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A Summer's Reading by Bernard Malamud

Setting and Plot
This story appeared in The New Yorker in 1956. The story is set in New York City during
one hot summer. The main character called George Stoyonovich a 20 year old
"neighborhood boy" quit high school at 16 on an impulse. One summer he had no job and sat
around in the hot apartment he shared with his father and sister, who worked all day. He did
not feel too happy during the day, but at night he felt better when he walked around the
neighborhood and sat in a small park. One night he met Mr. Cattanzara and told him that his
summer occupation was reading 100 books to pick up his education. This gave him a certain
prestige around the neighborhood, as everyone heard about his project. The truth, which he
was always fearful that people would discover, was that he hardly read anything at all.
During this summer George is forced to read into his own life and see the truth about
himself with the help of Mr. Cattanzara.
Characters
George is both emotionally and financially dependent on others, yet he doesn't have the
motivation or determination needed to change his life. We learn at the beginning that he is
uneducated a high school dropout, and unemployed. Without education, George cannot get a
good job or live a better life as he dreams of doing. His dreams are simple and materialistic: a
job, a house with a porch on a street with trees, spending-money, a girl and respect from the
neighborhood people. He wants to achieve the American Dream. George is trapped; on the
one hand, without education he is doomed to live a hard, gray life. On the other hand, without
a sense of self-worth he is unable to change himself.
This is where his neighbor and only friend Mr. Cattanzara enters the picture. The fact that Mr.
C. works as a changemaker at a subway station is symbolic. On the literal lever, his job is
to give change to people who buy tickets. On the figurative level, he is a change-maker he
tries to create a change in George by giving him some insight into his life. He acts as a father
figure and role model that George so desperately needs. Through Mr. C. words and actions,
George faces some very unpleasant truths about himself (he is childish, immature, a liar and
a failure). Mr. C. can understand and sympathize with George since he is an older
version of George. He made the same mistakes in life that George is about to make. Mr. C
settled for second best and has now become a frustrated man. Mr. C. tries to protect George
by giving him both encouragement and warning "Don't do what I did".
The two characters are similar in a few aspects.
a. Both are intelligent. Mr. C. reads the New York Times (only the intellectual elite can read
this paper). George reads the World Almanac (factual material), he doesn't like fiction he is
more interested in knowledge. Yet his problem is that he lacks imagination and inspiration.
Both of them are thirsty for knowledge but haven't completed their formal education.
b. Both find a means of escaping their bitter reality. Mr. C. gets drunk (to temporarily
escape his fat, sickly, suffocating wife and the boredom of an unchallenging job).
George escapes by:
1. Finding excuses for not doing things, such as going back to school.
2. Lying to himself and others about his reading so as to avoid shame.

3. Shutting himself up in his room.

4. Going to the park in the evening where he can forget about everything and fantasize about a
better life for himself.
5. Hiding all day in his room to avoid meeting anyone.
Who is to blame for George's behavior and will he ever change? It is for us, the readers, to
decide. Take the following into account:
1. George himself is he simply a lazy bum? A dreamer? An immature young man who acts
on an impulse? An escapist?
George is a loner. He doesn't fit in anywhere. He avoids hanging out on the candy store corner
with a gang of guys he knows. He also ignores the neighborhood people until they start
smiling at him after the first rumor (that he is reading 100 books) is spread by Mr. C.
Clearly, when George likes himself, he is able to like others. The most important thing for
George is gaining the respect of others but he isn't willing to work hard for it.
George allows feelings of shame and guilt to paralyze him instead of motivating him. For
example, his lack of education and job push him into telling the big lie: "I'm staying home,
but I'm reading a lot to pick up my education". Later on George avoids meeting Mr. C.
because he would then have to either admit the truth (that he isn't reading worthwhile books)
or he would have to live up to the rumor (and start reading). Since he is unable to do either, he
chooses to escape. Conclusion: George makes no real effort to change his life.
2. The family: George can find no emotional support there. The mother is dead and is not
mentioned at all. The father is not a dominant figure in the house. George doesn't have a warm
father-son relationship with his father. The lack of communication between them is made
evident when George shuts himself up in his room and all his helpless father can do is cry.
Sophie, the older sister, is unable to cope with being a housekeeper, a breadwinner and a
substitute mother. She isn't as passive as the father. Yet her tactics of rewarding George with
money when she is pleased with him or yelling at him when she is not are ineffective.
Conclusion: the family fails to fulfill George's needs no love, no patience, no understanding
and no communication.
3. The society and environment the neighborhood: everyone except for Mr. C. is
indifferent towards George. Most of the people are poor and uneducated. George has no role
model. Everywhere he looks all he can see is poverty and neglect: broken sidewalks in a
business area, everything is "hot and stony" (people are sitting outside fanning themselves
because of the heat), no trees or gardens except for the park,
The neighborhood population is mostly made up of immigrant families. These people came to
America, the Land of Opportunity, in order to make a better life for themselves. George also
wants to achieve the American Dream but he isn't ready to struggle for it. As a result, he
doesn't get the respect he desires from the people around him.
The names are symbolic: Stoyonivich is Polish for staying in one place, Cattanzara is Italian
for chained. These names are symbolic because they shed light on the characters. That is,
George doesn't do anything to change his life and he literally sits in one place his room. Mr.

