Archetypes

There are many archetype characters in Fiddler on the Roof. Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava are archetypal lovers. It is tradition that the daughters are picked a match by the matchmaker, and that is who they will marry. They don't fall in love or have mutual attractions. But these three girls fall in love. Tzeitel and the tailor Motel ask for her father, Tevye's, permission to marry. Hodel and Perchik ask for his blessing. Chava and Fyedka don't get his permission, but run away and get married. The matchmaker, Yente, is an archetypal ruler. She doesn't have any sage wisdom, yet people just do whatever she says. Even if she comes up with a horrible match for a woman, she still marries the man that Yente picked. Anatevka is an archetypal setting because it is a small town where everybody knows everything about everybody but the gossip stories still get changed the more they are retold. Tzeitel and Motel's wedding is also an archetypal setting because weddings symbolize new beginnings and change. It is that wedding that Hodel and Perchik dance, which is an archetypal action/event that sets the trend for change through out the rest of the book.

Petrusso Critique

In this essay Petrusso discusses how Fiddler on the Roof challenges the Jewish traditions and way of life. He discusses how Tevye claims to follow the traditions, but continuously breaks them through out the book, but he doesn't do this without first putting up an arguement. Golde on the other hand, does not. Petrusso explains how Tevye's daughters are the reason for every tradition break in the book. Perchik is also a big influence. These changes break the whole community by the end of the book.

Allusions

There are allusions to Fiddler on the Roof everywhere. For example, Gwen Stefani's song "If I was a "Rich Girl", is an allusion to Tevye's song, "If I was a Rich Man". There is an allusion to Fiddler on the Roof in Desperate Housewives when Bre and Orson were arguing about circumsizing baby Benjamin. Orson doesn't want to do it because he was circumsized at age 5 and can remember the pain. He accuses Bre of just wanting to do it because of "tradition and conformity" and Bre mentions her Grandma Tzeitel, both of these are allusions to Fiddler on the Roof.

Why Fiddler on the Roof is a classic

Fiddler on the Roof is a classic because it takes a story of a poor Jewish milkman, living in Europe, and makes it applicable to everyone. Even those who know nothing of Jewish history or the bible. You can relate to the story of Tevye and his struggles with being poor and the changing times. You can watch his daughters change, and him along with them, and new characters come into the story and show everyone new ideas and concepts. The songs captivate you and let you understand the characters even better. This is why "Fiddler on the Roof is a classic.

InfoTrac article #2 summary

In the critical essay "On the Roof and Off" by Stefan Canfer, he discusses how even though Fiddler on the Roof was about biblical references and a Jew, people all over the world, some that had never even seen a Jew, understood Tevye's story and struggles and could relate to him. Even though the play wasn't exactly a "musical megahit", it ran for 7 years. It showed modern day Jews their past, because many have forgotten about it. He explains how Stein made the difference clear between the small village Jews and the Cossacks that were out of control and were always breaking things and such. Canfer explains how the book is filled with archetypes and how the characters interact with eachother is key to the story. The songs in the book showed the breaks from tradition. Stein made it possible for this old story to still have meaning and attract readers in current times.

InfoTrac article #2

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InfoTrac Article summary

This article takes the break from tradition in Fiddler on the Roof, and applies it to the education and profession of nursing. In Fiddler on the Roof Tevye says that without tradition, "our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof". His experiences and challenges with the breaking of tradition and still trying to apply it can be applied to nursing because in the nursing field, the teachers are always trying to affirm the core values in an always changing medical field. The article explains how the old traditions are sometimes not applied anymore. The new nurses watch videos of the old traditions and want to follow them. The new nurses made a video commemorating "Nurses in the 20th century" so that their traditions could also carry on.