1. Eli The Fanatic
1. year is 1948
2. -impasse and encounter--at the Mansion 249-253
1. sagging mansion
2. yellow light--modern community--Woodenton
3. Leo welcomes, Eli jumps back
4. three hour commute
5. everything empty
6. sounds of children; lighting a candle
7. grimy sheet vs. lawyer’s letter
8. place is dim
9. speaking for the Jews
10. the law is the law--vs. when is the law not the law 251
1. the laws protect us
2. zoning: a residence (home) cant be a school
3. he has 18 children; teaching the Talmud--interpretations of the law
11. impasse
12. children’s game; tribal dance
13. figure emerges from blackness--the one with the hat that community is outraged by
14. asleep; sidelocks; no older than Eli
3. -in the kitchen 253-259
1. relationship with Miriam
1. ok in the normal only
2. she’s weakly analytical--doesnt explain
3. the law also doesnt explain--he’s unhappy as lawyer
4. his vulnerabilities--escape into breakdown
2. flashback: the notes--communication by intermediary
1. shoe order
2. grocer order
3. voices of assimilated jews--vs. uninhibited voice of Tsuref
4. pressure on Eli--caught in between--like Nathan Marx
3. Miriam’s voice blends in with his friends (256)
1. prominence of her pregnancy--its discomfort; heavy baby
2. He’s upset at her; she says she "understands"; he hates that Therapeutic approach
3. Seguay to Ted’s call--DP; a German; then back to Miriam. who wants him to go for therapy--giving us sense of Eli’s irritation; Artie’s call
4. -bedroom and living room 259-263
1. Head on baby inside Miriam; talking to child abusively about its mother
1. her concern about what’s inside
2. multiple hostility--about her not cooking, relationship with his doctor, interest in Freud and New Yorker, no dowry
3. her analytical searches for deep motive
4. his very sarcastic sense of humor--naming baby Eckman
2. letter to Tsuref
1. seeking compomise
2. argument for conformity and assimilation--dont wear the wrong clothes
3. reference to tensions between Xtians and Jews and conditions in Europe
4. Tsuref’s laconic reply--he’s got no other coat
5. Eli and Tsurek 263-269
1. Eli feeling accused
2. He got nothing--emptiness; poverty--medical experiment; the horror of the legacy of the Greenie--the suit is all he’s got (!) 265--misunderstanding talk at cross purpose
3. I am them; you are us--try suffering 265
4. Who made the law--the heart; God
5. vs. 20th century--two concepts of law 266
6. Talmudic wisdom--double talk--the guru--questions with questions
7. The greenie conveys information about Woodenton; Eli’s wife--great conversation
8. Eli’s fear of Tsurek--candles and eyes--but Tsurek is kind--also about Miriam
9. He runs away scared to the Yellow glow of town
6. giving away the green suit 269-273
1. gets green suit for the greenie; is cruel to wife
2. gets crazy about giving his clothes to greenie
3. her compassion and love; kissing feet
4. she thinks he thinks "we dont deserve to be happy." 271
5. doesnt want him to give good suit away
7. Elil’s conflict and choice 273-274
1. too much packed, leaking out; baby starting to come out; hat and head; "delivering the suit."
2. his inner conflict about yielding to her and to love and his obsession about the school
8. The pains of labor 274-281
1. she’s giving birth; he’s writing letter--get him to change clothes; assimilate
2. theme of life of sacrifice--274; his amazing guilt
3. misunderstanding about baby at home--paradox of wanting more primitive life
4. Eli lies like a diplomat to Ted; Ted says "We isnt me."
5. No compromise possible--abuse of orthodox; wanting to get rid of them; deny them [Roth’s several targets]
6. Ted hates religion--Abraham story in Bible
1. story of child sacriifice--sacrifice to show devotion--cf. sacrifice p. 274
7. Healthy relation between modern Jews and Protestants--not Catholics
8. No fanatics, no crazy people, no pogroms--myth that Holocaust due to lack of assimilation..moderation
1. characterization of Yeshiva--oy, oy, oy (278)
2. he’s in labor; tomorrow’s judgement day
9. the suburbs: peace and safety (279)--NB--what all the Jews want
10. Eli taking Ted’s view now--the in-betweener
11. [light bulbs]
12. seeing the greenie; hearing moan; reaching way down; flees embrace--after having left sacrificial offering 281
9. The replacement of loss--son born; Eli’s conversion 281-286
1. son born
2. Greenie’s walking around in suit; Ted’s happy
3. Eli sees him and senses Greenie’s loss of identity.
4. Sees Greenie as himself; spaces out
5. Wants greenie not to make trade
6. box returned--revelation in blackness--NB [wow!] 285
7. hat gives him bags under his eyes; the relics
8. white under everything--tzizit--he puts them on and is transformed
10. Eli’s self revelation 286-288
1. reveals new Eli to town; they dont respond--Hi Pop
11. Eli and the Greenie 288-291
1. greeeny and he look at each other--they are intertwined; greenie is painting; coviering things over
2. greenie is frightened;
3. paint tear dropspoints toward woodenton
4. eli has revelation.
5. What is it? 291 [CLIMACTIC moment]
12. Stopping traffic; claiming himself; taking the son 291-298
1. Eli displays himself through town
2. they think he’s having a breakdown; he thinks he finds himself
3. stops traffic; the prophet
4. free choice to go to the hospital and not change--he’d chosen to be crazy
5. I dont know that I love him now thathe’s out--296 [?]
6. Ted thinks of child sacrifice
7. Make the kid wear it
8. Claiming fatherhood--birth
9. They take him away