The Magic Barrel

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1958

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Essay Topics

A motif of The Magic Barrel stories is nearsightedness or partial blindness, which may suggest a metaphorical myopia. Cite examples of characters who do not see others or themselves for what they truly are. How do they overcome these misconceptions?

Discuss the role of children in The Magic Barrel. Is their function in the stories generally an optimistic one (e.g., one of hope for the future), or more pessimistic—what Francis Bacon called “hostages to fortune”? Cite examples from the text to support your interpretation.

In the title story, Leo Finkle makes the fatalistic statement that “a Jew suffered” (205). Does fate play a major role in the good or bad decisions of the characters? Why or why not?