Chapter+7

Danielle Hartwig (Hour 1) Jayme Moon (Hour 7)


 * Chapter 7: The Winchell Riots- June 1942-October 1942**

The beginning of Chapter 7 starts with Philip coming home from the hospital after his encounter with the orphanage horses only to find out that his father has quit his job to avoid being transferred to Kentucky and now is working for Uncle Monty. His new hours do not allow a lot of family time, and his father begins to be distanced from his family. He starts to drink more often as a result of the stress. The changing family dynamics, with Philip having been in the hospital and Herman's new stresses, has caused a change in Sandy. He isn't as opinionated and strongheaded anymore, he doesn't outlash at his parents and rebel, but instead he's starting to fit in with the family once again. Bess also quits her job. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Seldon, bragging to anyone who would listen about his heroic part in Philip's rescue, would be moving to Danville, Kentucky, by September 1st.

It is also revealed that the night Philip ran away, Walter Winchell was fired from his radio broadcasting job because he had " 'cried fire in a crowded theater' " (pg 240) and that he had "slandered a president of the United States with malicious accusations 'that only the most outrageous demagogue would consitrive to arouse the passions of the mob.' " (pg 240) Winchell lashes out against the " 'Lindbergh Facists' " (pg 242) one last time from his magazine column. Three days later, he announces his intent to run for president, and Philip's neighborhood grows with excitement, even though they all know in the back of their minds that a Jew, and especially a Jew as outspoken as Winchell, will never be elected.

By now it is mid-June, and Rabbi Bengelsdorf and Aunt Evelyn get married. The Roth's are not invited. The list of invitees printed in the newspaper is long and the famous and powerful are numerous, and although she wasn't in attendance, The First Lady Anne Morrow Lindbergh was included.

Furthermore, just as Alvin had been, Herman becomes under FBI surveillance. This upsets to mob affiliates that Uncle Monty associates with, and they demand that Herman be fired. Uncle Monty pays them off in order to let Herman keep his job that he so desperatly needs. In order to compensate, 10 dollars per week will be taken out of Herman's paycheck for the next six months. Bess stays at home with the boys, obsessively reading letters from the Tirschwell's about their new life in Canada.

Sandy begins to acquire a taste for girls. He goes to the playground and draws the prettiest girls there, and usually ends up leaving with one of them. One of the girl's mothers calls the Roth's to complain, and Sandy isn't allowed to leave the house for a week. Eventually Sandy returns to draw girls at the playground again. Philip's summer is dominated by Seldon. As Labor Day approaches, most of the Roth's friends and neighbors pack up and move west per the Homestead 42 Act, including Seldon, to both the relief and dismay of Philip. As Philip watches the Wishnow's drive away, he recounts when he and Seldon were younger and times were different, how he got trapped inside the Wishnow bathroom, and how both the Wishnow's and the Roth's treated each other's children with the same parental love as they do their own.

After Labor Day, Walter Winchell starts his campaign for the presidency. Swarms of people came to see him preach on a New York City street corner. He speaks about how fascist leaders are in office and how he wants to get them out. Winchell moves from neighborhood to neighboorhood, reciting his speech to eager crowds. His campaign spreads outside of New York City into Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. When in South Boston, a mob bearing a burning cross rushed towards Winchell to set him on fire and two shots are fired. Winchell is admitted to the hospital, and the Governor of Massachusetts sends the National Guard to protect him. From his hospital bed, Winchell continues to preach about facism. When he takes up the campaign trail again, Winchell is followed by mobs and political unrest. In Detroit, a riot resembling Kristallnacht leaves Jewish synagogues, shops, and schools destroyed. Hundreds of Jews flee across the Canadian border into Windsor, Ontario. Similar riots breakout across the Midwest. As a result, the Newark Committee of Concerned Jewish Citizens is created to help protect the Jews. The Provisional Jewish Police is enstated.

While Winchell is is at a political rally in Louisville, Kentucky, he is assasinated. Summit Avenue is worked up into a frenzy, the adults over Winchell's murder, and the children over the Cardinal's World Series victory. The block boards themselves up behind locked doors, listening to their radios and calling each other to discuss. Bess gets out the U.S. map and locates Danville, where the Wishnow's live, in relation to Louisville. Bess makes a long-distance call to the Wishnow's, and Seldon answers the phone. Mrs. Wishnow is not yet home, and Seldon is by himself in a daze eating a snack. It is difficult for a very concerned Bess to get Seldon to take a message because he is very confused. Finally she succeeds in getting him to write down a message for his mother.

Meanwhile, Herman left work to come home to be with his family. The Italian family, the Cucuzzas, that moved in below them, visited bringing cake and a gun for the Roth's to use as protection. At the same time, it is announced that along with other prominent anti-Lindbergh figures, FDR is coming out of retirement to speak at Winchell's funeral.

From the dates in the title we are first alerted that this chapter will move us forward in time although not as quickly as some of the previous chapters. The second part of the title seems to hint at foreshadowing of events to come in the chapter because as readers we are aware that Winchell is seen as a controversial character in the novel. After Philip’s father quits his job, Philip realizes that life is going to become more difficult and things aren’t as well as they seem. When his father quits it sends a signal that even he as strong-willed of a person can’t withstand the pressure and consequences that the new laws are placing on the Jewish families. When Winchell is fired by Jergens Lotion unexpectedly and soon after decides to announce his candidacy for president Philip comments on how he is “the candidate of the Jews.” Philip realizes that once again the world is more complex then he once believed. Winchell is “the candidate of the Jews,” which segregates them from the rest of America and the “inner circle of well-bred, dignified Jewish Democrats.” After the wedding Herman comes under surveillance by the FBI. Roth notes that this is the second time that the FBI has become involved in their lives. Through this investigation people working with Monty and Herman seem to turn against them but Monty can’t help but provide comic relief when speaking with Philip about the situation on page 251. This action reveals that Monty believes that the investigation is a waste of time and that money can buy you out of anything. When Mrs. Roth receives letters from Estelle Tirschwell in Canada Philip’s father starts to collect the canceled Canadian stamps to start Philip on a new collection. This gives Philip a connection to Canada similar to the one that he possessed before he lost his first stamp album with the US and Lindbergh stamps. From this a sense of discomfort and wanting to belong comes into the picture. Philip’s father is making a connection to Canada that should something arise and relocation to Canada was necessary there would be a small sense of belonging because of the new collection. Sandy new acquired interest for girls is his new rebellion since reconnecting with his family after the Kentucky visit. This action is his way of attempting to be “normal” in his community and trying to be the average American teenager. Before he was going along with the new placement in which they were giving Jewish teens an opportunity to explore other parts of the “American” life but now he is finding his own way to blend in and be a “true” American boy. Then after Labor Day Philip realizes again that he is an outsider and that the way he looked at the world is different then what he previously thought. He states “when our defenselessness became real to me and I sensed the beginning of the destruction of our world.” He realizes that this is part of the reason why his father quit his job and why his life is different then the “average” American’s. Once Winchell begins his campaigns the title of the chapter comes into play. This is what the title was foreshadowing. Winchell’s campaign turns into riots everywhere he places his soapbox and begins a speech. When Winchell begins his campaigns Lindbergh’s plan becomes uncovered through his eyes to be perceived by others. From this Winchell’s supporters begin to fully realize how bad the situation is and how much worse it could become because the people believe in anti-Semitism. When the Cucuzza’s move in there is a new feeling of security brought forth from a weapon offering and the return of FDR.
 * Analysis: **