Cosmopolitanism and Tragic Silence 165significant aspect of the tragedy of Levov’s story is the loss of heritage
and culture that comes with the closing and permanent relocation of
Newark Maid. The moves to Puerto Rico and, later, China, which
this involves, signify moments of deracination and loss, particularly
as regards Levov’s emotional ties to his father.
Like Seymour, Lou Levov takes great pride in the history of the
glove trade, with its requirements of high-level craftsmanship and
training. At a dinner party at his son’s Old Rimrock ranch, he ram-
bles about the high level of skills demanded of the glove maker, who
is above the shoemaker, because the latter “don’t have to articulate
around each toe” (p. 349). In the old days of glove making, he pro-
ceeds, a “husband and a wife who had any ambition could get a few
skins and make some gloves. [... It... ] was nothing for an ordinary
woman to own twenty, twenty-five pair of gloves. Quite common”
(p. 348). Lou’s eccentric passion for gloves also sees him explain-
ing its important influence in the world of literature—Shakespeare’s
father, he informs the guests, was the “son of a glover who couldn’t
read and write his own name” (p. 350). For Lou, this signifies incon-
testable proof of glove making’s importance to the Bard’s work
(albeit misquoted):
You know what Romeo says to Juliet when she’s up on the balcony?
Everybody knows ‘Romeo, Romeo, where are you, Romeo’—that she
says. [... ] Romeo says, ‘See the way she leans her cheek on her hand? I
only wish I was the glove on that hand so that I could touch that cheek.’
Shakespeare. Most famous author in history. (p. 350)We are also given a glimpse into the importance of the craft in
the community, particularly as a cultural tool for stimulating inter-
generational interaction and exchange. Although perhaps not as
ebullient as his father, Levov takes pride in the high degree of work-
manship required in the industry, key methods of which, he tells us,
have changed little for centuries. He explains to Rita, a “visitor” to
Newark Maid, that most “of the glove businesses have been family
businesses. From father to son. Very traditional business” (p. 130).
The poignant image of the Swede lamenting the loss of glove-mak-
ing culture and craftsmanship is also discussed by Elaine Safer, who
comments that the rich, detailed manner in which the glove-making