Previous
Marcia Umanoff
Barry Umanoff is the Swede’s childhood best friend. He is a law professor at Columbia University and lives in New York with his wife, Marcia. Although the Swede doesn’t understand what Barry finds attractive about Marcia, whose outspoken political opinions the Swede finds grating and ignorant, Barry has been with Marcia since college and appears to be happy in his marriage. Merry stays with the Umanoffs a couple times when she goes into the city on weekends, but she resents their bourgeois lifestyle and considers their liberalism to be mere posturing.
Get the entire American Pastoral LitChart as a printable PDF.
Barry Umanoff Character Timeline in American Pastoral
The timeline below shows where the character Barry Umanoff appears in American Pastoral. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...that if she needs somewhere to stay in the city, she can stay with the Barry and Marcia Umanoff, family friends of the Levovs.
(full context)
Chapter 8
...at dinner, which includes—in addition to the Levovs, the Swede’s parents, and the Orcutts—Marcia and Barry Umanoff and Sheila and Shelly Salzman. It’s only been a few hours since the Swede...
(full context)
The Swede remembers turning to Barry for legal advice following Merry’s crime. Barry took him to see Schevitz, the Manhattan litigator,...
(full context)
...put any care into her appearance and wears huge glasses. The Swede has never understood Barry and Marcia’s relationship, given how kind, gentle, and soft spoken Barry is. It would make...
(full context)
Back at dinner, the Swede is seated between his mother and Sheila Salzman. Sheila, like Barry Umanoff, is a regular fixture at family events. The Swede’s parents adore her, thinking her...
(full context)
