Fiddler on the Roof
Summary
The
play takes place in the villiage of Anatevka, Russia, in 1904. It centers
around a dairyman, Tevya, and his five daughters.They are trying to marry
off Tzietel, the oldest daughter. The matchmaker find her a match in Lazar
Wolfm the butcher. However, the butcher was much older than Tzietel, and
Tzietel didn't love him. Tzietel loved Motel, the poor tailor, and they
promised each other that they would get married. (Something unheard of
at that time.) Anyway, Motel asked Tevye if he could marry Tzietel,
and Tevye said yes. And, to convince his wife, Golde, that the match with
Motel was the right one, he created an elaborate dream sequence that played
on Golde's superstitious side. Meanwhile, Fyedka have Chava a book to read,
and Perchik, a young student from Kiev, began
to stay with Tevye, trading
lessons for food and lodging. Motel and Tzietel get married, and after
the wedding, Russian "raiders" come and trash the place.
Perchik and Hodel soon
fall in love also, and they get engaged. (Also unheard of at that time.)
They inform Tevye this, and he gives them permission to be married. Soon
after this, Perchik is arrested for demonstrating in Kiev, and is sent
to a prison in Siberia. Hodel leaves to join him there.
Last, Chava and Fyedka
fall in love. Chava tells Tevye, and he is outraged, because she wants
to marry out of the faith. She gets married anyway, and Tevye disowns her.
Soon after that, all of the Jewish people in Anatevka get a notice to move
out. And that's where the play ends. It's kind of a sad ending.
(excerpted from The
Fiddler on the Roof site.)