Title: "A World without Grays": Innocence and Experience in Eric Rolfe Greenberg's the Celebrant. (Triple Play)
Abstract: recent interview Eric Rolfe Greenberg, author The Celebrant (1983), remarked that for many Americans 1919 World Series heralded the end American innocence. (1) A memorable scene from The Great Gatsby echoes this sentiment. After Gatsby introduces Nick Carraway to Meyer Wolfsheim, character representing real-life gambler Arnold Rothstein, Nick finds it difficult to believe that this man was responsible for fixing World Series, and he is awed that one man could play with faith fifty million people--with single-mindedness burglar blowing safe. (2) Greenberg's The Celebrant tells story Yakov Kapinski, gifted jeweler and dedicated Jewish family man who changes his name to Jackie Kapp when he arrives in America at turn century. The narrative opens when Jackie, an avid baseball fan, makes his first business trip with his brother Eli and witnesses Christy Mathewson's first no-hit game in St. Louis (July 15,1901) and ends with Mathewson himself observing 1919 World Series from press box, where he sit[s] in judgment guilty players. (3) The no-hitter inspires Jackie to create an offering for his hero and provides impetus for his lifelong infatuation with Mathewson. In [the] public thirst for saint among ballplayers, biographer Ray Robinson observes, Mathewson stood alone, someone entirely apart from his own rowdy fraternity. (4) Known as Christian Gentleman, respectable, college-educated pitcher represented the embodiment middle-class conduct and values and, as a symbol clean living and sportsma nship, was largely responsible for transform[ing] nature crowd. (5) Greenberg's novel Jackie plays Nick to Mathewson's Gatsby, but, unlike Nick, Jackie loses his innocence early in novel, witnessing his brother's inveterate gambling and suffering racial taunts from Mathewson's teammates. Over years Jackie becomes disillusioned with game's schemers and promoters (p. 143), but never with Mathewson, and his faith in pitcher serves only to further isolate celebrant and his idol from world outside foul lines. Before opening novel itself, Greenberg includes Historical Note documenting the Christy Mathewson's life and career. This straightforward summation the facts baseball hero's triumphs and tragedies stands in stark contrast to novel's fascination with these demigods we create and celebrate (p. 196). Above all, The Celebrant is fan's narrative. essay Baseball as Narrative, A. Bartlett Giamatti describes baseball as romance narrative of exile and return, vast communal poem about separation, loss, and hope for reunion. However, the true tellers narrative, Giamatti explains, those for whom it is played.... It is [a tale] finally told by audience. (6) Although Jackie's worship Mathewson mostly deifles pitcher and strives to set him apart from mere mortals, Allen Hye highlights only time Jackie allows himself to see Mathewson as man: I thought he would order time to stand still, leaving him suspended for eternity in this pose, at this breath, but only gods and artists can stop time. Mathewson had to pitch, erasing this moment, bringing on next. (7) The book's structure charts chronological course in which events in Jackie Kapp's life center around six important ball games. Mathewson's no-hitter at St. Louis in 1901 Mathewson's third consecutive World Series shutout, against Philadelphia, October 14, 1905 The Merkle game, September 23, 1908 The Snodgrass game, October 16, 1912 The 1919 World Series, in which Mathewson watches from press box with Hugh Fullerton Mathewson's death on eve 1925 World Series, between Washington and Pittsburgh What is notable is that even Mathewson's triumphs are tainted with sorrow or scandal. …
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-03-22
Language: en
Type: article
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