Chapter+9-+Liz+and+Brynn

1.Why is the title of chapter nine, Perpetual Fear, significant through out The Plot Against America? What are other examples of “perpetual fear” in the book?

Answer : The title, Perpetual Fear, is appropriate for chapter nine because there is a lingering, ongoing fear that is repeated, even in the last chapter of the book. The date of the chapter, October 1942, did not change since chapter seven. This reveals that the novel is stuck in time and Phillip still has this remaining fear that he cannot forget about. Perpetual fear is also repeated on the first page of the novel. “Fear presides over these memories, a perpetual fear.” This lets the reader know right from the start that Phillip has a frightening childhood due to Lindbergh’s presidency and his Jewish background. However the “perpetual fear” isn’t just the fear of fascism but other smaller fears such as change, growing up and death. Examples of his childhood terror include the fear of being embarrassed by his anti- Lindbergh father on a family trip to Washington, the fear of being locked in Seldon’s bathroom and the fear of being different resulting from a fantasy of running away to become a Catholic orphan.

2.What does Phillip Roth suggest by ending the novel with, “I was the prosthesis?”

Answer: Phillip Roth indicates by this quote that he is the one that has to support Seldon now that his mother died. Even though they have been friends through out the novel, despite Phillip’s annoyance with him at times, Phillip feels he has to provide extra support because he is the one that initiated they move to Kentucky. As a result, Seldon’s mother ends up being killed and Phillip feels it is partially his fault. The quote also relates back to Alvin and his prosthetic leg. Phillip helped support Alvin so he will do the same for Seldon. 3. Would you consider chapter to 9 to be one of the climaxes in the book ?

Answer: The part of the plot that occurs in Chapter 9 is one of the climaxes. The reader can see this for many reasons. Although Plot Against America is filled with many intense situations, Chapter 9 is really where many important turns of events occur, and many of the readers questions get answered. For example, Seldons mother dying due to the Riots, Aunt Evelyn returning, stating that she knows the real truth about what has happened to Lindberg, America up in arms about a possible war with Canada, and finally, Phillip realizing that he is the prosthesis, and and Seldon is the stump.

4. What signifigance is Roth trying to portray by Seldon's mother being killed by the riots?

Answer: Although throughout the entire book violent acts and uncomfortable situations have occured because of the war and Lindberg turning on the Jews, no one close to the Roths has died from the state of affairs. Yes, Alvin did loose a leg, and the family had a falling out with Aunt Evelyn, but these conditions however, unlike death, is able to be coped with, and heal. The fact that someone close to the Roths has finally died from these tradgic events is symbolic that things have gone way too far.