The Plot Against America (2004)
Philip Roth
Read: 06/20
I purchased this book at the same time as The Plague, and whereas Camus’s book took me weeks to read, I finished The Plot Against America within a week. For one thing, the subject, though certainly disquieting, was nowhere near as disturbing to me as The Plague.
I’ve read both American Pastoral and The Human Stain, and the latter of which I found slightly repellant with regard to its depiction of sexuality. (I wonder if I would feel the same way now?) Regardless, The Plot Against America, told from a young boy’s (Philip Roth) rather precocious perspective is nevertheless untrammeled by the more seedy evocations present in The Human Stain.
What struck me throughout the book was the deftness with which Roth weaves a fictional narrative into the fabric of a well-known history. His capacity, for example, to credibly make the arguments against Roosevelt and against the familiar history of the lead up to WWII, now enshrined as history often is as inevitable for better or worse, is remarkable. He forces us to answer the question for ourselves, especially in light of our ill-advised adventures in the Middle East kicked off by the Bush administration, would we want to go to war? Is it worth it? Can we stomach death in the near term for future security, or do we do as my favorite Oblique Strategy suggests, “Do nothing for a as long as possible”?
Another aspect of the novel that resonates especially in these days of protests and riots that are being staged not only in America as a result of a brutal, yet nonchalant murder of a black man by a police office, but all around the world. The pandemic and years, indeed centuries, of ill treatment of blacks by whites, be it explicit racism or the no less pernicious systemic racism that permeates this and other countries has brought us this moment of justified outrage.
In the last week or so the US Supreme Court has judged that the Civil Rights act of the early 60’s extends to provide employment protections for the LGBTQ people living in our society. What amazes me is that even now in the 21st century, we’re still worried about, still fretting over adult human beings whose sexuality, a complicated and subtle matter at the very least, differs from a long-held historical norm. Some of us behave as if it is just too terrible to imagine two men or two women loving each other. Some would claim rights and deny others these very same rights as though they were not equal under the law… and certainly not equal in the eyes of God.
In The Plot Against America, the Roth family in Newark, NJ have to face the awful situation of finding themselves living in an America where the president may very well be an anti-semite. This is played very subtly by Roth. As a brief aside, I have heard that the TV show based on the book is not very good… and I can imagine why. Certain narratives are meant to be read. Knowing the thoughts of the boy, seeing the world through his eyes, the details and the nuances are what make the book worth reading. I doubt the screen can adequately depict these shadings (though I have not seen it, nor am likely too).
The Rabbi Bengelsdorf is a fascinatingly infuriating character. His smug charm cloys as he makes his way into the inner circle of the Lindbergh administration, making excuses and rationalizations and then marrying into the Roth family (Bess’s sister, Evelyn).
And it is to Evelyn that young Philip appeals when he learns that his family is due to be uprooted and moved to Danville, KY (of all places) in accordance with the Office of American Absorption. He begs her to use her influence to spare them, and tries to offer as surrogate the Wishnow family (who meet a terrible fate as the novel crescendoes).
Lindbergh disappears. His VP takes over. 122 Jews are killed. Sandy (brother/artist) and Herman (father) are sent on a quest through the heart of racist, anti-semitic America to try to rescue Seldon Wishnow… as the threat of war with Canada looms.