ONLINE NOTES - THE FIXER BY BERNARD MALAMUD

CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND NOTES / ANALYSIS

CHAPTER III

PART 1

Summary

Yakov was held in a jail cell under the Plossky District Courthouse. He was still in shock from the trip on foot from the brickyard to the jail. He had been the object of stares and name-calling

Yakov was very fearful about the unknown situation into which he had gotten himself. Yet, at moments, he was hopeful that a simple explanation was all that was needed to make things right.

In the evening a man came to Yakov's cell and introduced himself as B.A. Bibikov, Investigating Magistrate for Cases of Extraordinary Importance.

Yakov introduced himself as Yakov Shepovitch Bok. Bibikov questioned whether he was not Yakov Ivanovitch Dologushev. Yakov told him that he was not. Next Bibikov asked him if he had killed the boy. Yakov said that he could never do such a thing.

Yakov, in response to questions, explained his marriage, his recent departure from the shtetl, and his plans for the future. Bibikov, explaining that he had noticed that Yakov owned a book authored by Spinoza, questioned Yakov on the subject. He wanted to know how familiar Yakov was with the writings of the man. Yakov said that he did not completely understand them. When he had bought the book it had been new to him. When he read it, he found it very interesting. First he said that reading it changed him. He then back-pedaled and claimed to be basically unchanged since his youth.

Bibikov requested Yakov to put Spinoza's philosophy into his own words. Yakov balked at this request, explaining that he was not familiar enough to make a statement. Then, Bibikov told him that Spinoza was a favorite of his. So, Yakov felt a bit more comfortable discussing it. Yakov thought that Spinoza saw God and nature as one. And, man was part of God and nature, according to his reading of Spinoza. Yakov compared God as viewed by Spinoza to God as viewed in the shtetl. Yakov touched on what Spinoza referred to as Necessity. Bibikov asked him for his input regarding how freedom fits with Necessity. Yakov told him that freedom is in one's mind. Bibikov wanted to know if Yakov's beliefs regarding freedom were the same as Spinoza's. Yakov again became concerned lest he say too much.

Bibikov asked Yakov about the writings of Hegel and of Karl Marx. Yakov said that he was not familiar with either of them. Bibikov wanted to discuss Yakov's personal philosophy and how politics fit into it. Yakov felt that a trap was being set for him. He managed to avoid any verbal missteps. Finally, Bibikov departed leaving behind a questionnaire. They simply needed more information because this was his first arrest and there were no records about him in their files.

PART 2

Summary

The following morning, Yakov was taken to a meeting in the Investigating Magistrate's office. Bibikov, who was there, seemed different than he had seemed the previous night in the cell. Bibikov read from a statement he had obtained from Yakov's employer, Lebedev. In the statement, Lebedev said that Yakov had not easily pronounced the alias that he had given to him. It did not roll off his tongue like a person's own name would. In answer to one of Bibikov's questions, Lebedev admitted that he did not get Yakov’s papers from him. He also admitted that he should have been alerted by the fact that Yakov did not want to live at the brickyard.

When he finished reading Lebedev's deposition, Bibikov asked for Yakov's comments on it. Yakov said that he wanted a lawyer. He was told that he could not have one. He was concerned by the mention of an indictment. Yes, he had given a false name. For that, should there be an indictment? Yakov admitted that he lived where he was not allowed. He explained that Lebedev had insisted that he do so. He did not want to lose his job.

Bibikov questioned an answer that Yakov had given in the questionnaire that Bibikov had given him the previous night. He had said that he was Jewish "by birth." Yakov explained that he was not religious. He had lost his religion. Bibikov wanted an explanation of what exactly he meant. Yakov said that it had been a slow process. Some was due to things he had read, such as what they had discussed the previous night.

When Yakov said that he was a free thinker, Bibikov asked Yakov if he was ever baptized. That might be helpful to Yakov. Bibikov also suggested that Yakov could help himself by officially leaving the Jewish faith. Yakov told him that he did not want to do that.

Bibikov brought out a paper from an interview with Zinaida. Before he read it, Colonel Bodyansky, who had arrested Yakov, entered the room. With him was Prosecuting Attorney Grubeshov, Procurator of the Kiev Superior Court. Right away they began to discuss Zinaida’s statement. In the deposition, she said that Yakov assaulted her. She said that, at the time of the attempted assault, she saw that he was cut like Jewish males (circumcised). When asked if he had touched her, she emphasized that he had wanted to do so.

Yakov denied having attempted to assault Zinaida. He said that Zinaida had invited him to her bedroom. And, when he saw that she was menstruating, he left. Bibikov told Yakov that he believed him. He went on to say that two letters had been found, one from Nikolai Maximovitch to Yakov and one from his daughter, Zinaida, also to Yakov. Both letters seemed to contradict what the authors said in their depositions. Bibikov told Yakov that he did not intend to recommend an attempted sexual assault charge. Prosecuting attorney Grubeshov and Colonel Bodyansky were disappointed as they departed.

Bibikov told Yakov that he would not pursue a charge even though he had used a fictitious name. There were no documents involved, thereby, no counterfeiting. Yakov asked if he would be sent to jail. Bibikov said that he would be in jail for perhaps one month.

Then, a messenger came into the room with a note for Bibikov. He hurried out of the room. When he returned, Grubeshov and Colonel Bodyansky were with him. When they were all seated, Colonel Bodyansky recited a list of names of organizations in order to learn whether Yakov belonged to any of them. Bibikov and the colonel got into an argument about whether Yakov's case belonged to the Secret Political Police or was a civil matter. When the questioning resumed, Yakov told the colonel that he did not belong to any of the organizations named.

Grubeshov said that it was time to get serious. He asked Yakov if he was a "Hasid" or a "Misnogid." Yakov said that he was neither. He asked Yakov what Jews mean by the word "afikomen". Yakov asked what that had to do with him. After being verbally pushed, he said that he thought that it was some kind of matzo used in the Passover ceremony. Grubeshov took some matzo out of his portfolio and told Yakov that it had been found in his living quarters. Yakov explained that it belonged to another old Jew who had been there. He went on to explain how they had met. Grubeshov took the bloody rag that Yakov had used to aid the old Jew out of his portfolio. Yakov explained how it had become bloody. Then, Grubeshov asked if he had chased Zhenia Golov out of the brickyard.

Notes

Yakov said that he was not a religious man. But, notice later that he becomes more religious.

PART 3

Summary

Yakov, in a jail cell, had two cell mates. One was in jail because he had been falsely accused of being an anarchist. The other was in for distributing leaflets that suggested overthrowing the Tsar. But, he had just been holding the leaflets as a favor to the actual distributor. Yakov made the mistake of telling them of what crime he was falsely accused, killing a boy. His cellmates had heard about the crime and believed that he was actually guilty of it, so they beat him up.

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud-Free BookNotes Summary

Visit our partner PinkMonkey.com for more online Study Guides
Privacy Policy
All Content Copyright©TheBestNotes. All Rights Reserved.
No further distribution without written consent.
40 Users Online | This page has been viewed 774 times
This page was last updated on 5/11/2008 8:51:58 PM