Make a comparative analysis between the characters of Stanley and Goldberg.

 

The comparative analysis between the characters of Stanley and Goldberg are described below:

 

Stanley Webber is ostensibly the protagonist of the play. He is the only boarder at the Boles's boardinghouse, and is initially defined by laziness, unkemptness, and smug cruelty towards Meg. The many details of his past are never confirmed - he might be a musician, might have been famous, etc. - although there is a sense that he has sins unatoned for. His aggressive depression transitions into a nervous breakdown when Goldberg and McCann arrive, until he is nothing but a bumbling idiot in Act III.

 

A man who has been living for the past year in Meg and Petey Boles’s boarding house. Stanley is reclusive and unkempt, wearing filthy old pants and a pajama top. If Meg didn’t go out of her way each morning to make sure he ate breakfast and drank his tea, it seems he would never leave the comfort of his bedroom. This is perhaps because he has come to this seaside town in order to hide from his past life, although Pinter never clarifies what Stanley is running from. All the same, he leads an isolated existence, refusing to venture beyond the boarding house and claiming that he’d have “nowhere” to go even if he did leave. Having become accustomed to this kind of solitude, Stanley is distraught when Goldberg and McCann come to the boarding house and start interrogating him, making him feel guilty despite the fact that they never actually reveal what he’s done. Unfortunately, Meg and Petey hardly notice the effect these newcomers have on Stanley, even when he finally has a mental breakdown as a result of their tormenting. At the same time, the darkness Goldberg and McCann bring out in Stanley is shocking, as he eventually tries to strangle Meg and rape Lulu (one of his acquaintances). As such, Pinter portrays him as someone who has either always been dangerous, or who has been pushed to the edge by Goldberg and McCann’s psychological games. Indeed, by the end the play, Stanley is completely unhinged, finding himself incapable of communicating or standing up for himself, which is why he allows Goldberg and McCann to escort him out of the boarding house and away from his sequestered life.

 

 

On the other hand Nat Goldberg, aslo called  “Simey” and “Benny,” is a Jewish gentleman who works for an unnamed “Organization” that has employed him to take Stanley away from the boardinghouse. He is defined by his outwardly polite and suave demeanor, which stands in stark contrast to that of his associate McCann. However, he ultimate reveals an angry, violent streak beneath this suave demeanor.

A charming, swift-talking man who arrives at Meg and Petey’s boarding house with his associate, McCann, with the intention of locating Stanley Webber. Goldberg introduces himself as Nat, but he frequently refers to himself as “Simey” while telling stories. Confusingly, he also calls himself “Benny” at one point, suggesting that his past is just as jumbled and inscrutable as Stanley’s. In fact, these two men seem to know one another, though when Stanley asks McCann if either he or Goldberg have spent time in Maidenhead, McCann upholds that they haven’t. Nonetheless, Goldberg later references the same Maidenhead tea shop that Stanley has already talked about, suggesting that he is indeed from the same town. Regardless of whether or not they hail from the same place, though, talking about the past is something Goldberg does quite often, speaking wistfully about old acquaintances and relatives and telling his listeners about the life advice he received from these people. This, it seems, is what Goldberg wants most: to be the kind of person who’s full of wisdom. Unfortunately, though, he himself has very little to offer in the way of life advice, and this is something that upsets him. Still, he’s smooth and socially confident, as made evident by the fact that he easily wins over Meg by complimenting her dress. He also gains the affection of Lulu, with whom he flirts during Stanley’s birthday party. The next morning, they have a frank conversation in which she lampoons him for having sex with her without intending to begin a relationship. However, Goldberg has other matters on his mind, focusing first and foremost on psychologically disturbing Stanley and taking him away from the boarding house.

 

“You’re dead, You can’t live, you can’t think, you can’t love. You’re dead. You’re a plague gone bad. There’s no juice in you. You’re nothing but an odor.”

 

During the bizarre interrogation scene in Act II, Goldberg gives this assessment, one of the play’s most poignant. It is poignant because it is true not only of Stanley, but ostensibly of everyone in the play, as well as of the apathetic post-war Britain that Pinter was commenting on. Too many of the characters choose comfort because it is safer, but the flipside is a depressing apathy. And, as the play suggests, the truth of life never goes away and will sooner or later rear its dangerous  ugly head.

Examine the major themes of the play The Birthday Party.

 The Birthday Party is the first full-length play by Harold Pinter, first published in London by Encore Publishing in 1959. It is one of his best-known and most frequently performed plays. Various themes are found in Harold Pinter “The Birthday Party” some majors themes are going to be discussed below. 

