The Natural

The Natural Summary | Chapter 1 Summary

Author Bernard Malamud introduces his book with a chapter entitled Pre Game. Young Roy Hobbs, a nineteen-year-old baseball phenomenon, is on a train for Chicago, joined by his friend and professional scout, Sam Simpson. Hobbs plans to try out for a pitching spot on the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team. Along the ride, Roy is captivated with a woman named Harriet Bird, who carries a black hatbox that never leaves her sight. Nearby, nationally recognized sports writer Max Mercy reads the headlines of the day's newspaper, which announce double murders of star athletes by an unknown woman armed with silver bullets. Sam notices Max and introduces himself and Roy Hobbs to the writer and the baseball star he is traveling with, Walter (The Whammer) Wambold. Both men condescend to speak with Sam and Roy. Max alludes to Sam's alcoholism and Whammer is disinterested in Roy because he views him as inexperienced and out of Whammer's league.

The train stops at a carnival where they begin a baseball game in which Roy handily strikes out The Whammer, humiliating him. Roy impresses Harriet Bird. She gets better acquainted with Roy and talks philosophically about his life and his goals. However, Roy is on a different plane altogether. He prefers a more practical approach to life as experienced through winning and losing the game of baseball. He tells her his one desire is to become the greatest ever to play the game. Later that evening, Harriet phones Roy, inviting him to her room in the same hotel. Soon after he appears in her doorway, she shoots and seriously wounds him with a silver bullet.