Review: A Contract With God and Other Tenement Stories
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Introduction: Denny O'Neil
What he (Eisner) has given us are those memories, as tales, and realized in a fusion of image and copy. They are simple and they are harsh; there are no easy morals to be gotten from them. The good guys don’t win and the bad guys don’t lose, because there are no good guys and bad guys. Instead, there are lonely, frightened and ambitious people, immigrants seeking relief from poverty, despair and dread, that, unhappy as the present is, the future might be worse
Considered one of the pioneer stalwarts in the Graphic novel field, Will Eisner’s most well known works would have to be the Spirit series he had penned during the 40s. But his most critically appreciated works have to be the ‘Comics and Sequential Art’ series as well as ‘A Contract with God’ published in 1978.
In wanting to use comics/ graphic novels as a medium to tell series, more human stories, Eisner could be seen as almost Miyazaki-esque in perspective. Which caters well for this work, which doesn’t follow the usual good vs evil narrative, or not even the standard of what one would consider as a comic format.
Stories about people, neither good nor evil, some scared, anxious, miserable, hopeful, ambitious and looking towards a better tomorrow, A Contract with God could be considered as a cultural anthology of the migrant Jewish community of New York in which Eisner himself grew up. In the poor, constrained series of tenements which he and thousand other migrants called home, and where they struggled to eke out a meager existence, amidst dispossession and discrimination.
In this sense, the series of four tales told in this anthology, could be seen as those which have varying elements of reality. For when writing them, Eisner had tapped into his own childhood memories and experiences. The Story ‘Cookalein’ might even be the most autobiographical of the lot, with Eisner himself portrayed as a character.
But befitting of someone who kept pushing the conventions of the field, pages in the book are not cordoned off by the typical margin squares or speech bubbles, one has come to associate with the genre.
There are no panels, and the entire page is used to draw the vast cityscapes and the narrative that forms within. Oftentimes, the lines from buildings, the tenements themselves. Are used as margins to order the page. Drawn in black and white, the series uses a Chiaroscuro style of drawing, which is made of full use in the incessant scenes of thunder and downspout, as well as the almost claustrophobic interior of the tenements themselves.
Chapter 1: A contract with God
Frimme Hersch is a elderly Jewish gentleman, who was sent to America from his persecuted community in Russia, so that he at least might live a good life. A pious and kind boy, he had on leaving his home, wrote his covenant/ contract with God, to live an honest and devout life, so that God would make that life proper.
Starting his new life, Hersh continued his kind, helpful ways, in time becoming one of pillars of his community, and honest enough that he was put in charge of the assets of their local synagogue. One night, someone left a baby girl in front of his door. Taking this to be a sign from god, he adopted the infant as his own, named her Rachele and brought her up lovingly. But barely was she thirteen, but illness took her away.
After her burial, he returned home a changed man. In anger he accused God of breaking their covenant. Had he not lived his life as a good man, helped others and followed scripture. Why, he asked, was he deserving of this? That night enraged, Frimme threw away the stone tablet, the will of his covenant.
He shaved his beard, and renounced his religion. Using the communal funds entrusted to him, Frimme became a real estate tycoon, growing rich, buying into luxury and keeping a gentile lady as his companion.
Fast forward several years, the rich, callous, indifferent and miserly Hersh, finds something missing in life. No matter how much money he made, how many buildings he owned, there was a hole in his heart, which neither alcohol, nor his beautiful companion could fill.
So he went to his old synagogue and the three wise elders who presided over it. In exchange for their old building, he wanted them, with all their deep knowledge of scripture to write for him, a new contract; exhaustive, well worded and by which he intended to live his future life.
After the deed, Frimme took his exhaustive home home, and was determined to live a better life, where he would be a better man and give to the needy and be charitable. No sooner had he made this vow, was he afflicted with a heart attack and died soon after.
Days after his funeral, several of his buildings caught fire after being struck by lighting. Except for the old tenement which he had written to the synagogue. A young boy, who had earlier that day saved a child from a burning building and was praised for it, came to possess Hersh’s stone tablet, and taking its words for faith, signed his own name in it, as its latest adherent.
Thoughts:
The titular first story is one that is close to the author’s life. Having gone through a similar traumatic experience, the loss of his adopted daughter had caused Eisner to question his own covenant with God. He had channeled his personal anguish from the loss, to question the sacred contract with the divine, and his personal anguish at the injustice of his innocent child who would never be able to experience the full life she deserved.
This tale touches on man’s search for meaning, and their need to believe in a force higher than themselves, to enable them to live a righteous life. Plato, in his treatise the Republic, makes an argument for the just man. Let the man who is just in character, spend his entire life under the shadow and misconception of being someone unjust. Instead of appreciation and respect, he is met with derision and spite. He holds all the responsibilities of his station, but none of its accolades. A man who is just for all intentions of the word, will, until the moment of death be able to maintain his existence and morals, not being bent by the inadequacies of others.
But most, when faced with challenges or crises in their way of life, chose to bend to it, and change their own outlook. Despite being a righteous man, who lived a devout life, Frimme Hersh was rewarded for it, with the death of his daughter, his most precious creature. This causes him to renounce his faith and God, and turn to the path of the unjust materialistic man. He turns his back on his principles and the very goodwill he had built up over the years.
