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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Plot Against America - Analysis

Book by Philip Roth, 2004

https://aulalibrary365.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/plot.jpg
    [ANALYSIS]
    The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth, is centered around a seven-year-old boy who is assumed to be the a younger version of the author, as they go by the same name. This young Philip Roth is an American Jew, in the 1940's. This, however, is an alternate form of history. After Roosevelt is finished with his second term, the Republicans elect the young, brave, and bright Charles A. Lindbergh to be president. This is the same Lindbergh who flew the Spirit of St. Louis.
    The book's chapters are set chronologically, each chapter longer than a normal chapter, as they are the measure of usually two to six months worth of material. The content is split between focusing on the Roth family and their struggles as a Jewish family, and the political aspect of the book, the fact that Lindbergh openly supported Hitler, which divides the whole of America. With this, the author glorifies all Jewish folk and the Democrats, and essentially tears down the 1940's versions of all Catholics and Republicans, both of which are supporting of Hitler in this time. As I'm basically halfway through the book, the Roth family has so far seen horrors in their time. Philip's cousin Alvin has gone to fight Hitler in Canada, and come back without one leg. Their father of the family next door killed himself out of despair, not only because the father was a Jew, he had lung cancer and was essentially disabled. His days were marked to him anyways, and as Lindbergh took over America, all hope was lost.
    This alternate history, the change of one person's role, drastically makes this book different from real history. A man named Walter Winchell, a Jewish Democrat who was originally a radio host (and later fired by hateful Republicans) took up candidacy for the next term of presidency. This inspired riots, called the Winchell riots, which led to politically-blinded, unreasonable Republicans making frequent attempts on his life. America was divided thoroughly, more so than in real history, due to a single man, Lindbergh, and his plans for passing the Hitlerites' ideas into America.
 
    The following link is to Lindbergh's real history, one not as President: