Six, Seven, and Fish in “The Magic Barrel”

Atsuhisa Shimazu

The purpose of this essay is to reveal the significance of “The Magic Barrel” by paying attention to the Judaistic connotations of the numbers six, seven, and the word fish.

In Judaism, the number seven refers to the Sabbath and the completion of God’s creation. It symbolizes completion, perfection, and the stability derived from these states. From such a viewpoint, the number six, which occurs often in relation to Leo Finkle, can be said to describe the state that falls short of seven, and so symbolize imperfections in his status and character. On the other hand, fish, which Pinye Salzman eats, has been regarded as good for the mind by the Jewish people and eaten on the Sabbath. In other words, fish describes Salzman’s association with seven and refers to his preeminent character. Furthermore, the picture of Salzman’s daughter, Stella, which causes Leo to acquire altruism and selflessness, is the seventh one in the envelope. Therefore, his moral growth, which is guided by Stella’s picture, is really derived from Salzman.

The Malamudian motif of moral growth for a young Jew through the guidance of a father figure is described concisely through the effective imageries in this story.