And, on his death, the contract which he discarded, was picked up by a new initiate, who signs it and is willing to be the new adherent to the covenant. Does this represent how belief can make saints of men? Or is it a cautionary tale of how morals and character build of murky foundations can either lead to blind devotion, or fragile convictions? Read into it as you see fit.
Chapter 2: The Street Singer
During the troubling impoverished times in the 30s and 40s, one could find among the alleys of tenements, down on their luck characters, who made some loose pennies by singing popular songs and operatic pieces to the tenants of said buildings.
One such day, a haggard minstrel was performing his trade in an alley, when he was invited up to the room of Diva Marta Maria, a retired Soprano singer, who had retired after marriage, only to be abused by her drunk husband, who soon left her in death.
She heard the man’s voice and saw the promise in it. Desiring his voice and his talent, she offers him an opportunity to become a popular star, with her by his side as his coach and lover. After making love, she sends him off to clean up, and make himself presentable with some cash.
The singer, Eddie is an out of work accountant, with no formal training in singing, and a drunk himself, taking care of a pregnant wife and child. He buys booze for the money he got, and barely leaves anything for the family. Once drunk, he too is none too reluctant to beat up the wife.
Next day, he goes off, dreaming of making it big, after learning from the Diva. But soon, to his horror, he realizes that he had not memorized the room in which she lived. He had roamed around a number of alleys singing, and at this point all of them looked the same.
Cursing a lost opportunity, he moves on to sing, in a new alley, to a new audience. There were after all a lot of them to choose from.
Chapter 3: Super
Mr. Scruggs the Super at 55 dropsie was not much liked by anyone, much less his tenets. As far as he was concerned the feeling was mutual. A lifetime of nagging, complaints and whispering behind his back had made him a petty tyrant who did things at his own gosh darn time. Perhaps the only other person Scruggs cares about is his dog Hugo.
One day, after visiting the room of one of the tenants, he returns to his chamber, feeds Hugo and begins fantasizing about her underage niece. Shortly afterwards the girl herself comes to his room, and offers a peek in exchange for a nickel. Once he does, and gives her the money, she offers more. As Scruggs goes to close the door, she poisons the dog and runs off with his money chest.
An enraged Scruggs, takes out his pistol and runs after her, cornering her in the alley. But the commotion draws out the tenants who all accuse the Super of trying to molest and harm the young girl.
Disheartened and feeling guilty, Scruggs returns to his chamber, completes his Super tasks for the day, and locks himself in his room, cradling his dead dog. The tenants call the cops, who threaten to break down his door. They never get the chance, as Mr. Scruggs turns his pistol to his head, and commits suicide. As his body is being taken away, the tenants are all heard adding more and more faults to the character of the terrible man, who had tried to hurt an innocent child.
The last panel sees Marie the girl in question, sitting on the steps of the tenement counting the money from her haul, while a sign saying ‘Super wanted’ hangs over the dead man’s window.
Thoughts:
Perhaps the most divisive of the lot, ‘Super’ shows an unpleasant anti-Semitic superintendent lusting after an underage girl and eating a bullet for his trouble. But, he is also driven to suicide by the same girl, who steals his money, kills his dog and accuses him of pedophilia, all for her own gain, with an almost sociopathic indifference. We are at times left to ponder whom to give focus to, especially when we see the lonely, unappreciated existence of the Super, and his compassion for his dog, the one ally he has in life. All in all, this story leaves a bad taste in your mind.
Chapter 4: Cookalein
It is summer, and the inhabitants of 55 dropsie, take their annual trip to Cookalein, i.e. the cook-for-yourself hotels in the country. They travel there to unwind, relax, and for some to socialize and find their other half.
Sam sends his wife Fannie and his two boys Petey and Willie, up to the country, so that he can spend a month with his mistress, unbeknownst to them. Elsewhere receptionist Goldie and wool worker Benny both leave for the country, with the aim of catfishing some wealthy mark, and marrying into their rich family for an easy life. Both are using their savings to masquerade as rich folk.
At the grossman hotel, both Goldie and Benny chance upon one another and mistake the other for a mark, ‘fall in love’ and make plans to wed. But when the gig is up, an enraged Benny rapes Goldie, who is comforted and treated by the intern Herbie, who had been fond of her. He then confronts Benny, threatening to reveal his sexual impotence if he ever came close to Goldie.
Elsewhere, Sam has come to the country, to ask for divorce from Fannie, so that he can be with his lover. Fannie is having none of it, having known about the affair for a while now. She cares not with whom he sleeps, but she won’t give him a divorce, and jeopardize their children’s future.
Young willie, who was sleeping in the barn, is approached by Mrs. Irving, an older lady with whom he had shared a dance, and whom had shown an interest in him. That night, she propositions him, and takes his virginity. Soon after, they’re confronted by her husband. A violent man, Mr. Irving proceeds to beat his wife, and then bed her in front of a terrorized Willie, which Mrs. Irving seems to like it in fact.
At the end of summer, all the vacationers return to their confined city homes. Goldie and Herbie are engaged, so was Benny and some rich girl. While in the final page, Willie, staring out the balcony reminisces about his first experience.
Thoughts:
The most autobiographical of the stories, the characters are taken directly from Eisner’s own family. And indeed, willie who gets entangled in the affairs of the married women, is in Eisner’s own words his personal coming of age sexually. But, other than that, there is little to write home about.
View all my reviews
Comments
Post a Comment