Introduction

The trend of modern materialistic society modifies several different dimensions of an individual life. The
change is identified to be liable for the transformation of a selfless, warm and cordial individual to a cruel,
soul less and self-centered man in a modern society. Saul Bellow’s fourth novel, Seize the Day was
published in 1956 which portrays the American capitalist society where the material goods is considered
more valuable than the family member relationship; money is important than love and eternal goal is
more precious than cordiality. In this society ‘man is alone in a crowd’. It is observed that Bellow’s novel
has a realistic reflection of American society when the country was uplifting to its zenith; the
development, prosper, property were last pronounced words at the end of the day. We see in this novel
how materialism affects social bonding between sibling. Bellow’s sense of changed human psychology,
changed social relations and the representation of protagonists’ warns us that sooner or later the
difference between robot and human being may not be distinguished. So the novel may be analyzed
through the lens of alienation, depression and discrimination of heartless, self-cantered modern capitalist
society.

Seize the Day

Seize the day is a reflection of the times in which it was written. The novel was written in a post-war
world. WWII created several factors that serve backdrop to Wilhelm's isolation, frustration and anxiety
and that represent the feeling of many during the period.

First and foremost, war creates disorder everywhere and in many cases dislocation because of forced
immigration. During the war many people, Jews especially, were escaping the Germans and, thus, fleeing,
when they could. This dislocation results in alienation, materialism, frustration and anxiety.

Tommy is an idealist surrounded by the pressures of the outside world. He is isolated and, thus, is forced
to turn inward. The urban landscape is the symbol that furthers his isolation, for he is always "alone in a
crowd”. Tommy feels cut off not only from his father and from the rest of his family-his sister, his dead
mother, his estranged wife and their two sons-but he also feels alienated from himself and from everyone
he meets. Tommy Wilhelm is shown in desperate loneliness and life annihilating alienation and he is in
dire need of an understanding heart. This isolation and inner struggle is the predicament of modernity. Dr.
Adler, a symbol of professional success, is reluctant to play any part that may bring consolation and
comfort to Tommy’s heart. In respect of emotion and feelings, father and son is ocean apart.

In urban circumstances the rites of love or communion are enormously difficult. In the urban world of
New York Tommy is considered to talk to him because there is no one else to talk to among the millions
of a city like New York. There every other man speaks a language entirely his own and is an end in
himself. Looking outside of himself and his small circle, Wilhelm feels alienated from humanity, as
represented by New York City and its inhabitants. He feels that communication with others is as difficult
as learning another language. Every other man spoke a language entirely his own. You had to translate
and translate, explain and explain, back and forth, and it was the punishment of hell itself not to
understand or be understood. Wilhelm has an encompassing sense that the alienation he feels is not
unique to him, but that "everybody is outcast,”. Tommy’s experience of loneliness is a part of the human
condition in a post war society.

The materialistic mentality dominates the modern city. Dr. Adler and Mr. Perils are materialistic and
appear to worship money. It is a post-war, post-depression, cold war, technological world. Adler believes
in power and "success" and in rationalism. He is the "self-made man." In fact, Bellow has given Adler the
name of a psychiatrist whose teachings were based on ideas of "power." Everywhere he goes he
encounters the materialistic spirit. The old, shriveled, men he meets in the brokerage office have
dedicated their lives to making money on the commodities market. But Wilhelm senses something
inimical to life in the way the secretive, uncommunicative Mr. Rappaport has made his money, in the
"chicken business." He imagines the appalling conditions in which the animals live on chicken farms.
Then, when he notices that Rappaport will not let anyone see what he has written on his notepad, he
thinks, "This was the way a man who had grown rich by the murder of millions of animals, little chickens,
would act."

In materially prosperous city of New York frustration prevails and there is hardly any peace or rest.
Tommy’s mind heaves under the pressure and weight of the modern city and innumerable problems of the
modern age. Here everyone takes pills for the cherished touch of natural sleep and in Dr. Adler’s word-
“God knows! These things (pills) get to be as serious as poisons, and yet everyone put all their faith in
them.” In depicting anxiety as part of the human condition, Bellow has again and unerringly seizes the
prevailing mood of the society. Bellow’s hero beset by anxiety and exhibits all the symptoms associated
with it, like constriction of the chest, a lump in the throat, increase in heart beat etc. All these are the
direct outcome of anxiety that modern city dwellers undergo.

Treachery and oppression control modern society. The mysterious Dr. Tamkin tricks Tommy Wilhelm
into
giving him his last seven hundred dollars to invest. He assures Tommy that this investment will make him
wealthy. But Tommy is painfully deceived by him.

