Seize the Day is a 1956 novella by the Nobel Prize-winning Canadian-American author Saul Bellow.
It tells the story of Tommy Wilhelm and his father Dr. Adler, who live in a large city, brood over their lives, and struggle with the problems which they have with each other. Much place is devoted to the philosophical views expressed by Tamkin, an experienced stock player who became a sort of father figure for Tommy. (The book is in no way connected with Joyce's Ulysses.) The plot concentrates on Tommy's attempts to get a sufficient amount of money to put his life in relative order. However, as this is a realist novel, further problems ensue — and the reader is not told whether this is due to Tommy's childishness, Adler's indifference, or the overall condition of contemporary society.
It was adapted into a 1986 Made-for-TV Movie starring Robin Williams (which shouldn't be confused with Dead Poets Society, despite that movie being set in The '50s and having Williams' character utter this work's title phrase).
Provides examples of:
- A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: Despite being unemployed, Tommy squanders away what money he has earned at an expensive hotel (where he tips generously), and ultimately gives away his savings to a con artist who gambles it away on risky commodities trading, on the naive assumption that he'll soon be very rich.
- All Jews Are Cheapskates: Or, at least, Dr. Adler is. Tommy's own attitude may be seen as an aversion of this trope.
- Attending Your Own Funeral: An interesting, metaphorical example: Tommy attends a stranger's funeral but mourns for himself. This may suggest that everyone is more or less in Tommy's position, which would make him Everyman.
- Con Man: Dr. Tamkin, who most likely isn't even a legitimate MD and probably isn't the commodities trading genius that he claims to be - he's just good at convincing others that he is so he can take their money to "invest".
- Conspicuous Consumption: Tommy sees successful people (and those feigning success) flaunting their wealth by showing off their expensive luxury goods and lifestyle.
- Didn't Think This Through: Tommy throughout the story, from quitting his job on a whim to agreeing to put what little money he has left into the commodities market based on Tamkin's empty promise to reimburse his half.
- Divorce Assets Conflict: Tommy and his wife are a classic example.
- Downer Ending: Tommy is left unemployed, penniless, and completely alone in the world. In his final scene, he accidentally walks into a stranger's funeral and sits down sobbing uncontrollably.
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Tommy thinks is is the case, and Tamkin encourages this belief.
- I Have No Son!: To put it mildly, Dr. Adler is not very proud of Tommy.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Tommy just wants to be wealthy and successful to win his father's approval and to rub shoulders with the rich and famous.
- Loser Protagonist: Tommy is a rather pitiful character who quits his job out of spite, is unable to find gainful employment, ultimately squanders away what little money he has left, and has strained, dysfunctional relationships with his his father, children, and ex-wife.
- Manchild: According to Alfred Kazin's interpretation, Tommy is one.
- Shout-Out: Tommy is in many ways a younger version of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.
- The Shrink: We do not know if Tamkin really is one (probably not), but the fact that he presents himself in this way is meaningful to the plot.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Tommy gives all of his money to Tamkin, who promises to invest it into commodities that will guarantee a profit, and at the very least will reimburse Tommy for half if the money is lost. Tamkin takes Tommy's money, does who knows what with it, and disappears, leaving Tommy with nothing.
- This Loser Is You: Tommy is an extreme case, but he exhibits all too common traits in his desperate search for a get-rich-quick scheme that will pay off.
- Trickster Mentor: Tamkin, in a way. The matter is complicated, because he doesn't primarily aim at giving Tommy a lesson but at getting advantage of him.
