A brief summary of “The Boy Motl” by Sholem Aleichem
Part I. Motl is the son of Cantor Pacey
The father of the nine-year-old Motla, cantor Peisya, is seriously ill, and the mother, along with Eli’s eldest son, sells things. Motloo is fun to watch how buyers are traded, and expanse to sleep on the floor when the beds are sold.
Elia decides to give Motla to the cantor in the singers. The boy will learn how to sing, he will be fed there, and Elia will receive money from the cantor. But to sing Motla it is not necessary, he helps the cantor on an economy.
Neighbor Pesya gives the butcher his calf, with whom Motl loved to play, the two calves do not feed her. There comes a holiday, and Pesya treats the Motla family. Mother cries, although it is forbidden to cry on a holiday.
On the holiday, the father dies, and Motl now has to go to the synagogue twice a day to read the prayer. He, like an orphan, forgives all the pranks, everyone wants at least something to help the unfortunate family. Pesya takes Motla to
Elia marries the daughter of the rich baker Johanna Broche, gets “into the money box,” and the neighbors help the groom to fix the wedding. Mother, as always, cries.
There is not enough money in the house, and Motl must spend the night with a rich old man, so that he does not stay alone for the night. The servant of the old man treats Motl well, tries to feed him, and when Motl’s mother comes, she feeds her too. At night the old man tells the boy about Jewish sages, but wants to eat it.
Mother is not very happy with her daughter-in-law, but Eli has a rich father-in-law. Johanna is terribly angry when Motl takes the donut from the oven. Eli takes the side of her father-in-law, and her mother calls for help from God, the defender of orphans, and Eli’s father-in-law soon becomes bankrupt. Elia and Broha come to live with their mother. She concedes to them the only bed in the house.
Alya buys a smart book in which it is
Elia does not lose heart and decides to start producing ink. Having smeared like devils, the whole family produced so much ink that there is nowhere to put the furniture, since the whole house is occupied with bottles, as if an ink hunger had come. Motl first sees his mother laughing. But ink goes badly, and money, basically, is enclosed in bottles, and Эля decides to sell bottles. To do this, he pours out ink at night, accidentally pouring stockings, which the neighbor hung on the fence. Now the Motla family must pay damages. The next portion of ink El poured into the river. But now the river can not be washed, and the horses can not drink water from it.
Alya decides to take up the production of powder, which displays rats, mice and all other evil spirits. At first, customers come, but Motl accidentally drops a bag of powder, and everyone in the neighborhood begins to sneeze. Comrade Eli, shortsighted and scattered Pinha, whose tie is always on his back, one leg is tucked up and that when walking comes on his own feet, burns the book.
Pinha is a very educated man, he eclipsed the rabbi with his scholarship. Once he wrote rhymes about him, there was a scandal, and Pini’s father blew him until he gave a word that he would not write a single rhyme anymore. Pini’s father-in-law is holding a flour shop, but Pinya Tayble’s wife is sitting in the shop, and Pinha is sitting at home reading books and saying that he suffocates. Pinha wants to go to America and become a “big man”.
After listening to Pina, Elia also decides to go to America. The Motla family sells the house at auction. Mother cries again.
Saying goodbye to neighbors and remaining relatives, having received advice from them, Motl with his mother, Elia with his wife and Pinya and his family leave. Everyone is crying, and Motl is happy to sit on a cart loaded with things.
With a multitude of knots in which blankets, pillows and clothes, passengers are not allowed into the car. Pinya agrees with the head of the train, speaking some abstruse words, and knots are handed over to luggage.
In a crowded car between Pinea and the passengers, a fight begins. Pinha wants to hit one, but falls blindly into another. The conductor brings order, many passengers have already left, and you can take good places. Pinya gets acquainted with fellow travelers and it turns out that many also go to America. Everyone is discussing where it is better to violate the border.
Deciding that the best way to violate the border in Ungheni, Pinha and Alya are looking for agents. They find a very devout woman who explains how to cross the border, and is taken to smuggle luggage. On the way they will find a tavern in which one must go and find two men who will help. Women are afraid, my mother cries again, and El with Pinea and Motl tease: women are even afraid of cats.
Pinya enters the indicated tavern and disappears. At last he comes out and says that these men are asleep, and they can not be awakened. Now Elia goes to the tavern, and he manages to wake them up. Guys demand money, threatening with knives. Brocha faints from fear, fainting, Tylle falls behind her, and shots are heard. From fear all run and stop already far on the other side of the border. Everyone laughs, and only my mother, as always, cries.
Once in Brody, our travelers understand that the woman deceived them and took their luggage. Mom is crying: what will she do in America without pillows? They tell everyone how they crossed the border, each in different ways, and they correct each other. People listen to them and say that they should thank destiny.
The news comes that the woman who took the things was put in jail. Mom comes to the conclusion that it’s better than they would lose money, and even they would be stabbed. She cries again, and Elia worries that she will have problems with her eyes, and they will not be allowed to go to America.
