Tommy Wilhelm, an Unconventional Hero in the Post-War American Society: a Study of Saul Bellow’S Seize the Day
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(RJELAL) Research Journal of English Language and Literature Vol.4.Issue 1.2016 A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal (January-March) http://www.rjelal.com; Email:[email protected] RESEARCH ARTICLE TOMMY WILHELM, AN UNCONVENTIONAL HERO IN THE POST-WAR AMERICAN SOCIETY: A STUDY OF SAUL BELLOW’S SEIZE THE DAY MD. EHASANUL HOQUE Lecturer, Department of English, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali Bangladesh ABSTRACT A good number of critics have evaluated Tommy Wilhelm regarding his drawbacks only and have settled him as a complete failure. Many of them have given him the title of an anti-hero. But they have failed to see the luminous traits of Tommy’s character. Tommy, though a failure, possesses some rare human qualities alien to the denizens of waste-land like western civilization rendered arid and vapid by Mammon worship. The focal point, in this study, is to establish the fact that in spite of having various negative and un-heroic qualities, Tommy, by defying social structure and network, asserts his non-conformity which, along with his humanity, love and philanthropy, aversion for power and material success and most importantly, his power of overcoming humiliation, makes him a shadow of Jesus Christ and earns him the position of a hero though an unconventional one. Keywords: Materialism, Success, Humanity, Non-conformity, Unconventional hero ©KY PUBLICATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION to marry his mistress, frustrated of being cheated by One of the American Jewish authors of the a man whom he trusts a lot, and burdened with twentieth century, Saul Bellow authored an overdue rent, finds himself tormented and on the excellent novel, titled Seize the Day(1996), that verge of collapse. The novel gives vent to the recounts one day in the life of the protagonist feelings and inner anguish of a modern psyche Tommy Wilhelm. Unlike the mythical heroes like snared in a maze of all pervasive loneliness and Achilles or Hercules, who possesses enormous alienation. Tommy is a man who possesses at a physical and mental strength and serves the entire superficial discernment, little strength, physical, nation, there is no joyful homecoming for Tommy or mental or intellectual to be victorious, failure shapes a satisfied sense of completion of mammoth task. his fortune- he is a looser and an ignominious failure He does not have the Herculean strength, nor has he by the standards set by overwhelming materialism. Achillean prowess, nor he has the sky-kissing Despite all these and despite being concomitant magnanimity of a Shakespearean tragic hero who with castigating loneliness and isolation, Tommy is a the audience views with awe. Seize the Day is the Christ like figure, as he possesses many noble and story of Tommy Wilhelm, a middle aged person magnanimous traits, which give him a heroic who, being a complete failure, jobless, separated stature. He is a dangling man, but he has his from his wife and children, devoid of love and strength- the openness of a heart, his philanthropic affection, alienated from the social network, unable attitude to humanity, and his capacity of love- all of 249 MD. EHASANUL HOQUE (RJELAL) Research Journal of English Language and Literature Vol.4.Issue 1.2016 A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal (January-March) http://www.rjelal.com; Email:[email protected] which are rare human qualities unknown to the with his humanity, love, determination, benevolence denizens of a morally corrupt and materialistic and defiance, enables him to be a Christ like figure society; a society which controls, structures, and and secures him the position of a hero though determines its citizens’ way of life and philosophy of untraditional one. being. Tommy is placed in a baffling situation of 2. Tommy as an Anti-Hero making a choice between humanity and In his Radical Innocence: The Contemporary heartlessness where he decides to retain humanity. American Novel, Ihab Hasan provides us with a He gives preference to a life of suffering blessed comprehensive definition of anti-heroes in with humanity rather than enjoying a life of comfort literature. He writes, “In fiction the unnerving rubric and prosperity with non-human structure. He is ‘anti-hero’ refers to a ragged assembly of victims: crowded by a group of people whose God is Money, the fool, the clown, the hipster, the criminal, the who are cruel, unsympathetic, and evil, who go to poor soul, the freak, the outsider, the scapegoat, the the market with an intention of murder, who have a scrubby opportunist, the rebel without a cause, the long cherish for power and material success, and hero in the ashcan and hero on the lash”. Viewed who have their own network. Tommy feels from the perspective of this