The Plot Against America

Exactly what political climate allows men that use manipulation and the exploitation of prejudices to ascend to power? This is a question which is addressed in the novel Plot Against America by Philip Roth and the mockumentary Bob Roberts starring, directed by, and written by Tim Collins. These works of art explore the nature behind demagogues and populist candidates and how they rise to political prominence. Philip Roth’s fictional representation of Charles Lindbergh and Tim Collins fictional character Bob Roberts portray how Demagogues manage to seize power in free democracies. Democracies are unstable by their nature. Over the course of time, democracies constantly change according to the times and wills of the people. This is because…

Who would have thought that a novel written in 2004 would have been such an accurate representation of our current society during the 2017 election? The Plot Against America, written by Philip Roth, portrays the atmosphere and reactions of a 1940’s election. During this time, many Americans fear that Franklin D. Roosevelt will lead the great country to war. The Republican party proceeds to nominate Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot to navigate across the Atlantic Ocean alone. Roosevelt had…

Zachary Herz Period 7 English Summer Reading Assignment Questions and Answers The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth Copy a passage that you find particularly beautiful or powerful. What devices (imagery, figurative language, etc.) did the author use to make an impact on the reader? “It was the last night of June 1940. After a warm day, it had grown cool enough to sit comfortably…

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth is a decent read, with a few key issues. Due to the accuracy of Philip Roth's writing, the plot is slow and overdramatized. The Plot Against America imagines an alternate American history where FDR is defeated in the 1940 election by Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh is a known supporter of the Nazi Party, and as president he works hard to enforce their policies in America. The main problem with the book is it's incredibly slow plot. The…

Both Sara Novic’s Girl at War (2015) and Philip Roth’s Plot Against America (2004) are told from the perspective of a child. The narrators of these novels construct their own methods of understanding to grasp complex sociological issues. Inevitably, as children, their understanding of these issues are simplified to accommodate their capacity. Although, the mature audience of these novels understands the shortcomings of childish understanding, the authors use these perspectives to speak to our…

“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people” ( V for Vendetta). In this film of vengeance, the plot revolves around the role of government. This similar idea can be seen in the music video to the song “American Idiot” as well. Through words, characters, plot, and visionary, these two sources centralize around defying the role of government. During a revolution, a leader uses their popularity to spread information and unite the people. V, The…

After the horrific attacks that occurred on September 11th, 2001, the George Bush administration used the term “The War on Terror” to describe the military campaign that would occur as retaliation. This military campaign’s main goal was to seek out to destroy terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda with the ultimate goal to take out the leader of the September 11th attacks, Osama Bin Laden and all of his followers. In 2013, the Obama administration announced that the United States would no…

in this movie is President John F. Kennedy. This movie shows what action does the President John F. Kennedy takes from preventing the nuclear warfare happen. The plot for the beginning part happens in October 1962 when United State’s intelligence officers in Washington discover that Soviet Union is in the process of placing nuclear ballistic missiles in Cuba. Missiles launched on these bases can hit from Lima, Peru to…

It was a short, dark like night life for Abraham Lincoln. He was born in 1809 ,and Abraham Lincoln died in 1856. Abraham Lincoln is his real name. Abraham grew up in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln was a President of the United States of America, and he is the President that ended slavery. Abraham Lincoln didn’t write any books or stories, but he did write the Emancipation Proclamation. The speech showed that Abraham Lincoln was sage. The purpose of The Gettysburg Address is to tell…

The Films “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django: Unchained” are both directed by Quentin Tarantino, a director acclaimed for rewriting history to satisfy the audiences vengeance against these historical antagonists and ideologies. Inglourious Basterds closes on a scene where the Nazi party members are being burnt, shot and blown up. This represents the demise of a failed, inhumane ideology which today we have studied to understand and hate and with the violent end we have come to see a satisfying…