Biography of Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow was born and raised until the age of nine in Lachine, Canada in 1915. He was born the Russian parents who had immigrated to Canada in 1913. However, the family moved to Chicago in 1924 and that is where Bellow received his education. Even though Bellow had an abusive father who always viewed him as a failure, he was determined to make his life better through his education. Consequently, Bellow performed well in his studies. He joined the University of Chicago in 1933 but transferred to Northwestern University where he graduated with a degree in sociology and anthropology in 1937 (Harper Para. 2).
Bellow dropped from Wisconsin university where he was undertaking postgraduate studies to become a writer. He also became a teacher at Pestalozzi-Froebel Teacher’s College in Chicago for a period of four years between 1938 and 1942. In the following two years, 1943 and 1944, Bellow also worked as an editor for and editorial department of the Encyclopedia Britannica. He also served in the United States Merchant Navy in 1944 and 1945 after which, Bellow became a full time teacher in various universities in New York, Puerto Rico, Minnesota, and Princeton (Saul Bellow 1915-2005, Para. 5). It is noted that during his service in the navy, Bellow wrote his first book, The Dangling Man, which had a few followers. He also wrote other books but it was not until 1953 when he wrote ‘The Adventures of Augie March’ that he was put in the literary map of writers and awarded him three national book awards. Bellow also wrote several other books afterwards in which he won other prizes including a Nobel Prize in literature in 1976 (Nobel Prize Para. 3).
Seize the day is among the books written by Bellow which depicts the literary life of American society. It talks about the politics of America and its myth of success that easily empowers as well as destroys those who do not embrace it. The story is centered on Tommy Wilhelm who at the age of twenty changes his name to a person that he dreams of becoming. He battles with his past conscious of himself with an attempt to attain the new personality. Wilhelm’s life is not an easy one since he is depicted as one who struggles to get rich and overcome a number of obstacles in life. He even leaves his wife and children and rents a small apartment with the quest for freedom. The freedom so searched for is the financial freedom and that of general success. Wilhelm thinks that some easy money awaits him somewhere but that was not true (Ozick Para. 3).
The whole novel depicts the life of an American citizen who follows the American myth of good and satisfactory life that can easily be achieved by playing the game well. The American myth notes that the ability to attain vast wealth and other achievements is just a possibility in everyone and a depiction of one’s inner worth. If one plays the game well enough, they are guaranteed to succeed. However, that is not the case with Tommy Wilhelm. ‘Seize the Day’ is a book that occupies an exclusive place in Bellow’s career and also a powerful commentary on particularly American ideals. He died in 2005 (Crace Para. 4).
“Saul Bellow (1915-2005).” The Jewish Virtual Library, 2013. Accessed on 20 April 2013
Crace, John. Saul Bellow's Heart by Greg Bellow – digested read. 14 April. 2013. Web. 20 April. 2013.
Harper, Gordon Lloyd. Saul Bellow, The Art of Fiction. The Paris Review, 37. Accessed on 20 April 2013 < http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4405/the-art-of-fiction-no-37-saul-bellow>
Nobel Prize. Biography, 2013. Accessed on 20 April 2013 < http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1976/bellow-bio.html>
Ozick, Cynthia. Seize the Day Saul Bellow, 2013. Accessed on 20 April 2013