Our travelers come to Lviv, where there is a committee for emigrants. Having met immigrants who escaped from pogroms, my mother realizes that they are not worse than everyone else. Only one person works from the committee. After listening to how everyone differently tells about what happened, the committee member says that he is the worst of all, since he does not know what to do with such a lot of emigrants. Elia and Piney decide to go to Krakow.
In Krakow, they stay in a hotel for immigrants. Motl meets his peer, who survived the pogrom. The boy believes that Motl, who does not know what it is, is a calf compared to it.
Having heard from emigrants that in the committee where only morals are read, nothing can be achieved, our heroes go to Vienna. Pinha writes poetry and hopes that in America he will become rich, because there rhymes and poems are a good product.
Parents Brohi travel to America through Antwerp, and our travelers go there. In Antwerp, they meet with the Pesci family. Now everyone is waiting for the doctor’s checks and are afraid that someone may have trachoma, and then they will not be allowed to go to America. Motl acquainted with his contemporary Godele. Her entire family went to America, and the girl was not allowed because of trachoma. The family could not stay, because the tickets were gone, and now Godel is being treated, but so far unsuccessfully. Motl also finds himself a friend of Mendl. Mendel was lost on the way, and the emigration assistance committee is trying to find his parents.
Fears of Eli were not in vain, my mother refuses the doctor because of her eyes. The family of Pesey and Broha’s family are leaving, Elia and Pina are planning to go to America via London, and her mother, despite her problems with her eyes, is crying again. Motla is sorry to leave Antwerp, it is especially pitiful to part with Godele, who always cries, longing for her parents.
In London, our travelers enter the Jewish quarter. For the fact that Pinya compares it with Berdichev, he gets so that he almost gets taken to the hospital.
Part II. In America
To get to America, travelers board the ship Prince Albert. Mendel is traveling with them. The Motla family finds a lot of friends on the boat. Women discuss household chores, men – earnings, persecutions, pogroms. Mottle and Mendle run around the ship. Passengers of the upper grades drive the boys who are traveling third class from their decks. Pinya makes a speech in which he says that in America there are no classes, there the beggar can sit next to the president, this is a country of real freedom and justice. A passenger interrupts Pinya and asks: where are the beggars from? But here comes Yom Kippur, and everyone becomes equal. Remembering that a year ago they lived at home, and now wander, people in white tales pray and cry. It’s time for mom!
The next day a strong storm begins. People do not have time for prayers, women scandal, they faint. At last the sea calms down, and passengers arrive to America. They feel the same way as the Jews who crossed the Red Sea.
Passengers of the first and second class go ashore, and passengers of the third are locked in their cabins. One of the passengers quarrels with Pinea. He says that they are treated like a beast, and Pinha with fists defends America. Finally they are released for medical examination. Fortunately, my mother, with her tear-stained red eyes, does not pay attention. After checking the doctor find out who is from friends and relatives in America. Together with our heroes there are many people, each has its own tragic story, many are sent back, breaking families. Finally our travelers get permission and go to New York. Mendla they take to themselves.
Alya and his wife go to Broha’s parents, and Motl and his mother, Mendel and Pinha with their wife go to Pesa. Motla likes America. It is admired by high-rise buildings, transport. When Elia hit him, immediately someone jumped to Ele and said that even a brother should not be beaten by children.
Pesya and his family rent an apartment, where everyone has his own bedroom. The older children of Pesci work, and the younger must go to school. Pinha is delighted: there Jewish children were not admitted to the gymnasium, but here they dragged them by force.
Elia, Broha and Pinha and his wife are thinking about what to do, Motl and Mendel help the children of Pesi, and the mother and Tyler help Pesy in the household. Finally, Elia and Piney are taken to the factory by tailors. Women are unhappy, especially Broha, she does not like America at all: men need to get up early, they do not have time to pray, and they can not be late, because they will keep it out of earnings. Soon Pinya, because of her short-sightedness, is sewing her jacket and going to another workshop to work as a tinker. But there he scalded his nose. Pinya is ready for anything, just to live in America, because all the great people started from scratch.
At the factory workers announce a strike. Elia agitates and agrees with everyone, Pinya makes speeches in support of America, which he is not allowed to finish.
In the local synagogue, my mother meets almost all of her countrymen. After they left, a Jewish pogrom started in the city, the whole city was looted and burned. Through acquaintances, Mom arranges Elu with a waiter in a cafe. Broha and Table are also arranged with the help of my mother. Pinha grabs any work.
Ele bothers to work as a waiter, and he is arranged as an assembler to the clerk in the synagogue. But soon he becomes an assembler in a furniture factory, and Pinya works as an assembler in an insurance company. Pini’s business is going well, he can persuade. But their earnings depend on the financial situation of the customers, and Pinha and Eli decide to open their own business, sell drinks.
Business is successful in the summer, and in the winter they sell newspapers and cigarettes. Nevertheless, earnings are scarce and they decide to expand. To do this, they sell their stall, intending to buy a store. They also have to change the apartment.
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