Roy Hobbs As A Hero In The Natural

In The Natural by Bernard Malamud, the central character, Roy Hobbs is a gifted baseball player. After a misfortunate event in his teens he resumes his baseball career in his late thirties. Through Hobbs, Malamud makes a statement about the tragic hero figure. Malamud comments that to be a hero involves two factors: failure and redemption. Throughout the novel the readers are presented with a narrative that focuses on Hobbs’ inability to reflect on his past failures and redeem himself in the present. Therefore at the culmination of the novel he fails to reach hero status. Hobbs is the protagonist; however, his ego is the antagonist of the novel. Reviewing The Natural with this in mind, Malamud critiques and defines the true definition of the

The first chapter is titled “Pre-game”. This chapter highlights Hobbs’ natural talent and introduces the readers to his idiosyncrasies. The opening scene in the train-car establishes two pertinent aspects of the novel: his mystical, athletic talent and the source of his downfall—his ego. In the dream sequence Hobbs “shut[s] his eyes” and dream[s] of “him[self] standing at night in a strange field with a golden baseball in his palm” (Malamud 3). The imagery of the sentence illuminates that Hobbs’ talent is effortless because he demonstrates his ability while unconscious. Historically the color gold is associated with prestige and grandeur. In context of this quote the golden baseball is a mystical object because it is the basis of his power. Therefore his athleticism elevates him to a godly status and his ego is a manifestation of his skill. With this in mind his faceoff with The Whammer (another baseball star) is a battle of egos. Hobbs wins the contest and as a result attracts the attention of Harriet Bird. The debut of Bird is an introduction to one of his

Aforementioned Bird is a physical representation of lust. Malamud introduces Harriet in black attire. This is pertinent because it symbolizes her dangerous and mysterious nature. Harriet is a serial killer who hunts athletes. Hobbs is transfixed by Bird; his ego drives him to win over her affections. She in part becomes a conquest for him to conquer. His interest in Harriet reveals his shallow personality. In retrospect she is utilized as a tool to test Hobbs’ hero stature. In an intimate conversation with Harriet questions Hobbs if he “will be the best there ever was in the game” (Malamud 34). He responds with certainty; dissatisfied with his answer she shoots a bullet into his gut. The injury highlights Hobbs descent from a hero figure to a flawed character. In part, Hobbs without his extraordinary ability he would not be a heroic figure. Instead he would be a mere mortal. Bear in mind Malamud’s definition of a hero is rooted in redemption. Iris Lemon is another love interest of Hobbs. Iris functions as a foil to the other women in the novel. Iris is seasoned by Hobbs’ standards; she is older, has children and not conventionally beautiful. During an outing with Hobbs, Iris inquires Hobbs about the morality of humans. She comments that “experience makes good people better” because “through their suffering” they achieve fulfillment and happiness (Malamud 152). Her introduction is meant to be a catalyst for Hobbs to