![]() ![]() Hobbs is meant to represent the knight (known as Percival in some versions of the story) who seeks to heal the Fisher King, a wounded king and bearer of the Holy Grail, who, paralyzed by his injury, is unable to do anything except fish near his castle and wait for rescue. The novel has been widely compared to the medieval myth of the Fisher King, given its similarity to the legend. Thus, Malamud suggests that American society’s insistence on elevating sports stars to the status of legendary heroes is unreasonable, since these “heroes,” too, are mortal. ![]() Yet Malamud also subverts typical conventions of mythology by creating a narrative in which Hobbs is ultimately fallible: his talents do not make him invincible, and he does not triumph over adversity (as the heroes of these myths usually do). In this way, Malamud suggests that Hobbs is a modern-day version of a mythic hero, in much the same way that American society valorizes its sporting legends. By evoking myths-namely those featuring an individual hero like Hobbs, gifted with extraordinary abilities-Malamud elevates Hobbs’s narrative to the status of mythology, underscoring the spectacular nature of his talents. The Natural refers continually to myths-particularly those involving epic struggles and sacrifice-including the biblical story of David and Goliath and allusions to Arthurian legend (Hobbs’s “Wonderboy” bat bears a striking resemblance to King Arthur’s sword Excalibur, since it is imbued with supernatural powers). ![]()
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