The Natural

7 Pages 1781 Words

Bernard Malamud (1914- 1986) was a Jewish-American author who translated Eastern European Shtetl literature. His stories and novels are constructed very carefully. They are often viewed as narratives that could be considered period pieces. His works are considered to be most profound and to transcend time.
Malamud’s popularity enjoyed a revival in 1952 when his book “The Natural” was reconstructed in a movie. In the movie the ending was changed from a sad reality to a happy ending. It elevated the game of baseball and was depicted as a true story, rather then on what it was, a combination of myth, legend and magic. Malamud had a distinct ability to bring realism to his story by intertwining interpretations of historically accurate events, while having any underlying theme of morality issues.
The Natural contains all the main themes that can be found in his subsequent Fiction.” In an exploration of the moral questions the novel raises historical connections between Roy Hobbs and Sir Parzival and Joe Jackson” (Wasserman 216).

“The Natural one of the most baffling novels of the 1950s” ( Richmond 198).

In Malamud’s The Natural, the main character struggles with the concept of "the hero" versus “the tragic hero”. His journey involves overcoming numerous shortcomings including selfishness, arrogance, his various distractions and obsessions, inability to listen, learn, and his own comprehension about the ultimate responsibilities required of a hero. His vision of redemption is hampered by all of these obstacles, arguably resulting in the “tragic Hero” who learns to accept the common elements of being “ordinary”.




In The Natural, Roy, the main character, is first presented as a teenage boy who is talented and knows it. While he plays on a team he is not a team player. He expects the compliments and is jealous if other players play well and are recognized instead of him. ...