"The Assistant"

Paper Summary:

Endurance and suffering are main themes as projected through the two lead characters in Bernard Malamud's "The Assistant," a heartwarming mentor-student story set in early 20th century Brooklyn. The writer shows how Malamud threads a theme of suffering in order to attain a higher moral stature throughout the novel. It is set against the backdrop of the Depression era and it tells of a Jewish grocery-store owner and his Italian assistant. The relationship between these two characters is the focus of the paper.

From the Paper:

"As is the case with many of his stories, "The Assistant," By Bernard Malamud, tells the story of a simple man trying to make his life better through a struggle against bad luck. Through his characterizations in The Assistant, Malamud makes his themes of endurance and suffering.
Malamud, perhaps best known for "The Natural," which turned into a 1980s film starring Robert Redford, takes a turn at writing about those not in the limelight this time."

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