y problems, and emotional pain. This makes the novella a modern tragedy. Wilhelm represents every man who struggles to survive in a hard, selfish world.
Conflict Between Emotion and Reason: In a modern tragedy, we find the conflict between emotion and reason. Wilhelm’s tragedy grows from his inner conflict. He is a man of emotion, while his father, Dr. Adler, is a man of logic and pride. Wilhelm needs love, understanding, and sympathy. He says,
“What do I expect? ... I expect help!”
But his father does not provide any financial or emotional support. Wilhelm feels unloved and alone, even when living near his father.
The same conflict appears between Wilhelm and Dr. Tamkin. Tamkin speaks sweetly and acts like a friend, but he cheats Wilhelm and runs away with his money. Both men, his father and Tamkin, cause his downfall in different ways.
Failure and Loneliness: Like every tragic hero, Wilhelm suffers because of his own weakness. He is too emotional, too trusting, and too dependent on others. He wants success but does not work hard for it. He also believes in false dreams. When Tamkin offers him a quick way to earn money through the stock market, Wilhelm believes him. Tamkin manipulates him by saying:
“Only the present is real—the here-and-now. Seize the day.”
At the end, he loses everything in the stock market. His wife demands money, his father rejects him, and Tamkin disappears. Wilhelm is left alone in the crowd. His loneliness and helplessness make him a truly modern tragic figure.
Spiritual Awakening Through Suffering: Bellow’s tragedy is not hopeless. Through his deep pain, Wilhelm finds a kind of spiritual awakening. In the last scene, he follows a funeral procession and begins to cry over the body of a stranger. His tears are not only for the dead man, but for himself.
“He ... sank deeper than sorrow.”
This is his emotional realization and understanding. This moment shows that Wilhelm finally accepts his failure and faces the truth of life. This is what makes Seize the Day a modern tragedy — a story where loss and pain lead to self-realization.
A Modern Tragedy of the Soul: In Seize the Day, the tragedy is not about death or blood, but about the death of the spirit. Modern people, like Wilhelm, suffer because society values money more than love, success more than honesty. The narrator says:
“Everyone was supposed to have money ... They’d be ashamed not to have it.”
Bellow uses Wilhelm’s story to show that modern life itself can be tragic when people only want material success.
Thus, Seize the Day is a modern tragedy. It presents the suffering of an ordinary man in a modern, heartless world. Tommy Wilhelm does not die, but he faces a deep spiritual death and rebirth. His pain, loneliness, and final tears make him a tragic hero of the modern age.
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