Silver Dish by Saul Bellow - Essay Example

Task: A Silver Dish Silver Dish by Saul Bellow is a renowned short story that recounts the struggles of Woody Selbst in finding the father who betrayed his dream. Similarly, it addresses the themes of misery, resilience and patience among others amongst the major and minor characters. Additionally, the short fiction depicts numerous character traits of the protagonist, Woody who is the son of Morris. Therefore, there are fundamental issues that this essay shall discuss such as the characteristics that emerge from the main character. Alternatively, the paper embarks on the significance of the characteristics in relation to the other characters and in advancing the themes of the story. For example, the discussion delves into the traveling and industry of the Woody especially in establishing a business empire to compensate for his lost dream. Furthermore, there is the aspect of the expected repercussions incase the characteristics of Woody were altered and its reality in transforming the course of the story (Updike & Katrina 34). In this case, we examine, for example, if he was not a wealthy businessperson with a distribution company and money for his sisters what would happen. Additionally, there is the issue of implications of the change of character of the protagonist in the context of new developments such as change of events of the in short story. There is also the issue of the importance of character traits of Woody and how it helps in the growth of the story in terms of building the themes and other character development. Various characteristics of Woody Selbst arise in the short story told during the middle period of the Great Depression and the essay hopes to discuss them. For example, Woody is a successful businessperson in the story. This is exemplified when we learn that he owns a distribution company at the age of sixty while worrying about his father Morris. Additionally, his success as a businessperson comes from the fact the he resides in company warehouse on the top floor of fancy apartment. Alternatively, he is smart. This is because we learn that he was a brilliant student who had dreams of joining the seminary until his father (Bach & Gloria 23). The author notes that he spent two years studying the course of his dreams to become a church minister. In addition, Woody was eloquent in many phrases and subjects that he derived from the Science magazine and others. From these magazines he relished in subjects such ecology, criminology and existentialism. Furthermore, it is imperative to observe he was traveled. We discover that he gone to countries such as Japan, Africa and Mexico in the hope of expanding his intelligence horizon (Updike & Katrina 37). Another characteristic of this shrewd businessperson was resilience. Again, from the story, Saul Bellow notifies the reader the feeling of betrayal and abandonment the protagonist felt at a tender when his father left him. However, despite that feeling and a sense of broken dreams, he went to become a successful businessperson through hard work. Woody Selbst also has to entertain the bad feeling of his two sisters who are not married and still living with their mother. However, when the above characteristics of Woody Selbst in Saul’s story are altered, other issues may arise. For example, if the protagonist was uneducated, he would not have emerged as a traveled man as told in the story. Similarly, if the main character had not attended the seminary and subscribed to a magazine such as Science then he would not have blamed his old father for killing his dreams (Bach & Gloria 25). In other words, the desire to understand the actions of his father when he left the family could not have bothered him to the extent of rendering him lonely. For example, Saul tells us Woody lived alone in his apartment at the age of sixty with hazy thoughts of his talents as a singer in the church. In addition, if this character had not attained education, he could not have amassed his wealth in the distribution industry that led him to be rich and wealthy. In other words, the sense of enlightenment that has Woody sharing moments with his old father would not have arose because they would have had nothing to bring them together. On the other hand, if the protagonist was not employed, there are numerous bad things he could have done. For instance, he could have revenged against his father for betraying his dream of becoming a church minister. In addition, Saul Bellow notifies the reader that Woody had no issues with his two grown sisters in their fifties, unmarried and still living with their Mama and this is because of his wealth (Updike & Katrina 40). For example, had he not toiled hard and invested heavily in distribution business, could have been involved in a tussle for assets with his sisters. On the same note, if had not secured a job, he could not assisted his sisters of whom one had a mental illness and had to be admitted to a mental institution. Alternatively, if he was unemployed, he could not have managed other pressing family responsibilities such as the financial expenses of both his wife and mistress. The author notes this when explains the irresponsibility of a wife they had separated for a decade and half and still could not cater for herself. Therefore, it always impelled Wood to stock her freezer with food items and conduct shopping every Friday. In other words, Helen the ex-wife of Woody took advantage of the job of his ex-husband to live an extravagant lifestyle of big shopping and shoes every Saturday. Still, if the protagonist had not been employed or emerged as a wealthy businessperson, there would be no forgiveness for his father that led to extreme care for him (Bach & Gloria 26). This means the issue of his business brought him closer to family members who had been actively supportive during his younger days. More so, Woody manipulated his business influence of ensuring that he lived right during his moments of psychological disturbances such as the separation of his wife Helen and the discovery of the mistress of his father called Halina. On the same scope, despite acknowledging that his father had been a dangerous man in the society as told to him by Reverend Dr. Kovner, he still spent money on his father. Therefore, if he had no