The Natural Essay Research Paper The role

The Natural Essay, Research Paper

The role of symbolism in Bernard Malamud s The Natural is important in helping the reader understand the theme and meaning of the novel as well as the time period in which it took place. Malamud s use of symbolism defines the character of Roy Hobbs and shows how the events occurring around him affected his decisions and, eventually, his career.

Symbolism in The Natural takes the form of characters, such as women who strongly influenced Roy; historical events, such as the infamous 1919 World Series scandal; and even Greek and Roman mythology. All forms of symbolism used by Malamud are woven into the life and career of Roy Hobbs.

As a first example, women have a tremendous influence on Roy s actions and feelings. One of the more influential symbols in the book, women tend to control what Roy does. The first woman Roy falls for is Harriet Bird whom he meets on a train on his way to Chicago to try out for the Chicago Cubs. Roy is extremely attracted to her, but a major league ballplayer on the train named Whammer Wambold has already caught her eye. Roy becomes jealous and begins to do things to try to get her attention. At a stop in the route, the passengers get off for a break and go to a local carnival where Roy and the big leaguer clash in a contest of talent, a David-and-Goliath-type confrontation (Solotaroff 9). Roy strikes out the batter with three blistering pitches, each of which make Harriet pay more and more attention to him. As they arrive in Chicago, Harriet stays at the hotel at which Roy has booked a room. She gives him a call and provocatively invites him to her room. Succumbing to her invitation, and making his way to her room, he enters and sees her wearing nothing but a silk nightgown. After a short conversation, she pulls out a pistol and shoots him in the stomach. His desperate attitude leads him to be seduced by her, ending his bid to make the Chicago Cubs.

The character of Harriet Bird serves as an ancestor-figure to Iris Lemon and Memo Paris (Helterman 25). In a way, Iris and Memo are symbolic descendants of Harriet because they, too, have so much influence on Roy. Memo, however, closely resembles Harriet in personality. Both of the women are very attracted to two separate major league ball players, Memo having a relationship with Roy s teammmate Bump Bailey, and Harriet being attracted to Whammer Wabold on the train. Both also seem to want to cause Roy harm, doing what they can to stand in the way of his eventual stardom.

The two truly opposite personalities created by Malamud are Memo and Iris (27). Physically, Memo is first shown wearing a black dress and has red hair; Iris is shown wearing a red dress with a white rose attached and has black hair. Mentally, Memo tends to use her memory to live in the past, relating everything to her deceased lover, Bump. On the other hand, Iris uses substance to live, describing her life with actions and words rather than by memories. Malamud creates these two characters to force Roy to choose his fate. For his own benefit and well being, Roy should choose Iris and stay away from Memo. Memo s attractiveness and seductiveness, however, keeps Roy from making the right decision.

Another form of symbolism that influences Roy s decision not to stay with Iris is that he sees himself becoming a father figure of sorts to Iris unborn baby, just as Pop Fisher is a father figure to him (31). Iris, who is 33 years of age at the time of her liaisons with Roy, is pregnant out of wedlock. While Roy and Iris make love on the beach, she mutters to him, I forgot to tell you I am a grandmother (Malamud 148). Although he tends not to show that the comment bothered him at the time, it sticks in the back of his head and is one of the reasons he does not end up with Iris. Roy does not want to be a father figure to Iris baby like his manager, Pop Fisher, was to him. Pop s misfortunes during his long life made Roy think about what might happen to him if he would be together with Iris when her bay was born. Fearing that his life would be ruined if he had to take care of a child, Roy makes his choice and decides not to continue having relations with Iris.

A second example of symbolism is Major League Baseball history and how it plays a big part in the development of both the characters and the story line. Baseball is America s pastime and Malamud created this book to be a part of the true American grain (Abramson 22). The path which Roy s career follows portrays both Eddie Waitkus and Babe Ruth s careers. Eddie Waitkus, over his eleven-year career played for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies twice, and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1949, while playing for the Phillies, he was lured into a hotel room by a crazed female sports fan (Wasserman 48). Subsequently, he was shot in the stomach, ending his season. In The Natural, the same happens to Roy. Harriet seduces him and shoots him in the stomach, inflicting an injury so serious as to cause Roy to miss fifteen years of his career. After those 15 years on a personal disabled list, Roy returns to baseball to become a contemporary hero, transforming himself into a slugger rather than being a pitcher. Babe Ruth himself made this great transformation over his career (48). Ruth pitched for 10 of his 22 years in baseball compiling a 94-46 record. However, over the beginning years of his career, he realized his real stren