Tommy’s vindictive wife Margaret extremely hostile to Tommy Wilhelm, tries her best to victimize him
and ruin him both financially and emotionally for her self-interest. She capitalizes every opportunity to
oppress Tommy. In his miserable state, Margarete appears to Tommy as a symbol of oppression, only to
add to his predicament.

Bellow as a modern master touch up the subject of modern man’s misery.

Bellow's themes namely alienation, hard world of money, anxiety, deception and selfishness not only
depict the American life but also the complexity of modern society. Saul Bellow generalizes his theme.
So from
his point of view we can say that the novel Seize the day is reflection of contemporary society. So, after
discussion
Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day in a materialistic society where life is strewn with a thousand problems, one
day is every day. America is a country in which there is a competition for money without any spiritual
purpose. Actually in a modern society social position depends upon the possession of money. Everyone
respect him who is capable of earning money to live a life of luxury.

Comments of Saul Bellow in Seize the Day-

“Bringing people into the here-and-now. The real universe. That’s the present moment. The past is no
good to us. The future is full anxiety. Only the present is real—the here-and-now. Seize the Day.
“One think should be clear to you now. Money making is aggression. That’s the whole thing.
The functionalistic explanation is the only one. People come to the market to kill. They say, ‘I’m going to
make a killing. ‘It’s not accidental courage to kill, and they erect a symbol of it. The money. They make a
killing by fantasy.”

“Seize the Day” means:

‘To do the things one wants to do when there is the chance instead of waiting for a later time.’ So
unlike Saul Bellow I want to say-
“The past is no good. The future is anxiety. Only the present is real-the here-and-now. Seize the Day.”(p-
66)

Contemporary society

A contemporary society is defined as a setting characterized by technological innovation and increasing

human interconnection and globalization. It brings about changes such as increased life expectancy,
literacy and gender equality, bringing a natural equilibrium.
In word it is easy to say what is the task of the modern society, but in reality, we are neglecting some of
the issue. In fact, with all the development that the modern era brought to us, for instance internet,
television, which helps us, being more and more comfortable in our homes, we tend to overlook, and
surpass others in need.
There many problems of contemporary society like, world poverty, animals’ rights, immigration,
physician assisted suicide, freedom of religion, hate speech, cloning, income inequality, pornography, gun
rights, racial profiling, capital punishment, over population, prostitution, drug legalization, torture etc,
In our contemporary we are seeing the many problems among them economical problem is the main,
which I found surprisingly left somewhere to be blown by the wind is Globalization. Its purpose is to
bring everyone at a certain level, standard of living, but in fact from what I see and it’s only my point of
view, in this society there are only two classes, those who are rich and who are trying to become wealthier
by exploiting those who form the lower class, who live below the standards. This rule applies not only in
our country, but even at a broader level, and scale in much more poorer countries than ours. If we take a
second and look at our society, even if we are the worst paid citizens from the European Union, with a
very lowest salaries rate, somehow we manage to spoil our self’s with luxury.

Reflection of contemporary society-

The people in our contemporary society, who want to enjoy their life with luxurious, for earning more
money they move one place to another. There are many family in our society those relationships are
broken for money. Some family’s parent both are service holder, for this, children are isolated from their
parent. In this situation, the relationships of husband-wife, parents-children, sister brother, etc is not good.
We are also seeing the reflection in our contemporary society the “old age home” where older parents are
left by their children. Children murder their parents like, Oishee who has murdered her parent for money
because she was nurturing hatred for her parents as they tried to discipline her as she had been a regular
taker of contraband yaba tablets. Her hatred led to the killing of her father, a police officer, and her
mother on August 16,2013. in their house in the capital.
The people of the little world of “Seize the Day” represent the society. They all are hungry for money. It
is the god of the modern world. Dr. Adler refuses to help his needy son because he does not want to spend
for any other man even for his son. Money is more important than his filial affection. They eat in the same
table but does not share his son’s distress. Margarete, his estranged wife, prolongs her divorce to squeeze
money from Tommy. The so-called surrogate father of Tommy, Dr. Tamkin violates his bond of
friendship for money. The relationship between man and man depends on money. The age-old Rapport
hankers after money.

To conclude, Saul bellow’s “Seize the Day” and our contemporary society, I want to say that, in
human society love is instinct but money has driven men to be inhuman and bestial in their attitude to life.
So, money lives at the centre of life and it has made man animal in the true sense of the term. Love is
perverted in the modern society, it is used to buy pleasure in life this sacred instinct of man brings men
closer but in the modern world, it is misused and causes disintegration in the society. The foundation of
human society has been threatened to collapse because of greed. Trust and faith are no more found in the
modern society.