The Plot Against America - Characters

Book by Philip Roth, 2004

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[CHARACTERS]

    The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth, focuses on the lives of the oppressed Jewish community in the alternate version of 1940's American history. Chiefly, the story centers itself around the protagonist, Philip Roth. (it is assumed this is the younger version of the author) Here, however, we focus on his father, Herman.

    Herman Roth is a faithful Jewish American. He openly broadcasts his Jewish beliefs and shows his disdain for anything else. In the time segment of November 1940 - June 1941 titled "Loudmouth Jew", the story follows up on the impact of Hitlerite ideas and Lindbergh's inauguration as President. Previously, Herman's son Philip was affected by the anti-Semitism, "[...] I fell out of bed and woke up on the floor, this time screaming. Yosemite in California, Grand Canyon in Arizona, Mesa Verde in Colorado, Crater Lake in Oregon, Acadia in Maine, Mount Rainier in Washington, Yellowstone in Wyoming, Zion in Utah, Glacier in Montana, the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee -- and across the face of each, across the cliffs, the woods, the rivers, the peaks, the geyser, the gorges, the granite coastline, across the deep blue water and the high waterfalls, across everything in America that was the bluest and the greenest and the whitest and to be preserved forever in these pristine reservations, was printed a black swastika." (Roth 43) This was the anti-Semitism nightmare that Philip had, after Lindbergh was inaugurated. This is also the same attitude that spread to Herman Roth.

    Herman Roth, the Loudmouth Jew, is proud of his religious stance and when this religious threat came across America, he defended himself and his family. After the Roth family visited the Lincoln Memorial, they overheard an elderly woman compare Lincoln to Lindbergh, in which Herman clearly and publicly displayed his disgust. Afterwards, Herman was left with the feeling of satisfaction of making his point clear, and it was heard, "[...] refer to my father as 'a loudmouth Jew', followed a moment later by the elderly lady declaring, 'I'd give anything to slap his face.'" (Roth 65) Herman afterwards was left in a similarly rebellious mood of declaring his hatred for Lindbergh, who supports Hitler and anti-Semitism.

 

    A different character, Seldon, is the forced friend of Philip's. Seldon is the nieghbors' only son, living now only with his mother, as his father killed himself shortly after Lindbergh became President. Seldon is a very lonely kid, emphasized by his love for chess, and his fractured family. Philip despises Seldon, wishing he would stop following him around.
    Seldon is only a child, and his perceptions of the world are limited. He clings tightly to what little he knows, seeming clueless at times or annoying to Philip, a few years his senior. For example, Seldon's behavior was more clingy after the suicide of his father, "My aversion of him had grown stronger, and at the end of the day, I hid back at school when I knew he was out front waiting to walk me home [...] and there would be Seldon at my heels, acting as if he turned up by accident." (Roth 189) Here, Seldon has become more reliant on Philip, to the point of irritating him with his childish antics.
    Additionally, Seldon's clueless side shows later after he'd been relocated by the government. Moments after the Jewish radical Winchell had been assassinated by unreasonable Republicans, the Roth family made a call to the family of Seldon's. Only Seldon was home at the time, and his responses are a frustration to the Roths, as they seemed forgetful and reflected inadequacy, "'[Mrs. Roth] No. Just eat your snack---' '[I think I've had enough Fig Newtons now, but thanks anyway.' '[Mrs. Roth] Goodbye, Seldon' '[Seldon] I like Fig Newtons, though.'" (Roth 280) With this, Seldon has displayed himself as a youthful, innocent boy with a gram of knowledge and less so of awareness. This is only one of multiple examples of his childishness. Seldon is only a minor character, but plays a role in the fractured, life-changing childhood of Philip Roth.