Seize The Day
The novel, Seize the Day, by Saul Bellow is an emotionally stirring read about a financially struggling man in his mid-forties. The novel focuses on a disastrous day in the life of Tommy Wilhelm, the protagonist, and the poignant effects the day has on him. Much of the story is set in the 1950's in an architecturally marvelled city named New York. This piece of work from Saul Bellow revolves around the burdens of a modern man, named Tommy Wilhelm, who is jobless, separated from his wife, a disappointment in the eyes of his father, in love with a women he cannot marry because his wife will not grant him a divorce, under financial duress, and amidst a failed investment venture in the perilous stock market. Tommy's father, Dr. Adler, is a stern, strict, rational man who does not completely understand his son. He is a Jewish-American who has worked hard during his young life to become a well established and admired doctor, who refuses to help his children financially because he believes they should do their own hard work.
The questionable character in this story is a "friend" of Tommy named Dr. Tamkin. He professes to be a psychologist and a poet and that is why most people seem to distrust him, whereas Tommy is charmed by him.
Tommy Wilhelm's world is completely out of place, and he seeks emotional and financially assistance from his father because has just given over the last of his savings to the fraudulent Dr. Tamkin, who has promised to knowingly invest it in the stock market. At the beginning of novel, Tommy is having a dinner with his father who refuses to provide financial assistance or any kind of emotional support or guidance to his son. As the chapters...