 

Confusion and Chaos:

A key element of "the absurdist theater" is its focus on confusion and chaos. In The Birthday Party, these elements manifest constantly, especially through its characters.

 

The primary way in which the themes manifest are through the ambiguities of lives and pasts. Stanley has some sort of mysterious past that deserves a violent reckoning, but nobody really provides its details When Stanley describes his past to Meg in Act I, there is even the sense that he himself is confused about its particulars. Goldberg’s name and past seem shrouded in mystery and delusion, and Meg convinces herself to believe things about her life that are clearly not true, Further, because of these type of confusions, the situation devolves into total chaos. From the moment Goldberg and McCann arrive, the audience can sense that the simplicity of the boardinghouse is about to be compromised, and indeed, the chaos at the end of Act II confirms it.

 

The only truth of The Birthday Party is that there is no truth, only chaos and confusion from which we make order if we choose.

 

Complacency:

 

Perhaps the most pessimistic aspect of The Birthday Party is that the only alternative Pinter gives to chaos and confusion is a life of apathy and complacency. The play's opening sets this up Petey and Meg reveal a comfortable but bland life in which they talk in pleasantries and ignore anything of substance. Stanley might be more aggressive than they are, but he too has clearly chosen the safety of complacency, as he makes no effort to change his life. His lethargic lifestyle reflects the attraction comfort has for him. When Goldberg and McCann arrive, they challenge this complacent lifestyle until the whole place falls into chaos. Ultimately, Petey chooses to refortify the complacency of the boardinghouse over bravely fighting for Stanley; neither choice is truly attractive.

 

Language:

The precision Pinter employs in crafting his rhythmic silences is enough to Justify language as a major theme, but he moreover reveals how language can be used as a tool. Each of the characters uses language to his or her advantage. In effect, characters manipulate words to suggest deeper subtexts, so that the audience understands that true communication happens beneath language, and not through words themselves. When Stanley insults Meg, he is actually expressing his self-

hatred and guilt.
Goldberg is a master of language manipulation - he uses speeches to deflect
others questions, to redirect the flow of conversation, or to reminisce about
past events. His words are rarely wasted. Meg, on the other hand, repeats
herself, asking the same questions over and over again in a bid for attention.
Even though she often speaks without affectation, her words mask a deep
neurosis and insecurity. These are just a few examples of instances in which
language is used not to tell the story, but to suggest that the story is
hidden. In essence, language in The Birthday Party is a dangerous lie.

 

Atonement: 

One of the great ironies
in this play is that it uses what appears to be a fairly undramatic, realistic
setting which nevertheless hides a surplus of guilt. The theme of atonement
runs throughout the play. Stanley's past is never detailed, but he is clearly a
guilty man. He is vague about his past, and does anything to distract Goldberg
and McCann. He does not wish to atone for whatever he did, but is forced to do
so through torture. Goldberg, too, wishes to avoid whatever sins torture him
but cannot fully escape them; his mood in Act III shows that he is plagued by feelings
he does not wish to have. In the end, all of the characters are like Lulu, who
flees when McCann offers her a chance to confess - everyone has sins to atone
for, but nobody wants to face them.

 

Nostalgia

Perhaps most fitting for
a contemporary audience who would see this play as something of a period piece,
the theme of nostalgia is implicit but significant in The Birthday Party.
Goldberg, particularly, is taken by nostalgia, frequently waxing poetic both on
his own past and on the 'good old days' when men respected women. Certainly,
Goldberg tells some of these stories to contrast with the way Stanley treats
women, but they also suggest a delusion he has, a delusion that breaks down
when he himself assaults Lulu between the second and third acts. He idealizes
some past that he cannot live up to.

 

Other characters reveal an
affection for nostalgia as well. During the birthday party, Meg and Lulu both
speak of their childhoods. However, their nostalgic feelings have darker sides.
Meg remembers being abandoned, whereas Lulu's memories of being young lead
Goldberg to bounce her perversely on his knee. Similarly, the characters play
blind man's bluff specifically because it makes them nostalgic, but the
sinister side of such nostalgia is inescapable in the stage image of Stanley
preparing to rape Lulu. Nostalgia is lovely to feel, the play seems to suggest,
but more insidious in its complexities.

