The Last Mohican by Bernard Malamud
"The Last Mohican" by Bernard Malamud follows the journey of Arthur Fidelman, an artist in search of inspiration while conducting research on the painter Giotto in Rome. The narrative begins with Fidelman's encounter with Shimon Susskind, a beggar and refugee, who persistently seeks assistance from Fidelman, highlighting themes of human connection and the struggles of displacement. As Fidelman navigates his own sense of purpose, he finds himself increasingly pursued by his relationship with Susskind, leading to a dreamlike exploration through the Jewish catacombs of Rome. His search for Susskind becomes a reflection of his inner turmoil and frustration, particularly as he grapples with the weight of history and loss, poignantly connected to the Holocaust.
As Fidelman delves deeper into Rome's streets and its cultural memory, he experiences moments of revelation and confrontation, culminating in a symbolic exchange that underscores the complexities of forgiveness and understanding. The story weaves together motifs of art, identity, and the lingering scars of history, offering a thoughtful examination of the human experience amidst cultural and personal upheaval. Ultimately, "The Last Mohican" serves as a rich narrative that invites readers to consider the intersections of art, history, and the resilience of the human spirit.
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The Last Mohican by Bernard Malamud
First published: 1958
Type of plot: Adventure
Time of work: The 1950's
Locale: Rome
Principal Characters:
Arthur Fidelman , an art scholarShimon Susskind , the beggar who pursues him
The Story
As the story opens, Arthur Fidelman, artist manque, arrives at the Rome train depot for a stay of some weeks as part of his yearlong project to pursue research for a critical study of Giotto, only one chapter of which rests in his briefcase. Instead, he meets a refugee named Shimon Susskind, a beggar-peddler, who pursues Fidelman through a series of scenes. In the first scene, Fidelman, responding "Shalom" for the first time in his life, refuses to give Susskind a suit but grudgingly gives him a dollar. The next encounter takes place about a week later, after Fidelman has "organized" his life—working in libraries in the morning and studying in churches and museums in the afternoon. Returning to his hotel, he is surprised by a visit from Susskind, who again importunes him for the suit but settles for five dollars. The next day at lunch, Fidelman again glances up to see Susskind, who once more pleads for some investment money so that he can sell ladies' stockings, chestnuts, anything. Rebuffing Susskind, Fidelman continues his research, returning to his hotel late that night to discover that his briefcase is missing. The pursued now becomes the pursuer.
However, before that event takes place, Fidelman dreams that he is pursuing Susskind through the Jewish catacombs under Rome, by the light of a seven-flamed candelabra. Elusive Susskind, who knows the ins and outs, escapes; the candles flicker; and in his dream Fidelman is left "sightless and alone."
Next Fidelman postpones his trip to Florence, reports the theft to the police, and moves to a small pension, where he broods and attempts to write but feels lost without something solid—his first chapter—on which to build. Then begins his search through the markets, through lanes and alleys of transient peddlers, throughout October and November, for Susskind. Although he truly knows Rome now, his "heart is burdened with rage for the refugee." One Friday night, Fidelman strays into a synagogue and hears about the tragic loss of life during the Holocaust, then wanders through the ghetto, tracking Susskind, who, he now knows, also makes money by saying prayers for the dead at the cemetery. Fidelman visits the cemetery the next day and sees grave markers lamenting those killed by the Nazis, but he does not find Susskind.
In mid-December, visiting St. Peter's to see the Giotto mosaic again, he sees Susskind selling black and white rosaries on the steps and confronts him but is told nothing. Furtively, he follows Susskind to his "overgrown closet" in the ghetto but does not talk with him. In his dream that night, however, he does confront him, seeing him in the context of the Giotto painting that shows Saint Francis giving an old knight his gold cloak. The next day he hurries, bleary-eyed, to Susskind's room, taking a suit to him. Susskind admits that he burned the chapter because, although the "words were there . . . the spirit was missing." Fidelman experiences a triumphant insight and runs after the fleeing Susskind shouting, "All is forgiven," but the refugee is last seen still running.
Bibliography
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Astro, Richard, and Jackson J. Benson, eds. The Fiction of Bernard Malamud. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 1977.
Avery, Evelyn, ed. The Magic Worlds of Bernard Malamud. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001.
Bloom, Harold, ed. Bernard Malamud. New York: Chelsea House, 2000.
Davis, Philip. Experimental Essays on the Novels of Bernard Malamud: Malamud's People. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1995.
Field, Leslie A., and Joyce W. Field, eds. Bernard Malamud: A Collection of Critical Essays. Rev. ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1975.
Field, Leslie A., and Joyce W. Field, eds. Bernard Malamud and the Critics. New York: New York University Press, 1970.
Nisly, L. Lamar. Impossible to Say: Representing Religious Mystery in Fiction by Malamud, Percy, Ozick, and O'Connor. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Ochshorn, Kathleen. The Heart's Essential Landscape: Bernard Malamud's Hero. New York: Peter Lang, 1990.
Richman, Sidney. Bernard Malamud. Boston: Twayne, 1966.
Salzberg, Joel, ed. Critical Essays on Bernard Malamud. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.
Sío-Castiñeira, Begoña. The Short Stories of Bernard Malamud: In Search of Jewish Post-immigrant Identity. New York: Peter Lang, 1998.