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Unto the Fourth Generation

 Unto the Fourth Generation
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TVTItem
 Unto the Fourth Generation
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Unto the Fourth Generation
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UntoTheFourthGeneration
 Unto the Fourth Generation
comment
First published in The Magazine Of Fantasy And Science Fiction (April 1959 issue), by Isaac Asimov, this story focuses on Sam Marten, a young man trying to earn his way into the world as a businessman. The ending was modified from the original publication when he entered it in Nightfall and Other Stories.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Sam Marten is leaving a taxi at ten of noon, stumbling out and seeing a truck emblazoned with "F. Lewkowitz and Sons, Wholesale Clothiers". Immediately he corrects it to Levkowich and he second-guesses himself, wondering why he would correct it before dismissing the name and heading to his business meeting. Seeing the name Lafkowitz again distracts him, and he questions why he's disappointed in the answer.Throughout the entire lunch meeting, Marten is distracted from the business and realizes that he's making a terrible impression. Once he's out, though, he continues his search for a Levkowich amoung the many misspellings around him.Finally, Marten finds an old man in a park, who introduces himself as "Phinehas ben Jehudah, assigned the name Levkovich by the ukase of the Tsar". He is Marten's great-great-grandfather and the two bond over their common Jewish heritage, Marten asking Levkovich for his blessing in business and to pursue a woman in marriage. Levkovich fades away and Marten returns to the taxi, at ten of noon.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })"Unto the Fourth Generation" has been republished several times;Fiction (issue #84, November 1960), A Decade Of Fantasy And Science Fiction (1960), Venture Science Fiction (December 1964 issue, UK distribution), Urania (issue #382, May 1965), Nightfall and Other Stories (1969), Wandering Stars An Anthology Of Jewish Fantasy And Science Fiction (1974), The Best Science Fiction Of Isaac Asimov (1986), The Asimov Chronicles Fifty Years Of Isaac Asimov (1989), The Complete Stories, Volume 1 (1990), and Haunted America Star Spangled Supernatural Stories (1991).
 Unto the Fourth Generation
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2020-07-28T22:02:31Z
 Unto the Fourth Generation
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2020-07-28T22:02:31Z
 Unto the Fourth Generation
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Dropped link to TheNamesake: Not a Feature - ITEM
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DBTropes
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As the Good Book Says...
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As the Good Book Says...: The title is made to reference the way the Old Testament would speak about children, your children's children, and unto the third and fourth generation.
 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_2439b588
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Pauper Patches
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Pauper Patches: When encountered by the main character, Levkovich has pants so old they're patched, and shoes so old they've lost their shape and have to be kept on with strips of burlap wrapped around them.
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 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_314c56b9
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Time Stands Still
 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_314c56b9
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Time Stands Still: When Marten finds Levkovich, they're in a park that the narration describes in terms of paused action. This frozen tableau lasts until their meeting is over and Marten is returned to the start of the story.
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 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_89a17726
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Spell My Name with an S
 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_89a17726
comment
Spell My Name with an "S": The main character sees the name Lewkowitz on the side of a truck, and identifies it as wrong (but doesn't understand why it is wrong). He then encounters Lafkowitz, Lefkowitz, Lefkowich, Lefkowicz, Levkow, and Levkowitz... all in search for a Levkovich. When he finds them, they explain that they had a similar experience, finding "Martins and Martines and Mortons and Mertons", all while trying to meet Marten.
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Unfinished Business
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Unfinished Business: In this story, a Levkovich of the 19th century is transported to modern day 1950s New York, ostensibly before he has died. However, the two actually meet in a park where neither are able to affect the grass or dust on the ground, implying some sort of between-worlds environment where the long-dead Levkovich is allowed to see his first male descendant in America. Meeting this son allows him to go to his ancestors in peace.
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Translator Microbes
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comment
Translator Microbes: The main character notices that the Levkovich he meets is not speaking English despite hearing that from the old man. How their speech is getting translated isn’t explained, but they notice that they can somewhat hear the original language when the other person speaks.
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Orwellian Retcon
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Orwellian Retcon: The original story ended after the reset and this time Sam Marten missed seeing the red truck. Due to outside influences, Dr Asimov added two lines, telling the audience how Marten had been affected by the events of the story.
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Reset Button
 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_d9c4365c
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Reset Button: The story begins at ten of noon and for two hours Marten searches for the correct spelling of Levkovich. After Marten and Levkovich say goodbye, the story returns to "ten of noon" the same day.
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Alter Kocker
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Alter Kocker: The Levkovich that Marten is looking for is an old Jewish man, born Phinehas ben Jehudah and married Sarah. His youngest daughter Leah had moved to America with her husband. They begin speaking to each other as "my father" and "my son" (although they are four generations separated).
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The Taxi
 Unto the Fourth Generation / int_e9fcaa
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The Taxi: In crowded cities, many people choose to use taxis instead of buying a car. Our protagonist, Sam Marten, uses one to get to his business lunch, but chooses to walk around afterwards in order to search for the correct spelling of Levkovich.
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Unto the Fourth Generation

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories
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Unto the Fourth Generation
 Alter Kocker
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Unto the Fourth Generation
 American Literature (T to Z)
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Unto the Fourth Generation
 Judaism and Jewish Culture in Media
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Unto the Fourth Generation
 Literature of the 1950s
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 Orwellian Retcon
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 Science Fiction Literature
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 The Namesake
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