isher, was to him. Pop’s misfortunes during his long life made Roy think about what might happen to him if he would be together with Iris when her bay was born. Fearing that his life would be ruined if he had to take care of a child, Roy makes his choice and decides not to continue having relations with Iris. A second example of symbolism is Major League Baseball history and how it plays a big part in the development of both the characters and the story line. Baseball is America’s pastime and Malamud created this book to be a part of the true American grain (Abramson 22). The path which Roy’s career follows portrays both Eddie Waitkus’ and Babe Ruth’s careers. Eddie Waitkus, over his eleven-year career played for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies twice, and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1949, while playing for the Phillies, he was lured into a hotel room by a crazed female sports fan (Wasserman 48). Subsequently, he was shot in the stomach, ending his season. In The Natural, the same happens to Roy. Harriet seduces him and shoots him in the stomach, inflicting an injury so serious as to cause Roy to miss fifteen years of his career. After those 15 years on a personal disabled list, Roy returns to baseball to become a contemporary hero, transforming himself into a slugger rather than being a pitcher. Babe Ruth himself made this great transformation over his career (48). Ruth pitched for 10 of his 22 years in baseball compiling a 94-46 record. However, over the beginning years of his career, he realized his real strengths were his offensive skills and he became the incredible legend known to all today.“Pop’s blunder” mirrors Chuck Hostetler’s fall in the ’45 series that cost his team a game (47). Wile playing for the Detroit Tigers in 1945, Hostetler cost his team a World Series victory when he slipped, tripped, and fell rounding third base on his attempt to score...