job, he could not heeded advice of understanding and overcoming past mistakes made by his father to the family. Furthermore, this suggests that even the fate of his father would have been different in the story. We learn in the narrative, that Wood’s father escaped with his mistress Halina when the main character was only fourteen years. This implies that his Woody would have influenced his mother from converting to Catholicism, which resulted to the disappearance of his for four decades. On the same perspective, the protagonist would have stuck with his family because of the lack of bitter resolve to become something in the society to compensate for his lost dream. This also suggests that the fifteen years of separation with his elder sisters could not have occurred for that long to cause him much psychological trauma. Alternatively, there could have possibilities of his sisters getting married and not leaving in their mother’s house until their fifties much to the shame of Woody Selbst. However, there is also the matter of if the son of Morris had not been a well-traveled man and repercussions it would have had on the story. For example, his perspective of understanding issues would not have broadened in the sense of doing large-scale business. This is because the travel experience helped in spotting unexploited chances in different settings of the society (Updike & Katrina 44). Similarly, it enabled him to deal with people with diverse backgrounds in terms of culture, ethnicity and values as exemplified in his visit to Uganda at Murchison Falls. In other words, when Woody Selbst was interacting with runway dad who had come back to extravagant Helen, his ex-wife, he comprehended the diversity of those people’s values and ethics. For example, he later understood well that his father had abandoned his mother because of religious differences. His mother had converted to Catholicism while his father had remained in the Jewish faith thus prompting him to run way for forty years with cheap mistress called Halina. In the same line, if the protagonist had not been a man who has been to different places, his business empire would have attained the status of client friendliness that transformed it to an empire. This offers the impression that overall success of Wood’s business depended on his travels across the globe that endowed him with a sense of understanding especially when acting in a trying situation such dealing with difficult clients. Therefore, there are significant attributes that the writer appends to business people especially when one yearns for a larger success. For example, there is the element of hard work in ensuring that one meets his set objectives and goals. This is observable in Woody when he constantly attends to his business duties in order to ensure that the empire is sustained through making of profits. Therefore, on that aspect, the writer made the protagonist a businessperson in order to demonstrate the factor of abiding by set goals and objectives and meeting targets. Similarly, another character trait pegged to businesspersons is the matter of patience. This is noted in Woody who went away for about fifteen years while toiling hard without the assurance of success in field of his choice (Bach & Gloria 27). This also suggests that it grows the character in the aspect of explaining to the reader the long absence of Morris and his mistress for about forty years. Additionally, it has helps in identifying with struggles of the main character for the fifteen years he gone way from his family in order to figure out the best thing to do with his life. Another trait accorded to business people is that of maintaining time. On that note, we see the protagonist conducting his activities while respecting his schedules and meeting set goals and objectives. This trait helps the character in associating with other minor characters display the themes of misery and betrayal. On the other hand, in terms of character switching traits to the opposite character in the story, Saul Bellow has managed to highlight certain issues. For example, if Woody was not a businessperson, there would be no point in developing the narrative in the context of his father’s betrayal. Similarly, if the protagonist had not become successful, there would have been a caring father who does not depart his family for four decades with a worthless mistress on religious grounds (Updike & Katrina 39). Alternatively, character switching traits enables the storyline to align itself in the scope addressing thematic issues such as correct parenting and achieving of dreams by children. Therefore, through the change of Woody’s character, the reader assesses the critical issues of character development and growth through what they could they have done. Furthermore, the switching of character traits depicts the essence of using other literary techniques such as situational irony and others to send the message of the story. In summary, it is paramount to understand that Saul Bellow achieves his mission of depicting the resilience and hard work of the main character in many ways. For example, in discussing the character traits of the protagonist who is Woody Selbst, the author is able to illustrate clearly the essence of betrayal in the society by parents through rash decisions. Similarly, the opposite characterization of the main character enables the reader in making rational thoughts concerning the course of the story (Bach & Gloria 28). Additionally, the characterization develop the character of Woody through enabling us understand the lives of other notable characters such as Morris, Halina and Dr. Kovner among others. This also helps in understanding the themes of situational irony in examining the opposite of the character traits of the protagonist through his travails and perseverance. Furthermore, there is the element of switching character traits in the context of transforming the story line such as if Woody had lived his dream of becoming a church minister after the seminary education. Works Cited Updike, John and Kenison, Katrina. The Best American Short Stories of the Century. Houghton: Mifflin Harcourt, 2000. Print. Bach, Gerhard and Cronin Gloria. Small planets: Saul Bellow and the art of short fiction. Michigan: State University Press, 2000. Print. Read More