Violence: 

The Birthday Party is 
full of violence, both physical and emotional, overall suggesting that violence
is a fact of life. The violence is doubly affecting because the setting seems
so pleasant and ordinary. Most of the men show their potential for violence,
especially when provoke. Stanley is cruel and vicious towards Meg, But much
more cowardly against other men. Both McCann and Goldberg have violent
outbursts no matter how hard they try to contain themselves. Their entire
operation, which boasts an outward civility, has an insidious purpose, most
violent for the way it tortures Stanley slowly to force him to nervous breakdown.
In both Acts II and III, they reveal how language itself can be violent in the
interrogation scenes  

 

Much of the violence in
the play concerns women. Stanley not only intimidates Meg verbally, but he also
prepares to assault Lulu. Goldberg in fact does assault Lulu. Finally, the
threat of violence is ever-present in the play. Even before we realize that
disaster might come, we can feel the potential through the many silences and
tense atmosphere. 

 

Sex

Sexual tension is
present throughout the entire play, and it results in tragic consequences. Meg
and Stanley have a strange, possible sexual relationship that frees him to
treat her very cruelly. The ugliness of his behavior is echoed when Goldberg
calls him a "mother defiler" and "a lecher." In fact, Goldberg
suggests that Stanley's unnaned sin involves his poor treatment of a woman.
Lulu seems interested in Stanley as well, but is quickly attracted to Goldberg
in Act II. Her innocence makes her prey to men's sexuality. Her openness leads
to two consecutive sexual assaults, and yet she is nevertheless upset to learn
that Goldberg is leaving. All in all, it is a strange, perverse undercurrent
throughout the play -sex is acknowledged as a fact of life, and yet does not
ever reveal positive aspects of the characters.

 So the major themes in the Birthday Party
include confusion and chaos, complacency, Language, atonement, nostalgia, violence,
Sex etc.

Analyze Kolatkar's Jejuri poems as a critique of religious hypocrisy with reference to the poem you have read.

 

Arun Kolatkar, a social, simple, truthful and skeptic poet of Indian English poetry contributes a lot for the development of Indian English Poetry. He helps to bring renaissance in this genre of poetry.  

 

Jejuri is a village situated about 30 miles (48 km) from the city of Pune in the state of  Maharashtra. It is a famous temple situated near Pune in Maharastra. Here he visits the temples and witnesses the blind faith of the people, the attitudes of worshipper and different gods. He shows all these and wants to access the truth of all these.

 

In Jejuri, one can find different value systems and quest and investigation behind all these. Primitive religious tradition, modern civilization in urban society and the life principle are found in his poetry. He is in a kind of dilemma between modernity and tradition, artificial and real, truth and legend, skepticism and belief and his own perception regarding religion and he do all these to find the actual truth. The poet tells that-

 

“You look down the roaring road.

You search for the signs of daybreak in

What little light spills out of the bus.”

The head lights of the Bus which again dispel the darkness of a little area are symbolic of the solace the human mind experience through these religious rituals. The only sign of daybreak that Manohar sees is the sight of his own divided face. The speaker’s own face appears to be on either side of the bus when he gets off.

 

This poem clearly stands out for its direct attack on the religious heads of the temple community. It takes a satirical tone displaying the ugly image of how religion has become a business. Kolatkar throws light on the dishonorable practices of the priest. The offerings get more importance, than the faith. And while the devotees are making offerings, the priest awaits as to see how much he can get out of it.

 

The priest is dependent on this faith of the people for his living. Hence, he is waiting eagerly for the bus. He is standing outside the temple under the hot sun looking for the bus. He is thinking about how much he can earn this day and whether or not he’ll get a puran poli in his plate. Puran poli is a sweet dish cooked during auspicious times in Maharashtrian homes. It is an expensive dish and hence is seldom cooked.

The priest also indulges in unhealthy bad habits like chewing a betel leaf. He is turning it over and over as though he is chanting a mantra. Priests are supposed to be holy people who have to chant mantras, but here the scene is otherwise. He is perhaps praying for the bus to arrive soon.

His foul materialism is mirrored time and gain in the poem. The source of his greed is dishonesty. But now he has been doing it for so long that he doesn’t seem to feel guilty at all. A priest vows that he will be away from all the worldly pleasures. But this priest is engrossed in counting the offerings. There is no simplicity in his thinking and living, the catgrin on his face symbolizes that.

“At the end of the bumpy ride

With your own face on either side

When you get off the bus”

 

 The last line of the poem “you don’t step inside the old man’s head” makes it clear that the pilgrims enters Jejuri, with the same urban skeptic mind, without succeeding in his efforts of getting adjusted to the religious temperament of the common people, Indians. This poem establishes the theme of perception and alienation.

From the above discussion it is clear that the poet’s motif to visit Jejuri is actually to know what is Jejuri about and what the truth is behind these rituals. Here he takes every stone, culture, tradition under his investigation to seek the actual story behind these.   It can be noted that materialism, commercialism, artificiality, hypocrisy and blind faith are the causes for this deterioration of tradition and rise of skepticism and quest.

