The Natural Summary
Bernard Malamud

Everything you need to understand or teach The Natural by Bernard Malamud.

The Natural Summary & Study Guide
3 Student Essays
2 Encyclopedia Articles
2 Literature Criticisms
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30 The Natural Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
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The Natural Summary

In his Dictionary of Literary Biography article on Bernard Malamud, Joel Salzberg notes that the author "holds a preeminence among Jewish-American writers that has consistently been reaffirmed by recent critical assessments." Malamud, however, began his career with his popular first novel, The Natural, influenced by his love of baseball and his fascination with stories of the mythological quest for the Holy Grail. The novel's allegorical framework blends realism and fantasy in its exploration...

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Encyclopedia Articles (2)

The Natural

240 words, approx. 1 pages

The Natural Bernard Malamud's acclaimed first novel, The Natural (1952), retells the Grail story of Arthurian legend as a modern baseball tale and metaphor for contemporary life. Malamud&#x0027... Read more

The Natural

4,018 words, approx. 14 pages

The Natural by Bernard Malamud Bemard Malamud was born in April 26, 1914, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the setting for much of his fiction. After earning a master's degree in English from Colu... Read more

Bernard Malamud Biographies (6)

Bernard Malamud

6,615 words, approx. 23 pages

Bernard Malamud (1914-1986) is considered one of the most prominent figures in Jewish-American literature, a movement that originated in the 1930s and is known for its tragicomic elements.Malamud's st... Read more

Bernard Malamud

2,798 words, approx. 10 pages

"The purpose of the writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself," Bernard Malamud remarked in 1958, quoting existential writer Albert Camus. He managed to uphold this purpose during his half... Read more

Bernard Malamud

9,307 words, approx. 32 pages

In recent years, it has been impossible to discuss the career of Bernard Malamud without mentioning his place as the second partner, along with Bellow and Roth, in the ruling triumvirate of Jewish-Ame... Read more

Bernard Malamud

5,866 words, approx. 20 pages

Bernard Malamud writes Jewish-American fiction. He has been a leader in this field for years and has received international acclaim for his novels and short stories. His first short story, "Benefit Pe... Read more

Bernard Malamud

12,943 words, approx. 44 pages

Bernard Malamud , along with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, holds a preeminence among Jewish American writers that has consistently been reaffirmed by recent critical assessments. Early in Malamud cri... Read more

Bernard Malamud

13,694 words, approx. 46 pages

Biography EssayIn recent years, it has been impossible to discuss the career of Bernard Malamud without mentioning his place as the second partner, along with Bellow and Roth, in the ruling triumvirat... Read more

Essays & Analysis (5)

Critical Essay by James M. Mellard

744 words, approx. 3 pages

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Critical Essay by Joseph Epstein

1,874 words, approx. 7 pages

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The Natural

456 words, approx. 2 pages

Roy is a young man going to try out for the cubs a baseball team, but then he was shot and has no shot at the pros. Years later he came back as a rookie but he is now 37 and is old but still has the l... Read more

The Natural

607 words, approx. 3 pages

Characters Roy Hobbs (The Natural) - Roy Hobbs, in the beginning of the book is very young. I'm guessing he was around 25 years old. Later on in the book he turns 35 and that's ri... Read more

The Natural

810 words, approx. 3 pages

Roy Hobbs joins the New York Knights with nothing standing in his way except for his uncontrollable desire to win, in more aspects of his life than just baseball. Roy has an addiction to self-indulgi... Read more

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