The short story "A Summer's reading" by Bernard Malamud depicts several themes, all of which relate to one another. I have chosen to describe the following theme: Laziness gets in the way of success. Laziness, which I believe is mostly caused by the lack of motivation, is an abstract feeling felt by everyone. For example, in the story "A Summer's reading", George, the main character, shows how lazy he is by showing his lack of interest for work and education. George, like many other people, does not realize that being lazy sacrifices his chances to succeed in life; some people however, such as in my case, have enough common sense to realize this and enough strength and discipline to get around laziness and make an effort to get some work done. .
In the story, as I mentioned before, George Stayonovich happens to be indolent. George is a 20-year old guy, who quit highschool at the age of sixteen, proving he is a very idle individual. Although he is embarrassed for halting his education, George has not tried anything to resume his studies. The beginning of the story tells us a lot about George, how he hasn't been able to find a job, and how he is pitied by people at his neighborhood. George's only money source is his older sister, Sophie, who will occasionally lend him a few bucks. George has failed to succeed in life and it's mainly because of his laziness. Laziness has affected him in many ways: he has become a liar, he is a solitary person. In the story George claims to have read 100 books over the summer. This however is a lie, which he made up to gain the respect of the people at the neighborhood, mainly that of his neighbor Mr. Catanzara, and Sophie. To keep the secret, he decides it would be better to avoid other people so he won't be asked about the books. Soon after, George realizes that he has done wrong, by trying to avoid people, and that although people have some respect towards him, he does not respect himself for being a liar.
