44 pages • 1 hour read
Last Days of Summer
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Themes
Coming of Age on the Cusp of World War II
While Joey Margolis is initially presented as a bright, hyperactive child who drives his teacher to an unplanned leave of absence, he matures and evolves in every way over the course of the story. The beginning of his approach to manhood occurs in 1936, when his father divorces his mother and refrains from remaining in contact with him. Joey’s relocation to a largely Gentile neighborhood, which includes several rabid anti-Semites, results in his being assaulted on an almost daily basis. Nonetheless, he devises stories about the way his injuries occurred in an effort to protect his mother and aunt. He is aware that he must find a way to stop the beatings in order to survive his youth and starts writing his baseball hero, Charlie Banks, hoping that some recognition from this player will elevate his status in the neighborhood.
Another instance of maturation is seen when Joey falls in love with his classmate and future wife, Rachel. He initially seeks “negative attention” (17) from her; however, as he matures, he expresses his deep affection for her in letters. His teacher notes that his behavior improves markedly after Rachel comes to reciprocate his affection. When Joey reaches his 13th birthday, his bar mitzvah ceremony is planned, but his biological father refuses to participate, as is the tradition. Charlie Banks steps in to fill the role of Joey’s father in the ceremony, and this precipitates a complete sense of psychological paternity on Joey’s behalf. The final key to Joey’s transformation is the tragic loss of Charlie during World War II, yet the lessons learned from tutelage by the ballplayer remain with Joey over the course of his lifetime.
The Inevitability of Mortality
Death becomes more prevalent during the latter part of the book. While Joey is well aware of the horrors of the Holocaust and the death toll exacted by this event, he does not experience personal loss until the death of Charlie Banks. Despite the difference in their religious training, Charlie provides extensive spiritual advice to Joey as the story progresses. When the boy asks him why it is impossible to see God, the player responds that God is present in the faces of infants and loved ones. Joey is terrified of losing Charlie in the war; he presents a very persuasive argument as to how he would be of more use selling war bonds stateside than serving in the ranks; nonetheless, Charlie is shipped out to the Pacific. Like a good father, Charlie has prepared for others to assist Joey in his journey to manhood in the event of his demise. He leaves the boy a letter advising him that Charlie will always be able to watch him as he achieves great milestones as an adult. Joey loses his Aunt Carrie to cancer years later and notes that she had requested to say a traditional Passover prayer, “next year in Jerusalem,” on the last holiday prior to her passing.
The Impact of Ecumenicism
Ida Margolis and her sister, Carrie Gettinger, are the daughters of a man who served as the mayor of a small Russian town. His term ended abruptly when a pogrom, a violent attack upon Jews, was conducted in his town. Accordingly, his daughters are religious Jews and continue practicing their religion after their immigration to the U.S. and their relocation to a largely Christian neighborhood in Brooklyn. The author recalls the comedic irony of his mother and aunt contributing traditional Jewish dishes to feed local Italian widows and their children. When Charlie asks Joey to explain the different sorts of Judaism, the boy explains that his aunt is an Orthodox, or strictly religious Jew, while he and his mother are more moderate in their practice. Nonetheless, when Charlie, a confirmed Protestant, offers to serve as Joey’s father during his bar mitzvah, a very enlightened rabbi decides that it is acceptable to bend the rules in order to allow him to participate. Later in the book, Carrie repays this kindness by reading a passage referencing Christ from the New Testament at Charlie’s funeral, and Rabbi Lieberman arranges for traditional Jewish prayers for the Dead to be said in Charlie’s honor. Due to Joey’s engaging gregariousness, all those who love him are encouraged to negotiate a religious truce of sorts in order to participate more fully in his upbringing.
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