ilhelm is ina$vertently pushe$ by the crow$

into a funeral parlor. ,s he stan$s ne(t to the coffin of the unknown $ea$ man !ilhelm

cries softly for the loss of another human bein" he sobs for himself an$ his waste$ life

an$ he weeps for the col$ an$ uncarin" humanity at lar"e. He symbolically $rowns in his

tears6 but it is also a baptism for him a rebirth into a life of possibility an$ responsibility.

O&tcome,

The outcome of the novel is tra"ic. !ilhelm loses everythin" an$ feels he is totally alone

in life. He feels financially physically an$ emotionallybankrupt. !hen he is swept up in

a crow$ an$ shove$ into a funeral parlor his pent#up emotions are release$. He weeps

bitterly at the si"ht of an unknown $ea$ man $rownin" in his tears. This catharsis is the

only positive si"n in the whole novel. The rea$er is left with the hope that !ilhelm has

truly been baptize$ into a new an$ better life.

+LOT .Sy!o/sis0

Seize The Day is a novel about Tommy !ilhelm)s failures. He is an unemploye$ mi$$le#

class mi$$le#a"e$ man who is waitin" for a $ivorce from his na""in" wife. He is 2out of

place2 amon" the ol$ inmates of Hotel Gloriana where he an$ his father live separately.

He $esperately wants the help of his father both emotionally an$ financially but he can

never obtain it. He invests his last $ollar in the commo$ities market throu"h Dr. Tamkin

an$ loses it all.

The main action of the novel)s narrative is confine$ to one $ay but the movement

towar$s the clima( is hei"htene$ by several flashbacks into !ilhelm)s past. 7ne

flashback e(plains his stock market investment with Dr. Tamkin the pseu$o#

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psycholo"ist who convince$ !ilhelm to invest his savin"s in commo$ities. Now he

9ustifiably fears for his investment for it is his last money on earth. !ilhelm also reflects

on his relationship with his father Dr. ,$ler who refuses to be kin$ or helpful to his son.

!ilhelm recalls that when he left colle"e to "o to Hollywoo$ he ha$ chan"e$ his name

from !ilhelm ,$ler to Tommy !ilhelm. He thinks this is what has cause$ his father)s

an"er towar$s him. *inally !ilhelm remembers the way that -aurice 'enice misle$ him

makin" him believe he coul$ become an actor in Hollywoo$.

There are two ma9or pressures that are pushin" !ilhelm un$er ## the estran"ement

between !ilhelm an$ his father an$ the estran"ement between !ilhelm an$ his wife. %n

the $inin" room of the hotel !ilhelm approaches his father who is seate$ with -r. erls.

,lthou"h he attempts to please his father an$ impress -r. erls !ilhelm con$emns themboth in his min$ for their transparent "ree$. The conversation turns to Dr. Tamkin an$ his

$ubious cre$entials. !ilhelm has foolishly allowe$ Tamkin to invest all his money in the

stock market.

!hen erls leaves the table !ilhelm be"ins to "or"e himself on the remainin" foo$. %t

makes ,$ler reflect on his son)s obesity an$ slovenly ways. !ilhelm feels 2con"este$2 as

his father criticizes him. !ilhelm is "enuinely concerne$ about his emotional con$ition

an$ his father)s in$ifference to it. Dr. ,$ler accuses !ilhelm of victimizin" himself by

allowin" his wife to $ominate him an$ by foolishly e(pectin" perfection from his

marria"e. !ilhelm feels the pressure of this un9ust accusation an$ stru""les for breath

a"ain becomin" 2choke$ an$ con"este$.2

!ilhelm is also worrie$ about his investment in lar$. He has listene$ to Dr. Tamkin)s

philosophy about the real an$ the preten$er soul. He has also followe$ Dr. Tamkin)s

a$vice to invest his money in the stock market for the pseu$o#psycholo"ist tol$ him that

2only the present is real the here an$ now. Seize The Day.2 Now !ilhelm senses

fearfully that he is 2in the water2 $eeper than he ha$ anticipate$.

,fter breakfast with his father !ilhelm bewil$ere$ an$ fri"htene$ accompanies Tamkin

to the brokera"e house to watch the market returns. %t is a forei"n an$ fearful worl$ to

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him of bri"ht li"hts machines an$ whirrin" tumblers. His fear of losin" his savin"s an$

from not un$erstan$in" the market sparks off two reflections. *irst his min$ escapes to a

peaceful moment on a farm he once owne$ upstate near ;o(bury. %t is the kin$ of

e(istence he lon"s for a"ain. Secon$ he recalls an e(perience he ha$ in an un$er"roun$

corri$or beneath Times S


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,nother ma9or theme of the novel is the meanin"less of life when it is rule$ by the love

of money. The worl$)s business by its very nature is centere$ upon the buyin" an$

sellin" of "oo$s an$ services with money supplyin" the purchasin" power. But the

worl$)s business is very $ifferent from the business of life which involves bein"

connecte$ to humanity. Throu"hout the novel Tommy !ilhelm stru""les to un$erstan$

the $ifference between the two kin$s of business an$ to know how he relates to both.

Mi!or

,mon" the minor Themes of the novel is the theme of $eceit. -aurice 'enice "ives

!ilhelm false hopes. He is $eceive$ in marria"e too. Dr. Tamkin who encoura"es him to

speculate in the stock market later $eceives him.

,nother minor theme in the novel is the conflict between father an$ son as e(emplifie$ in

the relationship between !ilhelm an$ Dr. ,$ler.

, thir$ minor theme in the novel is the conflict between husban$ an$ wife as illustrate$

in the estran"ement between !ilhelm an$ his wife -ar"aret.

MOO"

The prevailin" moo$ throu"hout the novel is that of somber tra"e$y. !ilhelm tries har$

to achieve somethin" in life but he tra"ically fails at every step. -aurice 'enice Dr.

Tamkin an$ -ar"aret his wife e(ploit him. He unsuccessfully tries to "ain money

throu"h some fair means. !hen he fails he unsuccessfully plea$s with his father for help.

He is miserable an$ feels throu"hout the novel that he is suffocatin" that life is bein"

choke$ out of him by his troubles. %t is only at the very en$ of the novel that one small

note of hope is "iven.

A&thor I!1ormatio!

Saul Bellow is one of the most $istin"uishe$ ,merican novelists of the latter half of the

twentieth century. Born of ;ussian immi"rant parents in >achive ?uebec on @uly +5

+A+: he "rew up in -ontreal. He was a bri"ht chil$ an$ learne$ Hebrew Yi$$ish

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*rench an$ n"lish. !hen he was nine his family move$ from -ontreal to &hica"o a

city that he love$. He first atten$e$ colle"e at the Cniversity of &hica"o.,fter two years

Bellow shifte$ to Northwestern Cniversity an$ obtaine$ a Bachelor of Science $e"ree in

+A34. *our months after enrollin" as a "ra$uate stu$ent at the Cniversity of !isconsin he

"ave up formal e$ucation forever.

Durin" the ne(t $eca$e he participate$ in a variety of 9obs workin" with the !,

writer)s pro9ect servin" in the e$itorial $epartment of ncyclope$ia Britannica teachin"

at estalozzi # *roebel Teacher)s &olle"e an$ participatin" in the -erchant -arines.

-ost importantly he publishe$ two novels both with autobio"raphical overtones.

Dangling Man 0+A881 in the form of a 9ournal concerns a youn" person from &hica"o

waitin" to be $rafte$ into military service. The Victim 0+A841 a more ambitious work$escribes the frustrations of a New Yorker seekin" to $iscover an$ preserve his own

i$entity a"ainst the back"roun$ of $omestic an$ reli"ious conflicts. Neither of these two

novels was 9u$"e$ to be e(ceptional by critics.

,fter the Secon$ !orl$ !ar Bellow 9oine$ the Cniversity of -innesotain the n"lish

Department. He spent a year in aris an$ ;ome as a Gu""enheim fellow. He tau"ht

briefly at New York Cniversity rinceton Cniversity an$ Bar$ &olle"e. ,bove all

however he concentrate$ on writin" fiction. !ith the publication of The Adventures of

Augie March 0+A:31 Bellow won his first National Book ,war$. %t is the story of a youn"

&hica"o @ew "rowin" up absur$. %n +A:= he wrote Seize The Day. %t is a ti"htly written

$escription of one $ay in the life of a mi$$le#a"e$ New Yorker facin" ma9or $omestic

crises. Some critics feel that Bellow has never surpasse$ this novella.

%n Henderson the Rain King 0+A:A1 Bellow returns to a more free#flowin" style as he

$escribes an ,merican millionaire)s search for un$erstan$in" of the human con$ition. His

ne(t novelHerzog 0+A=81 won him a secon$ national Book ,war$ an$ an international

reputation. Doubtlessly base$ on personal sources it portrays -oses Herzo" a mi$$le#

a"e$ Cniversity professor who battles with his faithless wife -a$eline his frien$

'alentine Gersbach an$ his own alienate$ self.
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%n +A=/ Bellow became a professor at the Cniversity of &hica"o but he continue$ to

write plays an$ fiction. The Last Analysis ha$ a brief run on Broa$way in +A=8. Si( new

short stories 0+A=1 an$ his si(th novel -r. Sammler)s lanet 0+A=A1 furthere$ Bellow)s

reputation.

LITERARY2HISTORICAL INFORMATION

!hen Bellow publishe$ Seize The Day in book form in +A:= he inclu$e$ with it three

short stories 2, *ather#to#Be2 2>ookin" for -r. Green2 an$ 2The Gonza"a

-anuscripts62 all three of the stories $eal with the terrible power of money. %n Seize The

Day !ilhelm suffers from a lack of money an$ his father)s unwillin"ness to help him

even thou"h he has save$ a fortune in his lifetime. But Dr. ,$ler has live$ throu"h the

Depression of the +A35)s an$ knows the fear of losin" everythin".

Seize The Day sharesaffinities withHerzog. Both Herzo" an$ !ilhelm are in the mi$st

of a serious $omestic crisis when they approach their fathers for money. Both also have

e(tra#marital affairs with catholic "irls. Seize The Day also shares some similarities with

Dangling Man an$ The Victim. Bellow e(ten$s in Seize The Day the e(periment with the

first an$ thir$ person points of view that he ha$ ma$e in the earlier two works. ,ll three

books also present several ima"es of crow$s with 2implorin" wrathful $espairin"2 faces

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