Evaluate Derek Walcott's poems as an expression of his love for his own identity with reference to at least one of his poems.

 Derek Walcott is a painter, poet, and playwright born in Castries, Saint Lucia in 1930. Though his father, an artist, died when Walcott and his twin brother were very young, the brothers and their older sister were able to stay with their mother in Saint Lucia (Sture). Walcott’s experience of life in the formerly-colonized islands, his racially mixed heritage, and the history of abuse the island and it’s people had taken over the years greatly impacted his identity and work.

Walcott’s poems focuses heavily on just the theme of identity, which is why it is worth addressing here but not in an analysis of home. His poem “Love After Love”, where he tells -

And say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

It is clear that the message of “Love After Love” is to take the time to love yourself, by yourself, instead of forever chasing after the love of others.

Many individuals have struggled to see themselves, and have instead loved the experiences of the West and the things that westerners love as a result of assimilation and post-colonialism. In his poem, Walcott illustrates the prodigal return to the self, encouraging readers that one day they will eventually ” love again the stranger who was yourself.”

In “As John to Patmos” he glorifies the allures and blessings of his dearest island hyperbolically.

“The island is heaven

For beauty has surrounded

It’s black children, and freed them of homeless ditties.”

 

He says this out of his inexpressible love for Santa Lucia which likely to have blessed all her homeless people with accommodation. “As John to Patmos” is a bright example of his exuberant love for the sea, the hooks, flora and fauna, the sky of his dearest island and black islanders that are, as it were Celestial blessing to him.

He says in his 'As John to Patmos' poems-

“This island is heaven-away from the dustblown blood of cities;

 See the curve of bay, watch the straggling flower, pretty is

 The wing'd sound of trees, the sparse-powdered sky, when lit is

 The Night”

 

This is one of the earliest examples of Walcott's engagement with the natural world and proof of his love of it. Describing his island as 'heaven' has clear Biblical connotations, and he juxtaposes this paradise of a place with the 'dustblown blood of cities', referring to the violence that often takes place in urban areas ('blood') and the pollution of the natural world through human activity ('dustblown').  

The poet again mention his own identity in his poem 'A Far Cry from Africa' from 'In a Green Night' -

“I who am poisoned with the blood of both,

Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?”

 

This quote is one of the most famous in all of Derek Walcott's literary oeuvre.  He is describing how he has both African and European blood as he mixed-race and is not sure where he goes from here.  He is not only divided in terms of skin colour or outward appearance but internally as well. The use of the verb 'divided' conjures in the mind of the reader the phrase 'Divide and Rule' which was used by imperialists to show them how they could expand their empires.

 

So for Walcott, the heart that has always loved and known him is the Caribbean, and he has love for the stranger who was himself. For others, the path to finding that heart continues, but “Love After Love” promises that true identity will eventually be revealed and embraced

Therefore, in the light of above analysis it can be said that Derek Walcott explores in his writing the processes of identity-making in the colonial and postcolonial Caribbean and the complex connections between Caribbean identities and the Caribbean Sea and landscape.   His poetic posture shows that he is not restricted in the boundary of criticizing imperialism rather he shows his strong desire to celebrate both in their own way.  He tries to express of his love for his own identity his every poem.

Justify the title of the poem "The Logopathic Reviewer's Song".

 

The  title of the poem "The Logopathic Reviewer's Song" is very significant which he mocks the so called conservative critics who do not appreciate new writers or thier writing using irony and sarcasm. As a modern writer kaiser Haq write poetry in a new manner.  He thinks that critics should appreciate the new kinds of writing.  But in the world of poetry there are some vindictive reviewer who shows theirs hatred to the new poet, who writes poetry without following the classical poetic style. 

In this poem,  logopathic reviewer is the speaker who consider himself as a superior in poetic world. He act here like he is only the critic who knows everything under the sun. He proudly compares himself with a sun an says that likewise sun his duty is to cherished the lonely poet like a Demolition Derby. According to Kaiser Haq , critics should not be vindictive while giving criticism to others' writing.  They should not be destructive rather they should be constructive while judging  new poets' writing. But in this poem kaiser Haq portrays a logopathic reviewer who only appreciate his writing he does not show any kinds of respect or appreciation to new poet. Haq ridicules on this kinds of critic Who does not wants to see change or new kinds of writing  in poetic world, and Who only show cruelty toward new writers because they don't allow them to make a room in the field of poetry.

 

As the reviewer proudly mention it,

" I  am the greatest,  the one and only logopathic hit and runs critics".

In this line  which is used to mock through the logo logopathic reviewer so called poet who only values the writing which are written by following the traditional style of poetry.

