The Bellarosa Connection: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Bellarosa Connection" delves into the complex relationships and historical reflections of its major characters, primarily through the lens of memory and identity. The unnamed narrator, a memory expert and founder of the Mnemosyne Institute, recalls his encounters with Harry and Sorella Fonstein, a Jewish couple marked by their past experiences during World War II. Harry, a disabled European Jew, narrowly escapes Nazi capture thanks to the intervention of producer Billy Rose's agents, but struggles with feelings of rejection from Rose when they meet in America. Sorella, Harry's wife, embodies a fierce determination to confront Rose, utilizing the personal journal of his secretary to leverage a meeting with him, illustrating themes of anger and unresolved conflict.
Billy Rose, while a fictionalized version of the real-life producer, represents the complexities of personal suffering and the desire for emotional detachment. The characters collectively symbolize broader Jewish historical experiences, grappling with memory, loss, and the quest for understanding in a post-war context. The narrative invites reflection on the interplay between personal and collective histories, particularly in relation to identity and the enduring impact of past traumas. Through these characters, the story explores how individual lives are shaped by historical events and the ongoing struggle to reclaim memory amidst the challenges of modern existence.
The Bellarosa Connection: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Saul Bellow
First published: 1989
Genre: Novel
Locale: New York and Jerusalem
Plot: Social realism
Time: Late 1950's and the 1980's
The narrator, who is never named. He tells the story because he is looking at a picture of Harry and Sorella Fonstein. the narrator cannot forget them, not only because they are the central figures of an interesting story but also because he cannot forget anything. He is the founder of Philadelphia's Mnemosyne Institute, which trains people in techniques for improving their memories. the narrator has made millions in this business. At the time he tells the story, he has retired from the institute but retains his perfect memory. the narrator meets the Fonsteins in the United States and again in the 1950's in Jerusalem. Thirty years later, he gets a call from a rabbi who says that an old man in his congregation claims to be related to Harry Fonstein, whom he thinks is rich. the rabbi asks the narrator to help him find Fonstein. the narrator, after many false starts, finally telephones the Fonsteins' house. A house sitter informs him that the Fonsteins were killed in a wreck and that their son Gilbert, a memory expert, is now working the casinos in Las Vegas. the narrator realizes that his whole life has been taken up with memory, not only of facts and information but also of relationships; however, he has been able to understand little of what has happened. the narrator represents any Jew who tries to remember and understand the Jewish role in history, even the conflicts that Jews have among themselves.
Harry Fonstein, a disabled European Jew trapped in Italy during World War II. He was about to be turned over to the Nazis when he was rescued by Billy Rose's agents, who wanted to do something to help members of his ethnic group. When Fonstein arrives in America, he wants to thank Rose for his help, but on the one occasion when Fonstein encounters Rose, Rose turns away from him. Fonstein is so insulted by this behavior that he does not want to see Rose, thereby mimicking Rose's own rudeness.
Sorella Fonstein, Harry's wife, who is not willing to let Rose alone. She has obtained the personal journal of Rose's secretary, Deborah Hamet. the Fonsteins and the narrator are in Jerusalem (the narrator is there to open a branch of his memory training institute) when Rose arrives to establish a memorial. Sorella, who is not only a relentless woman but also a physically large one, meets with Rose and threatens to reveal the contents of Hamet's journal unless Rose meets with her husband. When Rose meets Sorella, he makes her so angry that she throws Hamet's journal at him, and it goes out the window. Rose has it retrieved and no longer has anything to fear from Sorella. Sorella's inability to control her anger against Rose is her downfall.
Billy Rose, who in reality was a famous producer and the husband of Fanny Brice; he is a fictional character in this story. the novel takes its title from a mispronunciation of his name. He does not want to see Fonstein because he thinks that it was enough to save him; he does not want to get involved in his life. the narrator suggests that Rose wants to be free to pursue his pain of trying to attract beautiful women and being rejected by them. the Fonsteins represent the ancient suffering of the Jewish people. Rose's life shows that suffering has to be re-created in the new world, if only by each Jew in his or her own life.