"The Talismanic Urn" is a short story written by Bernard Malamud that explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and personal relationships. The story revolves around the protagonist, a Jewish man named Nathan Sureshot, who comes into possession of a talismanic urn that is said to have magical powers. The urn, according to Jewish folklore, is said to grant the wishes of whoever possesses it, but it comes with a catch - the wish must be selfless in nature. Nathan, who is somewhat of a loner and feels disconnected from his community and his own Jewish identity, sees the urn as an opportunity to change his life. He wishes for a beautiful woman to love and be loved by, and to reconnect with his cultural heritage. Miraculously, his wish comes true when he meets a woman named Juliana, who is both beautiful and deeply connected to her Jewish roots.
“Yes, I am,” said the witch. “We are going to learn how to make potions.”
I saw her last night perched on a broom in front of her classroom door, handing out candy in full knowledge of what it would do to my 5-year-old and our evening. We did, after all, send cupcakes in a few weeks ago, and I can only imagine what sorts of carnage 18 Kindergarteners unleashed in her classroom after eating them.
Miraculously, his wish comes true when he meets a woman named Juliana, who is both beautiful and deeply connected to her Jewish roots. As Nathan's relationship with Juliana blossoms, he realizes the true power of the urn is not in its ability to grant wishes, but in its ability to uncover and awaken what is already within him. The urn serves as a metaphor for Nathan's own self-discovery and serves as a catalyst for reconnecting with his Jewish identity.
If my teacher was a witch….
I picked up a flier at work a while back advertising a writing competition for kids. A local author was launching a book on Halloween had organized it, and we handed it to Milo one evening.
“A competition….what would I get if I win?” he asked. He’s Mr. Competitive. You’d never get him writing a story just for the fun of it, but if given a challenge, he might rise to it….if the incentive was strong enough.
We read the flier more thoroughly. “You’d get a book, and a book for your school library,” Jeremiah informed him.
“Hum,” he shrugged.
“I’d buy you pizza if you won,” Jeremiah offered.
“And I’d buy you ice cream,” I countered.
We both figured the chances were remote.
He perked up. He likes pizza and ice cream. He got several big pieces of scrap paper, folded them in half, stapled them like a book, and got to work. For the next several afternoons he worked. It’s amazing what incentives will do.
When he was finished Jeremiah suggested that he could type it. He was surprisingly keen, and laboriously got to work. A page in I offered to transcribe if he dictated, and that same evening he sent a Google Doc link to the author. Such a Gen Z.
Here’s the story he produced (imagine colorful formatting added):
If my teacher was a witch
I was walking to school when I saw my best friend william. when we got to school I found a broomstick and a cauldron next to it and there were foot steps that lead to a cat. On Mrs Adams’ desk i saw lots of potions I reminded william that we had a reliever today. I took a piece of paper and drew a picture of the broomstick, the cauldron, and the cat.
“I think that our reliever is a witch,” I said.
“A WITCH!” shouted william. “I hate witches!” said william.
“What was that you said, Mr william?” said the witch.
“um, no ma’am. I said that witches are cool, not ugly or anything like that,” said William.
“So are you the reliever?” I asked.
“Yes, I am,” said the witch. “We are going to learn how to make potions.”
I had one more look around the room to see if there was anything else different about the room today. “Hey, look at the witch’s evil grin on her face,” I said to William. “I saw a bottle of frogs on a shelf.”
“ SHE’S GONNA TURN US INTO FROGS. ” said William.
set off to work.
When I was trying to catch them I remembered something that my dad told me. He said “If you ever meet a witch, use its spells against them.” Ok, I will. And then I quickly snatched the witch’s wand.
“No, you thief!” said the witch. “Why should I have ever trusted you? Please don’t curse me with bad luck forever.”
“Ok,” I said, “but you have to put my friends back to normal.” “What was that you said, little boy?” and she turned him into a frog. Then she turned everybody else except me into frogs.
