Symbolism in “The Natural”

The novel The vivid by Bernard Malamud is an excellent peace of sports literature. It follows the falsehood of Roy Hobbs as he is orbit old age in the game of base eyeb every. The plot follows his initial giving in a scene set years before the principal(prenominal) plot. Sixteen years afterwards the man is playing for a losing team but can still wow the audience with his raw talents. As the story progresses Roy is characterized through his actions and through the way the supporting characters view him. integrity symbol that made this work more resounding is the cracking of Roys back in the climatic game.This event has a lot of undercover meaning, and helps convey Malamuds theme to the audience. The first scene in the story is where Malamud expresses the level of talent wonderboy, as he is affectionately called, possesses. He is squaring move show up against a big league allstar known as the Whammer At 33 the Whammer still enjoyed exceptional eyesight. He saw the ball spin cancelled Roys fingertips and it reminded him of a white pigeon he had kept as a boy, that he would send into flight by flipping it into the air.The ball flew at him and he was apprised of its bird-form and white flapping wings he heard a preventative like the bang of a firecracker at his feet and Sam had the ball in his mitt. Unable to believe his ears he heard Mercy cantillate a reluctant strike. (Malamud). This quote is significant because it expresses the potential of the protagonist. It is through these swell feats of ath allowic prowess that we the reader gets to respect him. It have gots the plot more Copernican to the reader, as well. This all leads up to the finale with Hobbs putting it all on the line.The aspect of love is a component to this novel. While Roy is everything to be admired in the athletic sphere, he makes a deeply gentle aspect to his temperament in his dealings with his love interest Noticing Toomey ceremony her, Roy stole a quick look. He caught the red dress and a white rose he was drawn by the feeling that her smile was for him she seemed to be wanting to say something, and then it flashed on him the reason she was standing was to show her confidence in him he became certified that the night had spread out in all directions and was filled with an unbelievable fragrance. (Malamud) Malamud gives his character a sincerely yours human characteristic which makes him all the more enduring. As the novels rising action takes place, the naturals intentions are called into question. During the climatic scene, Roy fouls a ball into the stands that injures Iris. During this at bat, Roy also splits his bat, named wonder boy, into both small-arms. This is a multilayered piece of symbolism which helps express the authors true intentions upon writing this novel. The incident that he injures Iris expresses how he is hurting the ones he loves through his sports persona.He must rectify the relationship between his athletic personality and his human one. It is also significant how it happened on a foul ball, which suggests a seedy side to the tone of this event. Finally, the fact that his bat is split into two pieces shows that he is finally ready to move on from the game he spent his sustenance pursuing. In a conversation late in the novel Roy says this brilliant quote Experience makes good people better. She was agaze at the lake. How does it do that? Through their suffering. I had enough of that, he express in disgust. We have two die hards, Roy, the life we learn with and the life we live with after that. Suffering is what brings us toward happiness All it taught me was to stay aware from it. I am sick of all I have suffered. She shrank past a little. (Malamud) This is a fitting way to leave the reader of the noel, and let them know what Malamud was getting at. The characterization and symbolism of this book really make it a significant contribution to sports literature. He is a larger than life figu re with wholly human emotions. He is an epic hero for a contemporary period, and Malamud communicates this beautifully.