What influence does Dr. Tamkin have on Wilhelm? [NU: 2015]

Saul Bellow’s (1915-2005) “Seize the Day” (1956) shows a single painful day in New York City. Wilhelm Adler, a failed salesman, feels lonely and lost. His father, Dr. Adler, rejects him. Dr. Tamkin, a strange psychologist, comes close to him. Through money, words, and false hopes, Tamkin strongly influences Wilhelm.

False Hope in the Market: Wilhelm wants quick success. Dr. Tamkin tells him, 

“Money-making is aggression… People come to the market to kill.” 

Tamkin Confuses Wilhelm with Strange Ideas: Tamkin talks about life, suffering, and the “real soul.” He says, 

“Don’t marry suffering. Some people do. They get married to it.” 

kquote> These ideas touch Wilhelm because he feels trapped in pain. Tamkin also says, 

“The past is no good. The future is full of anxiety. Only the present is real. Seize the day.” 

These words inspire Wilhelm, but they also confuse him. He feels Tamkin is both wise and tricky.

Tamkin Pushes Wilhelm into the Final Collapse: Wilhelm follows Tamkin and gives him trust. But Tamkin suddenly disappears from the market. Wilhelm loses money. He cries in New York streets. He prays, 

“Oh God… let me out of my trouble.” 

Without Tamkin’s false advice, Wilhelm might not have lost so much. In the funeral scene at the end, Wilhelm weeps heavily. Tamkin’s influence leaves Wilhelm broken but also awake to real suffering.

Dr. Tamkin deeply shapes Wilhelm’s day. He gives false hope in money, strange talks of life, and finally leaves him in loss. Tamkin’s influence shows Wilhelm’s weakness and the painful search for truth in “Seize the Day”.

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