“I wonder what she’s going to do with me,” I thought.
“Hey you, with the brown hair,” she said.
“Yes you, come over here.”
“Would you like to be my assistant?” said the witch.
“Oh yes, please! What are we going to do next?” I asked. “Make a potion to heal my dad?”
“Yes, yes we are, you read my mind,” said the witch.
“So what do we need?”
“Lots of frogs,” said the witch. “Catch all of them!”
“But those are my friends,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter about them,” said the witch.
“Ok,” and I set off to work. When I was trying to catch them I remembered something my dad told me. He said if you ever meet a witch, use its spells against them. Ok, I will! Then I quickly snatched the witch’s wand.
“No, you thief!” said the witch. “Why should I have ever trusted you? Please don’t curse me with bad luck forever.”
“Ok,” I said, “but you have to put my friends back to normal.”
And with that she clicked her fingers, and my friends were back.
Just then the principal walked in and said, “Oh my word, how did I not come here first.” He got his phone out and dialed 911. Two minutes later the cops came and arrested the witch, but no one knew that the witch had an extra wand. With that, she turned the whole world into a giant frog. It kept moving, so when I fired the wand, the frog would move, so it hit something else and made that a frog. One hour later the cops finally caught the witch and got her into prison so that she could not get her wand, because she accidentally left it in the car.
The writing was due 25th October, and he was immediately keen to hear if he had won or not. He is an optimist, his father’s son!
It wasn’t too many days later that the momentous email came–he HAD won in his age category.
Milo: “I was surprised that I writted four pages,” he reported. “I like writing.”
The competition was a book launch for the author, so she came to the school to present her new books to Milo and to the school library. Quite a proud moment for an 8 year old. He was chuffed!
Turns out the publicity of winning a writing competition–the author visiting one’s classroom–was almost as good as the pizza and ice cream. Almost.
“Would you like to be my assistant?” said the witch.
However, as the story progresses, Nathan begins to question the authenticity of his relationship with Juliana. He becomes suspicious of her motives and wonders if she is only interested in him because of the urn. This leads him to question his own self-worth and the sincerity of his wish. Ultimately, he decides to test the urn's power and wishes for Juliana to fall out of love with him in order to see if their relationship is genuine. When his wish is granted, Nathan is left feeling empty and disillusioned. He realizes that the urn's power is not all it's cracked up to be and that true happiness cannot be forced or manufactured. He learns that the key to finding fulfillment lies within oneself and in embracing one's own identity. "The Talismanic Urn" is a thought-provoking story that delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural heritage, and the complexities of human relationships. It encourages readers to question the importance of material possessions and external validation, and to instead focus on cultivating a deeper sense of self and personal connections. Through Nathan's journey, we are reminded that true happiness and fulfillment can only be found when we embrace who we truly are and embrace the relationships that are built on genuine love and understanding..
Reviews for "The Symbolic Meaning of the Talismanic Urn in Bernard Malamud's Writing"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Talismanic Urn" by Bernard Malamud. I found the story to be confusing and unfocused, with too many characters and subplots to keep track of. The writing style was also very dense and difficult to read, which made it hard for me to stay engaged with the story. Overall, I felt like the book dragged on and didn't really go anywhere. I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for a captivating read.
2. Sarah - 1 star - "The Talismanic Urn" was a complete letdown for me. The plot was convoluted and nonsensical, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The story seemed to jump around without any clear direction, and by the end, I was left wondering what the point of it all was. Additionally, the writing style was overly pretentious and full of unnecessary jargon, making it difficult to follow along. This book just wasn't for me, and I wouldn't waste my time reading it again.
3. Michael - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "The Talismanic Urn," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The story lacked a compelling narrative and failed to keep me engaged throughout. The characters felt flat and uninteresting, making it hard for me to care about their fates. Additionally, the writing style was overly verbose and verbose, making it a chore to read. Overall, I found "The Talismanic Urn" to be a disappointing read and wouldn't recommend it to others.