T 1290.pdf - Pondicherry University DSpace Portal

,xperience on the faculty of the oregeon State College whichserves as the backdrop of the novel. His yearning for liberalarts and democracy is evidently the cause for which theprotagonist of the novel also struggles. Levin, the protagonistregrets very much like Malamud that the education system atcascadia miserably faila to teach "how to keep civilizationfrom destroying it.selfW. (NL la3j Leslie Fiedler remarks that A&)j Lif="isabout the Fifties almost as much as it is about theWest: the age of ldcCarthyism and Cold War". (Fiedler 1977,158)The evolution of Le,~in is ir-terpreted as 'love', 'agape','caritas'. Hyman 1r.te.rprets rt as " a classical progress from'eros', fleshly iove to 'agape', the spiritual love of one ofGuc's creatures for dnother". (Hyman 1966,34j After hisambitions and dreams Levin wakes up to the realization of thebitcer fact that love goes not with freedom but withentanglement and corrmitment.Transformed, Levln begins hls quest for new life afterbelng rejected by about flfty colleges including the Universityof Gettfsburgh before his selectron at Cascadia College. BothPauline and Levin confess their love for each other; oneflndinq rreanjnq in the other's nilme.'I love you, Lev. 'That's my nane for you. Sy 1s toomuch ILK@ sigh. Lev is closer to love. I love you, Iam sorry, you deserve br!t.ter. I deserve you' I:;hc:iult: ri#:,v?;- l-trlve let )".I tndt nay "n the woods. But