In the musical, the fiddler on the roof, what does the fiddler represent?

Question:I just watched the musical, and i don't understand what the point of the fiddler is, what does he represent?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I just watched the musical, and i don't understand what the point of the fiddler is, what does he represent?

The fiddler is to illustrate how uncertain their lives would be if they had to deviate from their traditions. It's basically foreshadowing, because the whole play is about Tevye's world being turned upside down. His life has deviated from it's nice, set path, and has no certainty to it anymore, and most of the traditions he values so much are being ripped apart.

maybe tradition?

The fiddler represents tradition. That's what the whole thing is about, really.

The fiddler represents................

Just listen to Tevye's opening monologue.

Well, the musical, set in a fictional Russian village, called Anatevka, thrives because of basically two things that matter in the lives of its Jewish inhabitants--religion and tradition. Because of these two elements, life goes on--and often it is a struggle between deciding what is right and what is wrong, depending on what "the good book says". Both religion and tradition dictate on which direction each member of this village goes--young girls must marry, Mamas take care of the family, so that the Papas can read the Holy Book and young men must learn a trade in order to support a wife in the future. In addition to these things, religion and tradition often become the restrictive forces that they must abide by, like rules or laws. And because of this, each one must struggle to live within the boundaries of his faith and his traditions. Which is not necessarily easy. In the beginning of the play, Tevye likens the fiddler to everyman who tries to "keep his balance while trying to scratch a tune on the roof without breaking his neck". In other words, the fiddler is anyone who must try to keep his neck above water, while trying to survive in a raging river we know as life.