The Logopathic Reviewer's Song, Kaiser Haq demonstrates  his ability to mould the English language into strange and beautiful forms that reflect his - distinctive vision of life —at once ironic, quirky, zany, and rich in emotional undertones and intellectual implications. With increasing exuberance, he explores varieties of free verse, experiments with prose poetry and aphorisms, and for good measure dips into the Rich Fund folk tales. Varied spanning three continents are distilled with innovative verve into this memorable volume.

So the title of the poem "The Logopathic Reviewer's Song is justifiable.

Justify the poem "Civil Service Romance" as a satire to bureaucracy and red tapism of postcolonial Bangladesh

 

A bureaucracy typically refers to an organization that is complex with multilayered systems and processes. These systems and procedures are designed to maintain uniformity and control within an organization. A bureaucracy describes the established methods in large organizations or governments.

  Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments, corporations, and other large organizations.

 

Kaiser Haq is a post-colonial modern writer and poet who widely used the literary technique of satire in a witty manner in his poetry to criticise the contemporary  society.  He attacks the convention of contemporary society and reveal the superficiality of them and shows that they have some faults and moral lacking as well though the usages of satire in his poems.

 

His poem " civil service Romance" is a direct satire on the civil service of our country. In our country people who are doing government jobs they are not loyal towards their job. They does not show any seriousness and responsibility toward their work. Through the poem " civil service romance " Kaiser Haq satirises the system of our government officials where people are keen on dealing with unnecessary things  and how ridiculously they ignore the urgent files. In this poem we find that an officer is quite busy for making love with a new beautiful lady employee.  He does not care the emergency file, what he care is only making romance with a new joined lady employee. Thus, portraying this love making incidents in a sarcastic manner, Haiser Haq mock the political system of our government’s jobs where employees show no morality or duty towards their job. Throughout this poem he mocks the traditional concept of our civil service where people are corrupted both morally and ethically. 

 

The poet is said to a real ‘ambassador of Bangladeshi culture’ who proudly reveals his origin and rationally tries to brand his country. Through a note of irony in 'Civil Service Romance, Haq portrays bureaucratic irregularities of the civil service in Bangladesh. He mocks the Babu English by deliberately mimicking the style used in letters of application to the English Sahibs or Masters.

 The poem starts with:

Subject: Improvement of Bilateral Ties

Dear Miss:

With due respect and humble submission

I beg to welcome you to neighboring section.

The title of the poem mentions a 'romance' that occasionally flowers in a work place. When in a government office, a male employee and a female employee are engaged in discussing family particulars, sharing likes and dislikes, making jokes (or love!) and improving all-round bilateral ties, the most URGENT file is kept pending as per rule of the red-tape culture. Haq then speaks about another embarrassing aspect of the civil service-the buttering or oiling of the bosses (the neo-imperialists). Which guarantees promotions and other benefits. These are some phenomena in a postcolonial civil service world coming down from the colonial political culture. The limitless power of the government officials is still seen in the civil service; the officers are more or less like Sahibs or Babus.

So we could say that the poem "Civil Service Romance" as a satire to bureaucracy and red tapism of postcolonial Bangladesh.

Justify the title of the novel” Seize the Day”.

 It is heavily ironical in the novel's context that the title, me of the novella should be pronounced by someone who, at the first superficial assessment, appears to be out and out a rogue and mischievous manipulator. The ‘carpe diem’ theme, taken from Horatian ode, lurks at the core of this small but profound book.

 

“ The past is no good to us. The future is of anxiety. Only the present is

Real- the here-and-now. Seize the Day.”

 

 The telling story of Seize the Day narrates how a man from the brink of utter despondency attains a position of ‘the consummation of his heart's ultimate need.’ Seize the Day is the story of one crisis day in Tommy Wilhelm's life, the story of his failures to adjust himself to the hard world of money,  selfishness, and exploitation around him. Being a failure in the world's standards, Tommy staggers at every juncture of life, suffers ignominious humiliation at the hands of his sardonically egocentric biological father, Dr. Adler, showy and pompous surrogate father, Dr. Tamkin and ever exploiting unsympathetic wife, Margaret. He passes through heavily shattering situations, arrives at a dreadfully disastrous edge of life-'as he had dreaded, he was wiped out. but eventually overcomes ignominy by being completely human and seizes the day.

 

Tommy Wilhelm, the anti-heroic hero of Seize the Day, is an ignominious failure. There is hardly anything heroic in him in the true sense of the term. 'Victory' or 'success are words, which are not found in his private dictionary He had never won. Not once.'  Throughout the novel he fights a solitary battle and on the very verge of collapse he wins it. He parts the mundane aspirations, cuts off all his ties with the dehumanized materialistic world and, in the long run, advances toward the establishment of a personal world based on the universal passion called 'love to live a life befitting humankind and to enjoy it to the heart's content.