C is chained to his wife and desperate life without any chance of improving them because he
has no formal education.
4. The school system failed to encourage George to complete his studies. George quit out of
an impulse so why didn't anybody from school try to change his mind? He didn't drop out
because he lacked intelligence but because he "had lost patience". He wanted to "learn
different things than they learn there". Conclusion: George didn't get a feeling of self-worth
from his family, neighbors or teachers. Thus, he doesn't believe in himself.
Theme and Moral lesson
Bernard Malamuds stories show great insight into the problems of everyday life, and at the
same time reveal a basic faith in mankind. In this story he deals with friendship, motivation
to achieve life goals and education. First, sometimes what a person needs is some
encouragement from a friend to change his life. Mr. C pushes George to change his life.
Second, a person needs to be motivated to do something meaningful with his life and achieve
his dreams. It takes a whole summer for George to understand that if he doesn't do something
with himself, he won't be able to achieve any of his dreams. Third, education is important
because without it chances are you'll have an uninspiring job like Mr. C. The story ends on an
optimistic note when George finally goes to the library in the fall and starts reading.
The meaning of the title
The story is called A Summer's Reading although George hasn't read any significant books at
that time. However, what he "reads" or understands is his desperate situation. That is, he reads
the book of his life and he doesn't like it. Eventually, he takes matters into his hands and
makes the necessary change.
Hots
Cause and Effect
Bernard Malamud leaves us to decide whether George will turn his dreams into reality. Is the
visit to the library a sign that George is serious about changing? Or is it just another act of
impulse? Has Mr. Cattanzara's use of reverse psychology (a persuasion technique which
involves telling someone exactly the opposite of what he expects in order to achieve the wanted
outcome) worked?

He tries to help George in the following ways:

Cause

Effect

By giving George respect and

encouragement. In the first meeting Mr.
C. spreads the rumor that George has
begun reading.

George is filled with self-confidence and

good will. He makes a little effort to start
reading.

By keeping silent. Mr. C doesn't tell

anyone the truth.

George is filled with guilt and shame. He

loses interest in everything "things
weren't so good for him".

By having a sly, insulting manner with

George shuts himself away, unable to

George and finally by warning him

"Don't do what I did".

function and is forced to face his lies.

By spreading a second rumor that George

has finished reading 100 books. He uses
reverse psychology. (This is NOT written
specifically we can infer what he said.)

George is relieved and gains the respect

of society. Now it is up to him what he
will do with his life. If he starts reading,
he will do it for himself.

Inferring
There are many things which are not written explicitly in the story but we can infer them. For
example, what Mr. C meant when he says:"Don't do what I did", or what two rumors he
spread and what exactly he has told the people in the neighborhood about George.
p. 46-48 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
A George is the protagonist in the story.
Answers
George's goal is to achieve the American Dream. He wants a good job, a nice house and
enough money to buy things. He also wants a girlfriend, so he won't be so lonely, and people
to like and respect him. To reach his goals, George must first of all overcome his
impulsiveness and lack of motivation. He quit school at 16 on impulse, he cleans the flat
when he feels like it and he tells Mr. Cattanzara a lie on the spur of the moment so that he will
respect him. In order to improve his life, he has to get an education, but he does not have the
motivation necessary to do so. George must also break away from his environment. His
family is poor and he lives in a poor neighborhood. The people in the neighborhood are
simple and uneducated. This is the norm; therefore, he is under no social pressure to better
himself.
B symbolism.
Mr. Cattanzara's job is to give change in a ticket booth of a subway station. He is a change
maker because he literally gives people change for their tickets. On the symbolic level, Mr.
Cattanzara is a change maker because he makes a change in George's life. The name
"Cattanzara" means "chained", and although he is chained to his life and cannot change it, he
can bring about change in the lives of others.
C characterization.: appearance, actions, words, thoughts and how the other characters relate
to them.

D 3 Possible answers
Yes, he will achieve his goals because he has learned the lessons that Mr. Cattanzara taught
him: first, that Mr. Cattanzara believes that George is capable of following through and,
second, that he has decided he doesn't want to make the same mistake Mr. Cattanzara did with
his life.
OR
No, he remains the same unmotivated, well-intentioned but lazy person.
E 2 cause & effect: answers.
1. ashamed (page 33, line 3) When he looks for a job, people ask if he has finished school and
he is ashamed to admit that he hasn't.
2. lonely (page 34, line 31) He doesn't have a girlfriend.
3. unhappy (page 37, line 13) He lies to Mr. Cattanzara, 'saying that he's going to read a list of
books from the library.
4. feeling fine (page 38, line 30) He feels the neighbors' approval because they think he is
reading.

