Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Irving Feldman's poem "The Golden Schlemiel" offers a multifaceted narrative that intertwines social commentary, satire, and pathos to explore the concepts of morality, poverty, and systemic injustice. The poem centers on a cab driver named Deif in Cairo, who, despite finding $5,000 in the backseat of his cab while his daughter was gravely ill, returns the money to its owner instead of using it for her treatment. The decision results in his daughter's death and leads to an ironic reward of a locally built Fiat from the President. Feldman crafts a richly layered critique of both individual and systemic behaviors in the face of dire circumstances.

The poem opens with a straightforward narrative: "So there's a cabbie in Cairo named Deif. / So he found 5,000 bucks in the back seat." The repetitive "So" adds a storytelling rhythm, emphasizing the sequential logic of Deif's story and his fateful decision to return the money: "So he looked for the fare and gave it back. / So then the kid died." Feldman uses this repetition to mock the linearity of moral tales, highlighting how the sequence of events doesn't lead to a fairy-tale ending.

Instead, Deif is fired for "doing good deeds on company time," but his story catches the attention of the President, who rewards him with a Fiat. Feldman captures the absurdity and irony of the situation: "For the locally assembled daughter / a locally assembled Fiat." This line underscores the replacement of a human life with a trivial material reward, emphasizing the state's detachment from genuine empathy.

The poem transitions to broader philosophical commentary, noting that "A poor man has less than weight, has negative gravity, / his life a slow explosion." Deif's life becomes a metaphor for systemic poverty, where "Irony, injustice, bits of horror come close, cohere." Feldman presents the poor as marginalized, reduced to "a slow explosion" in a society that disregards their suffering.

Feldman then delves into the human psyche, comparing "the poor" to "the inner life which is wantless too; / our souls' white globes float somehow in the blue." He juxtaposes Deif's suffering with the ethereal "bubbling fleshpots," pointing to the disparity between the impoverished and the privileged classes. The poem argues that "Our effort to remake the found world as the lost reverie is desire," indicating how the desire for a better life drives people to idealize opportunities that are ultimately unattainable.

Deif’s tragedy is encapsulated through the fate of his daughter Yasmin: "little Yasmin was sick, sick to the point of dying. / She was like a garden coughing and drying." The garden metaphor captures the fragility and beauty of Yasmin’s life, which wilts because Deif returned the "satchel of money meekly baaing from the rear." The stark contrast between potential salvation and the bleak outcome reveals the crushing irony of Deif’s moral choice.

The President's intervention adds another layer of irony, as he "proclaims, Fix this! (Fixed!), Do this! (Done!)." He presents Deif with the Fiat, ensuring that "Deif has no claim on the moral law, no dignity, / no destiny, no daughter." The President removes the visible injustice by giving Deif a car, but the tragedy remains untouched as "injustice is removed, and nothing left in its place."

Feldman critiques how media perpetuates narratives of suffering: "And daily in four editions and every hour on / the hour, the media heap your dish with images / of sorrows and suffering, cruelty, maiming, death." The constant exposure to tragedy desensitizes the audience, leaving them as passive "Consumer[s] of woes." The poem portrays the frustration and impotence of consuming news stories that highlight suffering without offering resolution.

Deif’s eventual acceptance of his fate is marked by his "air de chauffeur," deferring to the car that symbolizes his reward and punishment. He "bows, approaching the door," believing "it can’t be Deif, must be another." Feldman illustrates Deif’s internal conflict between gratitude for his reward and the reality of his loss. The poem suggests that Deif embodies the ultimate schlemiel, a hapless fool caught in the gears of systemic cruelty.

The poem concludes with an imaginative reflection on the state's indifference to individual suffering: "Besides, the State abhors the inner life, finds its rich wantlessness, its invisible reverie uninteresting because unmanageable." Feldman criticizes how the state seeks to "create the desire it will manage," reducing individuals like Deif to mere pawns. The President’s actions turn Deif into a symbol of loyalty and compliance, robbing him of his dignity and individual grief.

In "The Golden Schlemiel", Feldman masterfully intertwines personal tragedy with social critique. The poem’s use of satire, irony, and pathos reveals the absurdity of moral decision-making in a world where systemic oppression and privilege dictate the terms of justice. Deif's story serves as a grim reminder of how good intentions can be manipulated by powerful interests, leaving individuals trapped in a cycle of poverty, loss, and exploitation.

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