definition, we see that oppressed in front of this social network and system. Tommy Wilhelm, the protagonist of Saul Bellow’s He can, by no way, assimilate himself with this social masterpiece Seize the Day seems to be an anti-hero. network and therefore resolves to fight a solitary “Wilhelm like other Bellovian heroes has the fatal battle against it; by rejecting this network and flaws inherent in his personality; he is an alienated structure he asserts his non-conformity and individual living on the margin of the society” heroism. This philanthropic attitude, capacity of love (Obaidulla & Ahmed, 2001, p.76). Bellow’s writing and humanity renders Tommy a Christ like figure. puts a lot of emphasis on the themes of the Tommy, in spite of being a failure, soars up individual versus society and individual in self with heroic grandeur because he maintains conflict. “In his writing, society is always portrayed humanity in the modern wasteland of post-war as impersonal, mechanical and indifferent to American society. In Seize the Day, Tommy, being individuals”(Dutton, 1982, p.1). In that cruel society caught in an existential crisis, is in quest of identity the individual, with his dreams, desires, and or meaningful existence. “He is engaged seriously in ideologies, finds a place for himself, asserts, his a struggle for survival. He fails, he suffers, he is identity, and, most importantly, maintains self spurned, he is prostrated, he is turned into a puppet integrity. at the hands of scrubby opportunist, his hope is ever The physical appearance of Tommy crossed, and his mind suffers the stings of torments” Wilhelm does not also go with a hero. Tommy is (Obaidulla & Ahmed, 2001, p. 77). Despite all hardly attractive and Bellow intended him to be so. circumstances of oppression, despite violence and He is large- “fair-haired hippopotamus! That was threat of being over thrown, Tommy Wilhelm how he looked to himself” (Bellow, 1996, p.6). He is retains humanity. He finds himself on the very verge even filthy “What a dirty devil this son of mine is, of downfall, on the brink of ruin; he indulges in self- why can’t he try to sweeten his appearance a little?” pity, but is redeemed by being completely human. (p.42) thinks his aged father Dr. Adler. The way To retain humanity in a world which has a non- Tommy dresses himself up, the way he talks and his human, animal like framework and where Mammon very style of taking food reveals flaws in his worship only counts as the highest quality of a hero personality- he exhibits symptoms of neurosis and secures Tommy a position as a deserving hero. So his actions and attitudes are symptomatic of his lack the paper aims to prove that although Tommy of control or loss of order of his being. doesn’t possess the heroic traits in the traditional Tommy is overtly emotional and childish sense, he gradually gains and shows his power of and his excess of emotion leads him to nurture a overcoming ignominy, and turns into a profoundly fatal drawback in his personality- his dependence. successful human being from a looser which, along Being unable to solve his problems, Tommy rushes 250 MD. EHASANUL HOQUE (RJELAL) Research Journal of English Language and Literature Vol.4.Issue 1.2016 A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal (January-March) http://www.rjelal.com; Email:[email protected] to his father for substantial support and he gets It would be really unwise to judge Tommy nothing but rebuff. This trait in character is made in terms of only his mistakes and drawbacks, rather prominent through his act of investing his last some light should also be shed on his desire and means of survival with someone whom he little achievements. In his masterpiece Seize the Day, Saul knows. Despite his inability to give a clear shape to Bellow masterfully depicts the lurid picture of the the queer doctor’s personality, Tommy gives Dr. capitalistic, competitive America with its moral and Tamkin the power of attorney to deal with the social chaos where family unit is fast disintegrating money. This is a mark of dependence and this sense and marriages are falling apart at an alarming rate. of fatal dependence is evident in the penultimate In the over materialistic decadently sophisticated scene of the story when he thinks that he takes a society of America the aggressiveness of raw, brute, ride on Tamkin’s back- money forces shakes the very foundation of human Tamkin was a charlatan, and furthermore relations; commercialism has dried up the fountain he was desperate. And furthermore, of human affections, compassion and fellow feeling. Wilhelm had always known this about him. In the world of Seize the Day that has a non-human But he appeared to have worked it out at or animal like framework, where feelings and the back of his mind that Tamkin for thirty emotions have no significance, human relationships or forty years had gotten through many a are thoroughly commercialized.