Voting for Fabrikant
A closer look at Malamud’s editing process:
“I have this to say to you. Then you'd better keep this in mind. If I win the election, and I have a darn good chance to, let me tell you that I’ll have strong doubts that there’ll won't be much of a future for you here.
If I get in you've had your notice And when you leave, don't bother to ask me for a reference. I have nothing good to say about you." Picking up shears,[Malamud eliminated space here, to make these two paragraphs into one]
Hhe began snippinged pictures out of a magazine. “What’s more,” he muttered, “no more New Yorkers. I’ve had it goddammit.”
Levin returned to his office. His knees were trembledy as he stood at his the window, watching his career fly like a white bird to another off to a faraway world. Yet the day was serene, the sky blue all the way to the mountains. Not a cloud anywhere bu in his in sight. There were all in Levin’s head. He felt bad.
A knock on the door. He expected Bucket but Gilley came in appeared. He had calmed down, though his eyes were still moody.
“Maybe I let myself get excited too much, Sy. a little out of hand," he said, You’re right when you say it’s a question of ideas, not the personalities involved,"though I still honestly think I will do a better job in the department than Fabrikant can, C.D. once I am on my own here. Anyway, what I wanted to say is this. I just came happened to come across a quotation in Time, that gives me a better understanding of the type you are.” He read from slip of yellow paper a tiny clipping. “It’s from by George Santayana and it says, ‘Americas are eminently prophets: they apply morals to public affairs; they are impatient and enthusiastic.”
Levin said, "He also said if you don't remember the past you were condemned to relive it." He laughed his brokenly laugh and Gilley, unable to help it, once more in a benign ambient, smiled.
“What I thought I’d would suggest is this,” he said. “Of course I’d still like to have your support of course—"he glanced away was gazing out of the window "-but if you can’t honestly give it to me in good faith, at least don’t vote against me. I doubt you really know Fabrikant any better than you know me. That’s fair enough, isn’t it?”
“Oh, I But Levin said he couldn’t do that,” Levin sighed..
Contextual note:
This scene takes place shortly Levin discovers that Bullock has a list of teachers whose classes athletes should not take if they wish to keep their academic performance high enough for continued participation in sports. Gilley begins the interaction by inquiry whether Levin has decided who to vote for in the upcoming election for Dr. Fairchild’s position as department head. Levin delays giving Gilley his answer until Gilley responds to the hypothetical existence of Bullock’s list. Dissatisfied with Gilley’s answer, Levin responds that he will be voting for Fabrikant and immediately regrets it when Gilley loses his temper. Although the above scene depicts a strained reconciliation between the two, Levin’s desperate campaigning for Fabrikant increases over the next few chapters and the tumultuous nature of his relationship with Gilley becomes even more apparent. The changes between editions indicate more of a shift in tone rather than a shift in content.