An overwhelming love for money can be the root of all sin. In the novel, The Natural, by
Bernard Malamud, the main character, Roy Hobbs unfortunately faces the temptation of fixing a
baseball game.It is the ultimate test of his true character.Like any conflict faced in life it weighs
heavily upon him. Between the greedy bookkeeper, the evil judge and the temptress Memo Paris,
Roy is constantly being bombarded with thoughts of sin and temptation. Each try to persuade, and
corrupt the vulnerable Roy Hobbs. Although strong at first, it is his love for Memo and need for
money that eventually brings him to commit the ultimate sin of baseball.
It is the rich bookkeeper, Gus, that first reveals his plan to fix a baseball game to Roy. Gus
is a mysterious man like Roy himself. Little is known about the man with a glass eye except that
he is a terrific gambler. He seems to be a friendly man who is not very honest. Through out the
novel his dependency upon gambling is evident. He bets on everything from guessing numbers to
card games. '"Say the word, slugger, and you can make yourself a nice pile of dough quick."'(158)
After being witness to these words Roy is mortified. He discustingly threatens to split Gus' eye
open if he mentions it again. Roy stands strong against the temptation of quick cash but his morals
eventually begins to crumble. However, now after realizing how old and warn down he is, the
idea of fixing a game is a bit more practical . Gus makes plans to corrupt the ballplayer using his
Memo is a young, beautiful woman who is the team manager's niece. She was the
girlfriend of a former Knight player who died in a tragic baseball accident. Memo can best be
described by the color of her hair. Her red hair represents her wild, dangerous and even evil
personality. Roy, the Golden Wonderboy, immediately falls in love with her, making it his mission
to have her feel the same. He is wi...