Fiddler on the roof is a musical that is based on Tevye and his daughters. The story revolves around Tevye with his efforts to sustain his family as well as the Jewish religious traditions. The only challenge he is facing is the fact that outside effects are encroaching upon his family. The conflict that Tevye faces is the fact that he has to collect much money so as to pay dowries for his daughters. However, his investment in the stock market does not do well hence making it difficult for his girls to marry any person within their socioeconomic bracket. This leaves husbands who are too rich to care or husbands that do not mind living with the poor.
The complication arises from the fact that despite Tevye’s projected plans to let her daughter get married to a wealthy and common man, Tzeitl gets married to a poor tailor. On the contrary, she becomes very happy. This brings in a new aspect where the marriage becomes love based rather than an arranged marriage. Hodl’s also marriages a person similar to Tzeitl’s.
The climax occurs when Chava falls for a non-Jew to the extent that they both elope and hide in the house of the priest. This forces Tevye to disown her and then refuses to acknowledge her when they meet in the street. However, during the conflict against the Jews in their village, Shprintze becomes engaged to a rich young man. The fact that her family did not feel so thrilled caused her to drown herself. Because of this, Beilke accepts to an organized marriage with rich contractor. As the story comes to an end everything falls in place. Tevye pardons Chava, her daughter who returns willingly.
Works Cited
Bock, Jerry, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein. Fiddler On The Roof. New York: Crown Publishers, 1965. Print.