Being motivated by the juvenile enthusiasm, Tommy aspired to become a film star: "He was to be freed from the anxious and narrow life of the average."   Against the counsel of an agent, and against his parent's will, he rushed out to Hollywood, changed his name; but, as ill luck would have it, his screen test went powerfully against him and ultimately his adolescent

aspirations turned into gnawing disappointments. He barely survived as an extra. His obstinate attachment to the Hollywood mission to be a film star consumed much of his youthful vigor and vivacity making him incompetent for any quality jobs. Now a grown man with an estranged wife, he sets himself in pursuit of filial affection and help. He remains unable to accept his fate as an ordinary man.

The story of Seize the Day ends with the magnified image of a man. Throughout the novel Tommy has fought a solitary battle against forces of darkness, against what is annihilating for mankind. He transcends the margin of alienation that threatens to overthrow him. The last paragraph tells about Tommy's regeneration:

“ The flowers and lights fused ecstatically in Wilhelm's blind, wet eyes; the heavy sea-like music came un to his ears. It poured into him where he had hidden himself in the center of a crowd by the great and happy oblivion of tears. He heard it and sank deeper than sorrow, through torn sobs and cries toward the  consummation of his heart's ultimate need."

Here we see a meaningful suffering affirmed rather than denied There is a kind of rebirth, as the image of drowning - (sank deeper than sorrow)- makes clear. Wilhelm has been metamorphosed; he has undergone a sort of baptism by being washed by his happy tears. Tommy not only attains his emancipation but also achieves purification. His tears have led him toward 'the consummation of his heart's ultimate need.’ This powerful ending of the novel shows Tommy as triumphant in the long run.

 

Seize the Day is much about love as it is about money. Like a child, the protagonist of the book literally craves for sympathy and attention from both his biological father and surrogates one; but his hope is unremittingly thwarted as he meets with unnatural and dubious treatment from both of them. Though his hunt for filial love and compassion ends in dismal frustration, there is a suggestion, however faint it may be, in the last chapter of the novel that Tommy's ever-ravenous heart is going to be satiated with the long cherished touch of love. In the novel, Tommy is the only character who cares much about such things called love. In the end, Tommy makes up his mind to establish a care free world with his beloved Olive founded on this universal passion of love with a view to enjoying life to the fullest extent:

“ I’ll get a divorce if it's the last thing I do” he swore" As for Dad- As for Dad- I’ll have to sell the car for Junk and pay the Hotel. I’ll have to go on my knees to Olive and say, ’stand by me a while. Don't let her (Margaret) win, Olive" And he though,  I’ll start again with Olive, In fact, I must. Olive loves me, Olive'

In Seize the Day, the oppressive forces cannot completely crush Tommy. Bellow endows his protagonist with Compelling human qualities by dint of which he overcomes ignominy. Throughout the novel Tommy Wilhelm, an epitome of suffering humanity, undertakes a highly metaphorical journey, the closing stage of which is the assertion a meaningful life. From a very faltering position to a sturdy ground, from all pervasive loneliness to heart refreshing accommodation, from ignominy to admiration.

Seize the Day tells us a tale of a man's success not through physical prowess but by humble human qualities, The book is about the vicissitudes and fluctuations in a man's 1ife and also how he passes the hurdles to seize the day, that is, the present Bellow, presenting a magnified vision of life, presents his hero, Tommy Wilhelm as exemplary and shows how to seize the day, the big, colossal present and also what is life meant for. The title of the story not only covers the quest story of the protagonist, but also throws powerful light on the purport of the book. Seize the Day tells us how a man seizes the day, and the title, being the best summation of it, is an apt one. By giving this title to the book, Saul Bellow has lent almost an allegorical dimension to it.

Explain the predicaments of a modern man from Seize the Day.

 

Seize the day is a reflection of the times in which it was written. The novel was written in a post-war world. WWII created several factors that serve as a backdrop to Wilhelm's isolation in the novel, an isolation that represents the feeling of many during the time period.

First and foremost, war creates dissolution and in many cases dislocation because of forced immigration. During the war many people, Jews especially, were escaping the Germans and, thus, fleeing, when they could. Also, American troop and other members of the alliance were disillusioned to see that such horrors could exist. Finally, and in opposition to the above, the war had a positive effect of creating an economic boom. There was also a surge in technological interest in America. The reasons for this serge are two-fold: America was rich and America was involved in a post-WWII cold war with the Soviet Union, since the countries competed technologically. It is in this world that a man like Tommy Wilhelm is lost.

