Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
1996
Thesis Director
John Guzlowski
Abstract
Over the span of Bernard Malamud's career, a more than subtle difference is evident between the seductress of his first novel and his subsequent novels. Since Malamud has been accused by some critics as depicting one-dimensional women, I analyzed the metamorphosis of the author's seductress characters to determine whether the change lends a better understanding to the relationship between Malamud and his female characters. I used Jung's theory of the mother archetype and his understanding of the Lilith legends to analyze the role of each seductress.
In The Natural, the seductress is one-dimensional and plays a destructive role in the protagonist's life. Her eros is depicted as detrimental, and she has attributes that make her Lilith-like. In A New Life, the seductress lacks eros and loses the evil characteristics of Lilith, but she also loses character altogether, becoming almost non-existent. However, the seductress from Malamud's seventh novel, Dubin's Lives, illustrates a more complex character. Her eros, like any characteristic of Jung's mother archetype, can also be good. In her complexity, the final seductress illustrates a more accurate understanding of the mother archetype, but also a more realistic character. I concluded that Malamud's treatment of the seductive woman's eros is not static from novel to novel, but instead evolves. The change suggests that understanding Malamud requires a more thorough exploration of his later work.
Recommended Citation
Vande Zande, Jeff, ""Maybe I Have Character Too": Reconsidering Bernard Malamud's Seductresses" (1996). Masters Theses. 1927.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1927
