The Prison Questions and Answers
The Prison
What are the themes in "The Prison"?
Imprisonment by life’s circumstances is the main theme of “The Prison: A Story,” by Bernard Malamud. Although there are allusions to Tommy’s past, when he was Tony, as a petty teenaged criminal, he...
The Prison
Describe the character of Tommy Castelli.
It looks like you are referring to Tommy Castelli, the candy store owner in Bernard Malamud's short story, The Prison. Tommy Castelli is a reformed juvenile delinquent. At the age of twenty-nine,...
The Prison
What does the short story "The Prison" by Bernard Malamud show about human relationships?
Bernard Malamud's short story highlights the complexity inherent in intimate relationships and the unhappiness strained relationships engender. The story also shows that being in an unhappy...
The Prison
In "The Prison," what is the symbolism of the candy store in Tommy's life?
Because Tommy never wanted the candy store or his marriage to Rosa—he "wouldn't spit on a candy store" the first time his would-be father-in-law offered it to him—it seems that this life, including...
The Prison
How do you interpret the title of the story?
Bernard Malamud's title "The Prison" works on a number of levels. As has been suggested, Tommy's situation includes various types of prisons in the form of "the unendurably slow hours and endless...
The Prison
Who helped Tommy open the candy shop in "The Prison"?
When you think about, it Tommy Castelli's lead a pretty charmed life. (Though he wouldn't agree; at the age of twenty-nine he thinks his life is a "screaming bore"). Many other young men of his age...
The Prison
Why did Rosa's father break the slot machine brought by Tommy in "The Prison"?
Tommy's trying to do the right thing by installing a slot machine in his father-in-law's candy store. He figures that it'll bring in more customers. Also, it'll provide Tommy and Rosa with a little...
The Prison
What is Tommy's profession? His work hours?
I would like to discuss the prison theme a little more and expand on how Tommy's long work hours are a symbol of his defeat and his entrapment. As a young boy, Tommy Castelli fantasized about...
The Prison
How does Malamud memorably portray suffering in "The Prison"?
In the story, Malamud memorably portrays suffering by highlighting the many instances Tommy Castelli is thwarted and defeated in his efforts to improve his life. The author focuses on Tommy's...
The Prison
How does setting affect the plot of "The Prison" by Bernard Malamud?
"The Prison" is a short story by Jewish-American author Bernard Malamud from his 1958 anthology The Magic Barrel. In the story, a young man named Tommy Castelli feels stifled by his life and...