In his opening monologue, Tevye decodes the central metaphor of the musical, explaining: “A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck” (1). The musical takes this symbol from a Marc Chagall painting series of a fiddler playing on a roof as some of many paintings that expounded upon Chagall’s memories of living in Russia. The image is one of perpetual but necessary danger. For a poor man trying to feed his family, a small mistake or accident can mean that they will starve. His missing horse indicates how a seemingly minor or routine incident causes major difficulties in his ability to work and sustain his family’s lives. Staying on the roof signifies a resistance to assimilation, although assimilation would be much safer and easier. The fiddler’s presence on the roof represents tradition that may not have an obvious reason but works to maintain a balance.

Music is one of the ways that Jewish culture is set apart in Fiddler on the Roof.