The Conflict between Materialism and Social & Family Values in Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day

Abstract

The family tie, in the context of America, is in peril under the impact of ruthless materialism defining the values of society anew. After the Second World War people were getting more and more preoccupied with self-interest and losing the family values and social integrity: fathers did not care for their sons and wives did not for their husbands, rather their relationships assumed an unusual dimension that was fully based on give and take policy. Saul Bellow in his Seize the Day portrayed the plight of modern men striving for realizing American dream. Through a father-son relationship, the writer depicts a deprived son aspirant to communicate and attain love and affection, and the bullying indifference of the advantaged father to filial affection. Saul Bellow, with a sympathetic touch, shows how physical nearness of father and son is of little use since the father Dr. Adler trickily maintains a long spiritual distance from his son Tommy Wilhelm. This paper focuses on the pathetic scenario of the American society as reflected in the novella and studies these aspects from Islamic perspective.