Tommy is an idealist surrounded by the pressures of the outside world. He is isolated and, thus, is forced to turn inward. The urban landscape is the symbol that furthers his isolation, for he is always "alone in a crowd." Bellow wants the reader to understand this isolation and thus has almost the entire novel take place within Wilhelm's head. We experience the back and forth of uncertainty, the wavering of watery thoughts, the sadness and frustration of being that person that is "alone in the crowd."

This isolation and inner struggle is the predicament of modernity. Bellow would not be the only modern master to touch up the subject. For instance, T.S. Eliot had written The Wasteland in which he discusses many of the same subjects as Bellow, albeit in a very different fashion and style. Eliot discusses the "unreal city" which can be compared to the city that Wilhelm feels so uncomfortable within. Eliot also claims that there are many "dead" within the crowds. This symbolic death points to the fact that the modern man seems only to be going through the motions of things. Wilhelm, for instance, at the beginning of the novel, is like a character seemingly dead, both in appearance and in the way he claims he will simply go about the actions of his day. Other similarities between The Wasteland and Seize the Day include the images of "drowning" and "water." Both writers used these images to illustrate a person drowning in life.

Seize the Day is not a regular day in the life of the modern man because it is a "day of reckoning," a day in which someone that is truly dead will give the protagonist a jolt of life. Unlike many modern masterpieces, Bellow has chosen a positive ending for his novel. He has also allowed his protagonist connections with the modern world. In Times Square, for example, Wilhelm had felt connected to the "larger body" of humanity. Furthermore, Bellow complicates the predicament of modernity by adding a very human and positive element. Bellow seems to be saying that the predicament of modern man goes far beyond the typical pessimism, cynicism, and isolation because it has the potential of reaching understanding and love.

Compare and contrast between the characters of Tommy and Tamkin.

 

The  compare between the characters of tommy and Tamkin is that : Tommy Wilhelm, the protagonist of Seize the Day, is a character in turmoil. He is burdened by the loss of his job, financial instability, the separation of his wife, and his relationship with his father, among other things. He is a man in search of self who the reader is allowed to watch and follow through the course of a single, significant day in his life, a day that is called his "day of reckoning."

  Tommy is a complicated and layered character who wears masks and has to peel away his social armor and mask in order to understand himself, at the end of the book. The book begins, "when it came to concealing his troubles, Tommy Wilhelm was not less capable than the next fellow. So at least he thought…" Concealment is an issue at hand. Significantly, Tommy had been an actor, albeit a failed one, as well as a salesman. He had learned to wear masks, play roles, and "sell" himself. However, on the day that the narrative takes place, Tommy must rid himself of all of this and find out who he really is.

Tommy, it is evident, plays many roles. He plays the role of Adler's son, a role that is difficult for him to escape. He cares too much how his father sees him. And, he often becomes the "failure" that he believes his father sees in him. He has been an actor, a hospital orderly, a ditch-digger, a seller of toys, a seller of self, and a public relations man for a hotel in Cuba. He has, therefore, been many characters and never his true self. Beneath his masks, as the reader is privileged to discover through interior monologues, he is truly an introvert trapped in the body of a man who has been forced to be extroverted, he is also sensitive and almost, at times feminine. This femininity is poked at and criticized, however, by his father when he accuses him of having had a relationship with a man from his office.

The novel portrays Tommy as a man who is drowning. The imagery that surrounds him is the imagery of water and he is constantly "descending" and "sinking" into hellish depths. However, the author must bring into question the character of Tommy because although he constantly blames others, such as his father, his wife, or Dr. Tamkin, for his strife and place in life. He must learn to take credit for his own mistakes. He is character in flux, a character that wavers between victimization and a temptation to martyrdom and a self-acceptance, and he wavers too between childishness and maturity. Nevertheless, it is this very fluctuation that will help him on his way to seeking truth because, as Dr. Tamkin says, the path to victory is not a straight line.

On the other hand Dr.Tamkin the Antagonist of seize the day. Dr. Tamkin, like many of the characters of the novel. He claims to be many things, but what is true is difficult to surmise. He claims that he is a psychiatrist, a healer, a poet, a stock market specialist, that he has tended to the Egyptian royal family and that he is, among other things, a master inventor. He is also an advocator of Reichian philosophy: he believes in juxtaposition. However, there are many truths within his lies. Perhaps also, one might come to understand his "lies" as simply stories or parables. For a man who believes in the power of juxtaposition and the force of opposites working together, a man who believes in flux and in alternative ways of looking at the world, it makes perfect sense for the reader to find truth within his lies. The paradox, itself, is a work of juxtaposition.

