The Magic Barrel

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Desiree Noel Communications Monday The Magic Barrel First Reading The story takes place in uptown New York . Leo needs to be married to get into a congregation. Why does he choose a matchmaker instead of trying to meet a girl on his own? Leo is very picky when presented with only written information about a few chosen girls from the matchmaker, Salzman. Why is fish mentioned every time Salzman makes an appearance? Salzman seems angelic or ghostly at times. His office was said to be in the sky. He appears out of nowhere at some points of the story. Leo found out a truth about himself; his lack of love for God. Lily’s small part in this story is the one who forces him to see it. Leo begins to rethink his life and his decisions. He must love a woman to love God. He did not want an arranged marriage. He wanted to fall in love first. Salzman was eager to show Leo pictures of girls. Leo tried to refuse, but later he looked at the photos and came across one that struck him. Did Leo fall in love just from a picture without knowing anything about this girl? Why her? The girl in the photo turns out to be Salzman daughter, Stella. Did Salzman put that photo in there on purpose? Why? Salzman states that his daughter is dead to him. Does he mean literally or figuratively? What happened to Stella and the relationship with her father, Salzman? She is described as wild. Was she a hooker? Leo and Stella both needed love in their lives and Salzman may have been the one who set it all up from the very beginning. Why did Salzman chant prayers for the dead? Who’s dead? Second Reading The setting of The Magic Barrel takes place sometime in the early twentieth century in uptown New York where the Jewish community was thriving. The author, Bernard Malamud, tells the story using a third person point of view as he introduces the
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