Hope and Saul BellowPeople grow up with respect for their elders, their society and their way of life. We learn from the people around us and from our own experience. Saul Bellow presents his moral code and the standards he believes people should follow. His characters experience loneliness and distance from society. They blame the people around them, society and religion. Each character believes in something; hope is everything to them. They believe they can promote change and achieve a moral standard. Bellow believes in the human spirit. His characters show that no matter what is presented to us or whatever hand fate deals us, we can overcome. Bellow recognizes the primitive tendencies latent in human beings. Scratch the surface of human civilization and you will find the beast lying just beneath. As Frank D. McConnell says, “the shuddering recognition of how little distance separates us from the savagery of our origins, from the fragility of the civilization that makes, we continue to tell ourselves, our life worth living.” be experienced.” Bellow's protagonists sense this dark side of the human spirit that lurks within society. They struggle to find decency and meaning in the chaos of the world. In Bellow's novel The Victim, the main character, Asa Leventhal, a Chicago resident, struggles with his identity in subtle ways. Instead of philosophizing about who he is and what he does, he creates conflicts with people and society. Allbee lost his job and had a drinking problem, Levanthal could have helped him find a new job or given him assistance. He is unsure of what he is doing, because despite his wish to ignore and deny his old friend Kirby Allbee, he also feels obligated to help him. Allbee places all the blame on Levanthal for losing his job. If Levanthal had spoken to him and told him that it was also due to his drinking problem and relationship difficulties, he wouldn't be blamed for costing Allbee his job. Instead, he takes responsibility for not wanting to confront Allbee, wanting none of Allbee's problems to invade his life. As Derek Rubin writes in his analysis of Levanthal's flaws, "the fact that Levanthal is caught between his desire to reject Allbee and his inability to ignore Allbee's request for help is linked to his insecurity as a man marginal” (1). Kirby tries to reason with Leventhal, but he is turned away. “ “Watch your speech,” said Leventhal stiffly...