In many ways then, one might say that Dr. Tamkin is much like Bellow himself. That is to say that he is an "inventor," a teller of tales and truths, and, therefore, an authorial figure. Significantly, he also takes on the role of a surrogate father for Wilhelm, giving him advice and leading him to an eventual recognition of self.

Dr. Tamkin, whether a liar or not, is an attractive figure. This is not to say that he, along with the psychology and Romanticism he preaches, is not often the subject of Bellow's parodying force. However, it is important to disregard Tamkin, for he always practices what he preaches even if his methods are seemingly "unsound."

The contrast between the characters of Tommy and Tamkin, they both start the same business and they believe each other.  Both of them are playing an important role in Seize the day.    

Evaluate the ending of Seize the Day.

 

 The ending of Seize the Day, one of the representative works of American contemporary famous writer Saul Bellow, has multiple meanings. Firstly, in the first part of his life, Wilhelm is constrained by his "pretender soul". At the end of the novel, in the Jewish chapel, Wilhelm begins to realize the "ultimate need of his heart" is to seek the "real soul". Secondly, in the Jewish chapel, Wilhelm realizes his Jewish identity once again. The awareness of suffering comes to the surface of his mind again. Wilhelm's spirit is redeemed. Thirdly, in spite of the pitiful relationship between people, Wilhelm identifies with and adheres to the commandment of loving one's neighbors in Jewish ethics.

Living  a life  full of  mistakes, Tommy  never seemed  to correct  himself or  even be  bothered  about  repeating the same mistakes over and over again. But, losing everything he had and reaching the state where he had nothing else left to lose, he started to have a different kind of self-actualization. Psychologically, he started to dig deeper  and deeper  within himself.  He regretted,  “I  should  have  done hard  labor  all  my life” . He realized that he should have listened to his father when he warned him about Tamkin. He also realized that he should have listened to his mother Florence Adler, who tried to stop him many times when he was making all those mistakes. He now thought he must get a divorce from Margaret in his last-ditch effort to get united with Olive. He decided to sell off his car to pay the hotel. He thought he would have to go on his knees asking Olive to be  with him. He now came out of  his confused  life and  clearly had  a plan  how to  start things  over. He thought,  “I’ll  try  to  start  again  with  Olive.  In  fact,  I must” . His self-realization led him to his spiritual rebirth.  “This  spiritual  rebirth  is  apparent  in  the  tears  pouring  down  at  the  end  of  the  novel,  when  Wilhelm accidentally gets  swept  into  a funeral ceremony”. The pretender soul of Tommy died thus and the real soul of Tommy was born through his self-actualization. 

 The story ends not in fragments but with the magnified image of a man. Tommy has fought a solitary 

battle against what is annihilating for mankind. He transcends the margin of alienation that threatens to

 overthrow man. The last paragraph tells about Tommy's regeneration:

“The flowers and lights fused ecstatically in Wilhelm's blind, wet eyes; the heavy sea-like music came up to his ears. It poured into him where he had hidden himself in the center of a crowd by the great and happy oblivion of tears. He heard it and sank deeper than sorrow, through torn sobs and cries toward the consummation of his heart's ultimate need". 

Here we see a meaningful suffering affirmed rather than denied.  There is a kind of rebirth as the imagery of drowning sank deeper than Sorrow makes clear.  Wilhelm has been metamorphosed; he has undergone a sort of baptisms by being washed by his happy  tears. Tommy not only attains his emancipation but achieves purification. His tears has led him  toward the consummation of his heart's ultimate need.  This is a powerful ending.

Seize the Day is much about love as it is about money. Like a child he literally craves for sympathy and attention from both his biological father and surrogate father. In the world of the novel he is the only character who cares much about such things as love. He is a loving father and expects love from his father, from his wife, from his kids, and from his beloved. In the last chapter of the novel there is a suggestion that Tommy is going to establish a 'little society', as E.M. Forster terms it, based on this universal passion called love:

"I’ll get a divorce if it's the last thing I do" he swore. "--As for Dad-- As for Dad- I'll have to sell the car for junk and pay the hotel. I’ll have to go on my knees to Olive and say, stand by me a while. Don't let her (Margaret) win. Olive!" And he thought, I’ll try to start again with Olive. In fact, I must. Olive loves me. Olive' The oppressive forces cannot completely crush Tommy. Bellow ends the novel in an optimistic note, however faint it may be. The ending shows the triumph of human over inhuman. The novelist has lent almost an allegorical dimension to the book. The ending testifies it.