The Assistant Summary

Life is rough for Morris Bober. The owner of a struggling grocery store in mid-twentieth century Brooklyn, Morris lives with his wife Ida and their adult daughter Helen. They are one of three Jewish families in the neighborhood. Few customers come into the store anymore. Even the tenants living upstairs get their groceries from a grocer around the corner. Better selection. A little more flare. But the occasional deliverymen tell Morris that business is bad everywhere.

Ida scolds Morris for the bad business and they discuss the possibility of selling. They'd take a loss, but apparently Julius Karp, the successful liquor store owner next door, knows a prospective buyer. Ida believes they can all do better, Helen included. She wants her daughter to find a husband who will make her life comfortable. She recommends Nat Pearl, a Jewish law student they know.

One evening, when business has been a little better, Julius Karp comes into the Bober store. He's frightened of a car across the street, which he suspects to have robbers. Morris promises to call the police if he sees anything suspicious. He never gets a chance. While he's closing up shop, two men enter his store. One has a gun and demands money. Morris has only a little. The gunman beats him, calling him a Jew Liar, despite the protestations of his partner. They leave.

Ida has to close the store while Morris heals. A stranger named Frank Alpine starts hanging out around the place. He's seems particularly interested in Morris and even helps him bring in the heavy milk bottles. Frank asks about a job, but Morris tells him to look elsewhere. A grocery store is a prison, he says.

During this time, Helen sees both Nat Pearl and Louis Karp. She's not really interested in either one. Both men want instant pleasure without permanent commitment. Helen isn't sure what she wants, but she at least knows she wants more than sex in the moment.

Morris and Ida notice that some of their delivered items are missing. They suspect a thief. The culprit turns out to be Frank Alpine, who's been sleeping in their cellar. He owns up to his stealing. When Morris reopens his head wound trying to carry the milk into his store, Frank takes it upon himself to take over running the store while the owner gets better. We don't know about you, but letting a thief take over your business? No wonder the grocery store is struggling so much—these aren't what we'd describe as smart business decisions.

Ida is suspicious of Frank, but lets him stay on after he brings in money. However, she keeps her daughter out of Frank's sight. This sparks Frank's curiosity and Helen's irritation. Frank plots a ruse to lure Helen into his presence so he can talk to her—he fakes a phone call. The plot works, but Frank feels bad about it.

Business continues to improve, quite possibly thanks to Frank's efforts and personality. But it's not all rainbows and unicorns. He starts to pocket money from the register, and he's also revealed to be the second robber from the beginning. The gunman, Ward Minogue, shows up wanting Frank's assistance for another job. Frank declines. Still intrigued by Helen, Frank discovers he can spy on her while she showers. Because that's not creepy or anything. He expects his peeping will bring him more guilt, but he feels joyful afterwards instead. A sure sign of a sleazeball.

After a time, Frank stops spying on Helen, choosing instead to meet up with her at the library. He follows her home and is able to talk with her some. She asks him to read a few novels that spoke to her. They're intrigued by each other, but he likes her more than she likes him. Hmm, we wonder why. When he buys her expensive gifts, she refuses them. He throws them away, but she wants him to get his money back for them. Frank convinces her to take one of the gifts on the condition that he'll return the other one.

Despite Ida's protests, Morris keeps Frank in the life of the business after he's recovered and returned to the store. Frank doesn't ask for much money and seems to be improving sales. To his regret, Morris suspects Frank may be stealing from the register. He's shocked and angry, but then blames himself for paying Frank such a low wage. He gives him a raise, secretly, so Ida doesn't know. See what we're saying about bad business decisions?

Helen begins to fall for Frank. The two hang out together, hiding away sometimes to kiss. Helen makes it clear to Frank that she doesn't want sex until she's sure she's in love. Frank says he's fine with this, but he later pressures her anyway and gets irritated when she won't go all the way with him. On one of the outings, Ida spies them kissing. She's infuriated that her daughter is kissing a gentile.

Morris tells Ida not to worry, but he ends up firing Frank when he catches the assistant stealing money from the register. Helen doesn't know this when she goes on a date with Nat and plans to see Frank at the park afterwards. When she gets to their meeting place, Frank isn't there. Ward Minogue finds her there, tells her Frank left, and then sexually assaults her. Frank arrives and knocks out Ward. Drunk and desperate, Frank rapes Helen.

In the morning, Helen is despondent and Frank is remorseful. Morris explains to Ida that he let Frank go. The specials the brand new Norwegian grocers are offering dampen their mood ever more. Anxiety becomes panic when Morris forgets to light the radiator and gas fills the house. Nick and Frank save Morris, but he develops a fever and has to go to the hospital. Unknown to them, Frank opens the store while they are away.

Ida soon discovers that Frank has stayed. Not knowing the reason he was fired or what he did to Helen, she lets him continue, too desperate to do otherwise. Business is bad, and Frank has to take a night job just to keep them from disaster. When Morris recovers, he again shows Frank the door. He's realized that Frank was one of the men who held him up.

Morris and Ida see no alternative but to sell as soon as possible. They go to Karp. He arranges a visit by a prospective buyer, but no luck. Morris tries to get a job himself, but fails to land anything. He even tries burning down the store for the insurance money, but sets himself on fire instead. This guy just can't get a break. His luck does seem to improve when Karp's store burns to the ground due to Ward Minogue. Karp offers to buy Morris's place.

Things are looking up for Morris, but then he foolishly decides to shovel snow without wearing a coat. As Ida fears, he catches pneumonia and, within a few days, dies. After the funeral, Louis Karp informs Ida that his father had a heart attack and will not be buying their store and home. With no other option, they allow Frank to return.

Frank, Helen, and Ida struggle on, but all is not bleak. Helen is able to return to college. Frank doesn't win back Helen's affections, but she forgives him. At the end of the novel, Frank has himself circumcised and becomes a Jew. And they all lived happily ever after? Jeez. Pardon us while we go listen to some death metal and write Gothic poetry.