The Plot Against America (A Book Review)
For some time I have wanted to read The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth (Vintage, 2004). It taps into my interest in "What if" scenarios and historical fiction.
I have avoided purchasing it until recently. This past summer, I was walking in the used book section of the Barnes & Noble in Middleton, WI when I spotted it. For $1 I couldn't go wrong.
Did I find the book or did the book find me? The premise of the novel is Charles Lindbergh is elected president, denying Franklin D. Roosevelt a third term. The famous aviator arrives at the White House on a singular promise: to avoid going to war with Germany. His isolationist platform is in contrast to FDR's growing concerns regarding anti-semitism spreading across Europe. Lindbergh's affinity for the Nazi party comes to light more and more as the story progresses. This piece of fiction is based on the events of this time, told through the author's perspective as a Jewish child growing up in New Jersey. It almost reads like a memoir with all of the details.
The Plot Against America sat on my bedside or in my bookshelf for quite a while. The Trump campaign for president raised my concerns as the summer wore one. His accomplishments corresponded with my interest. Trump takes the lead in the Republican primary race - I read the first chapter. He wins the nomination - I read the next chapter. The more we learned about Trump's affiliation with Russia, the more I was starting to see parallels as I became engrossed in the novel.
Consider:
In the book: Lindbergh is a celebrity with no experience in political office. In real life: Trump is a celebrity with no experience in political office.
In the book: Lindbergh seeks a peace agreement with the Nazi party. In real life: Trump suggests lifting sanctions on Russia and praising their leadership.
In the book: Lindbergh surrounds himself with cabinet members sympathetic to the Nazi cause, including industry titan Henry Ford. In real life: Trump surrounds himself with potential cabinet members sympathetic to Putin's Russia, including oil magnate Rex Tillerson.
In the book: Lindbergh creates a program in which Jews are encouraged to relocate to another part of the country in hopes of breaking up Jewish communities. In real life: Trump advocates for a Muslim registry and to ban people of this religion from coming to America.
I won't go on to avoid spoilers. What I can say is there are even more disturbing parallels between Roth's work and what is currently happening later in the novel. I think if I would have read this book even a year ago, it would not have had the same impact on me as it does now. Context matters. After finishing the book, I continue to think about the first line in an excellent New Yorker article by Evan Osnos, who made similar comparisons between Trump's rise and a biography set in Communist China.
What is the precise moment, in the life of a country, when tyranny takes hold? It rarely happens in an instant; it arrives like twilight, and, at first, the eyes adjust.
This may be what is happening right now. New ways of acting are becoming normal. That's why The Plot Against America is one of the most frightening books I have ever read, and this is coming from a connoisseur of Stephen King.
The prophetic qualities of this book are disturbing. My biggest worry: Characters in the story started to accept their current situation as reality, even rationalizing behaviors to avoid dealing with the facts that were right in front of their noses.
So why did I read this book? Obviously I didn't want to merely escape - maybe to understand? George Will, former staunch Republican who recently disavowed his party in lieu of Trump's rise, made an insightful comment in a speech, which I do my best to recall.
If I were in charge of the world, every college student would major in history.
George knows his history, as does Phillip Roth. Fiction is not fact, but it doesn't make it any less true. Being widely read and knowledgeable is a good thing, maybe the best thing, in today's world of fake news and partisanship. In light of tomorrow's inauguration, I hope everyone picks up a book they've been meaning to read and become better for it.