5. wound up (page 41, line 20) He runs into Mr. Cattanzara on the street one night and is
afraid that he will notice him and ask about his reading.
6. afraid (page 42, line 24) Mr. Cattanzara has discovered that he lied to him, so George is
afraid to face him again.
7. relieved (page 43, line 24) George discovers that the neighbors are still friendly to him. He
understands that Mr. Cattanzara did not tell the people in the neighborhood that he hasn't read
any books.
3 When Mr. Cattanzara asks George the name of one book that he has read that summer,
George can't answer. While outwardly he has managed to keep his composure, inside he feels
extremely embarrassed and ashamed.
F 1. George dropped out of school because he ran out of patience. He didn't like the teachers
telling him what to do all the time and he thought that they didn't respect him.
2. George tells Mr. Cattanzara that he is going to read a hundred books because he wants to
impress him. He is ashamed that he doesn't have a job and he wants Mr. Cattanzara to respect
him.
3. George avoids walking past Mr. Cattanzara's house because he doesn't want Mr. Cattanzara
to ask him about his reading. He is afraid that Mr. Cattanzara will discover his lie.
4. Mr. Cattanzara means that George should learn from Mr. Cattanzara's mistakes and not
waste his life like he did. He is motivated to say this because he likes George and realizes that
he has potential. He wants him to get an education so that he can have a better life.
5. Mr. Cattanzara probably starts the rumor because he understands that if George feels
respected, he is more likely to complete his reading in order to deserve the respect he is
getting. Mr. Cattanzara cares about George and is using reverse psychology because he
knows that by expecting the most from George, he will try to live up to those expectations.
G 1. George is a 19-year-old boy who has dropped out of school and does not have ajob. Mr.
Cattanzara is an older man who works as a change maker in a subway station. Neither has
fulfilled his potential; both are underachievers. Both read the newspaper, but Mr. Cattanzara
reads The New York Times, a newspaper read by the educated, whereas George reads the
newspapers read by ordinary people. Both live in a poor neighborhood. Mr. Cattanzara drinks
in order to escape from the world, while George locks himself in his room. Mr. Cattanzara has
the benefit of experience. He can see that he has wasted his potential and does not want
George to make the same mistake. He therefore has foresight and understands what will
happen to George in the future. George has difficulty seeing the long-term effects of his
decisions. Note: You might want to tell the students that both their family names have
symbolic meanings.
Cattanzara means "chained" in Italian (he is chained to his meaningless life), and George's
family name, Stoyonovich, means "stands still". George is inactive at the moment, but can
either move ahead or become "chained" like Mr. Cattanzara .
2. The lie George told had short-term and long-term effects. In the short term, George's life
improved. The neighbors were kind and showed their approval. Sophie was kinder to George
and gave him a dollar a week. George was in a good mood and enjoyed life more. But after a
few weeks, George began to feel uneasy and to avoid Mr. Cattanzara for fear of being
discovered.
Once the lie was discovered, it caused George great embarrassment. He had wanted to
impress Mr. Cattanzara but ended up feeling that he had lost Mr. Cattanzara's respect. In the
long term, the lie acted as a catalyst. After staying in his room for a week, George couldn't
stand it anymore. He went to the library and began to read; therefore a possible long-term
effect of the lie might be that George begins his education and will ultimately achieve his

dream - but this is not certain. (When George locks himself in his room for almost a week, he
goes through a change, or metamorphosis, like a caterpillar that emerges from its cocoon as
a butterfly. George emerges as a changed person, but like a butterfly that has a short life, we
do not know if this change is lasting.)
3. for example:
Yes, the ending is satisfying because George goes through a change and begins to take
positive steps toward his education.
OR
No, the ending is not satisfying because we don't know if George's change is permanent.
George is impulsive and we don't know if he will complete his reading.
4. In the summer George reads only picture magazines, old copies of the World Almanac and
old newspapers. This is not reading material that is likely to help his education. To "read" also
has another meaning: "to be able to understand something from what you can see". The writer
may have called the story A Summer's Reading because George "reads", or understands his
situation in the summer, and in the fall, he goes to the library and begins reading books. In
addition, to borrow an analogy from nature, summer is a time of ripening, of growing to
maturity until, in the fall, the fruits are ready to be harvested. In the same way, George
matures in the summer and in the fall is ready to begin his education.
p. 49 BRIDGING TEXT AND CONTEXT
Answer
The story is set in a poor immigrant neighborhood in New York City. We know the characters
are immigrants from their names: Cattanzara is Italian and Stoyonovich probably Slavic.
George wants to attain the American Dream but is limited by his character and surroundings.
He is physically and emotionally isolated from society until the end when he comes out of his
room and goes to the library. This action is a positive one that demonstrates he wants more
out of life and is ready to face new challenges.