The Natural

1
The Natural

• Pages 186-205

2
Roys Condition

• The doctor wants to take out the appendix and
  gall bladder
• Appendix had been removed
• All were surprised at this scarred and battered
  body. (186)
• So they used the stomach pump instead and
  dredged up unbelievable quantities of bilge.
  (186)

3
Roys Dreams

• In them he waxed to gigantic heights then
  abruptly fell miles to be a little Roy dwarf.
  (186)
• Iris sad head topped with Memos dancing body,
  with Memos vice versa upon the shimmying rest of
  Iris, a confused fusion that dizzied him. (187)

4
Roys Dreams

• So they served him a prime hunk of beef and he
  found it enormously delicious only to discover it
  was himself he was chewing. His thunderous roars
  sent nurses running from all directions. They
  were powerless before his flailing fists. (187)

5
The Fate of the Knights

• Lose three in a row
• The Pirates won three in a row
• A single game playoff set for Monday

6
Roys Future

• The doctor says Roy can play in the game on
  Monday, but he should give up baseball for good
  because of his high blood pressure.
• Roy felt that this giant hand holding a club had
  broken through the clouds and with a single blow
  crushed his skull. (188)
• Divine Intervention

7
Roys Future

• He was throughfinished. Only he couldntjust
  couldnt believe it. Me. I. Roy Hobbs forever out
  of the game? Inconceivable. (189)

8
Batting Practice

• As he swung, Roy felt a jet of steam blow
  through the center of his skull. They gathered
  him up, bundled him into a cab, and got him back
  to the hospital, where nobody had missed him.
  (189)

9
Roys Financial Future

• Roy realizes he doesnt have much time left in
  baseball
• He wants to earn money to invest in a restaurant.
• He wants the money to satisfy Memo.

10
Memo

• Visits Roy and begins to cry
• Roy sat uneasily at the edge of the bed. He
  never knew what to do when they cried. (193)
• Selfish
• Then she let go again and looked like a little
  lost bird beating around in a cage. (193)

11
Memos Fear

• I am afraid to be poorMaybe I am weak or
  spoiled, but I am the type who has to have
  somebody who can support her in a decent wayI
  suppose its wrong to want all that but I cant
  help it. (193)

12
Memos Proposition

• The Judge sent her to Roy to see if he would
  accept a bribe.

13
The Judge

• Offers Roy 35,000 to throw the game and 45,000
  for next years contract.
• Why does Roy accept?
• Roy finds out another person on the team has
  taken a bribe.
• The money will win him Memo.

14
Iris Letter

• He read down to the last page, where she once
  more mentioned herself as a grandmother. Roy
  crumpled the letter and pitched it against the
  wall. (205)