The title fiddler on the roof comes from a surrealistic painting by the russian jewish painter marc chagall.
Meaning of phrase fiddler on the roof.
The fiddler on the roof title of the movie is an analogy.
Only with great balance can he play the best music he can.
The fiddler is a metaphor of survival in an uncertain world through tradition and joyful living.
While sliding his bow across the instrument he d have to be careful not to fall off of the roof to one side or the other.
A fiddler on a pointed roof would be in a precarious situation.
Tevya and others in the village are likened to fiddlers on a roof because of the difficulty in keeping their balance while trying to live.