Murderers (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Leonard Michaels
- First Published: 1971
- Type of Plot: Impressionistic, coming of age
- Time of Work: The late 1940's
- Setting: New York City
- Principal Characters: The narrator, Melvin Bloom, Arnold Bloom, Harold Cohen, A rabbi, His wife
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Sex or sexuality, Twentieth century, New York City, 1940’s, Friendship, Inner cities or inner-city life, Jews or Jewish life, Accidents, Death or dying, Boys, Rabbis, Boredom
- Locales: New York, NY
The Story
“Murderers” is a first-person recollection of a crucial summer in the late 1940's when the unnamed narrator was a young teenager. The narrator is of Polish Jewish descent, living in the tenements of New York City. The recent deaths of some family members, immigrants who never left their neighborhood once they settled there, prompt him to seek adventure by exploring the city. He takes subway rides to exotic locations—sports stadiums, night club districts, amusement parks, and beaches—in search of novelty and excitement. One afternoon he meets three of his...
[The entire page is 1494 words long]
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