The Plot Against America

On June 22, 1941, Hitler expands his efforts, beginning a push to conquer land “from Poland across Asia to the Pacific by staging a massive assault to the east against Stalin’s troops” (83). Lindbergh praises his efforts, saying that they will stop the potential spread of communism. He says that if the Germans were not waging the war, Americans would have eventually had to. Herman says that Lindbergh is destroying everything America stands for. 

Sandy leaves to participate in an apprenticeship program called “Just Folks” (84), which is meant to give city children exposure to “heartland life” (84). He goes to stay with a tobacco farmer in Kentucky. The program is part of Lindbergh’s new “Office of American Absorption” (84). However, in the spring of 1941, Philip says that “the only minority the OAA appeared to take a serious interest in encouraging was ours” (85). Herman believes that Lindbergh’s goal is to begin separating Jewish families, but Sandy doesn’t see it that way. He wants to go live on a farm and draw the animals. 

After sixteen weeks of training for a commando unit, Alvin leaves Canada for a staging area in the British Isles. Shortly after Sandy goes to Kentucky, the Roths receive a letter saying that Alvin has been wounded in action. He is recovering in Dorset, England. Herman writes him a letter from the family, wishing him well and asking him to tell them what he needs. A month later, they get a response, written by a nurse on behalf of Alvin. She says that he is “not communicative” (90) and that he lost his left leg below the knee. She further says that she believes he will make a full recovery. 

Sandy writes to tell the family that he is enjoying the farm. The family goes to pick him up at the train station after eight weeks, with Aunt Evelyn accompanying them. Sandy has grown two inches, his voice has deepened, and his farm work has given him muscles. Aunt Evelyn had helped convince Herman to let him go, and she is pleased with the changes in Sandy. Herman appears to be confused and despondent, however, particularly when Sandy describes how educated and successful the farmer, Mr. Mawhinney, is. Mawhinney is also a Christian. 

When he learns about Alvin’s injury, Sandy starts crying. He says he wouldn’t have been in the war because of Herman, because voting for Roosevelt was voting for war, just like Lindbergh had said. That night, he tells Philip all of the things he liked about the farm, including eating sausage and pork, which he now says he’ll continue to do. 

Aunt Evelyn brings Rabbi Bengelsdorf to dinner. Evelyn is working as his assistant and says that he wants to meet Sandy. When he asks Sandy what he learned on the farm, Sandy says he learned a lot about his country. Evelyn asks him to show the rabbi the drawings he did on the farm. 

Over dinner, Bengelsdorf tells the family that “[t]he Jews of America have the greatest opportunity accorded to our people in modern times. The Jews of America can participate fully in the national life of their country” (106). He says that every Jewish boy should have Sandy’s courage, and that it is one of the dreams of President Lindbergh. Herman does not challenge him, because he is respectful to rabbis. Philip is confused by why they are serving the rabbi dinner on their best plates and with their best silverware, when his father has been appalled by Bengelsdorf’s support of Lindbergh. His confusion deepens when Bengelsdorf begins talking about Alvin, his injury, and why there was no need for Alvin to fight since America will never be at war. 

Herman finally loses his patience and tells Bengelsdorf that Hitler is a monster and Lindbergh is a fool to trust him. The Rabbi tells them that he met with the president the day before, and knows that his anti-Semitic utterances of the past are no longer what he believes. Lindbergh now “appreciates the manifold nature of Jewish life in America” (110). Bengelsdorf asks if his explanation has helped allay Herman’s fears, but Herman says that hearing a person as learned as the rabbi talk this way has made him more alarmed than ever. 

The next evening, Evelyn calls to tell them that Sandy has been chosen as a statewide recruiting officer for the OAA: “Our father’s older son was now an honorary member of the new administration” (111). 

Philip’s mother gets a job selling dresses at a department store named Hahne’s. What she does not tell her sons is that most of the money will be deposited into a Montreal account in case the family ever needs to flee to Canada. Herman visits Alvin one weekend and returns to tell the family that Alvin does not want to live. He says that Alvin ignored everything he said and has dwindled to 100 pounds. Philip watches his father cry as his mother comforts him. 

Philip says, “A new life began for me” (113). He has watched his father fall apart and his mother is away at work all day. He is also aware that, with Lindbergh’s presidency, he is caught up in what will one day be called history: “The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic” (113). 

Philip begins spending most of his time with Earl. Earl is largely unsupervised and the boys take every chance they can to cause mischief. Earl likes to get on trains and follow people home, just to see where they live. He also steals from his parents and from their guests. Philip becomes accustomed to stealing from his own parents, and to following people. They only follow adult, Christian men: “Night after night I went to sleep under the exciting spell of the great new aim I’d unearthed for my eight-year-old life: to escape it” (117). 

His final trip with Earl is a few days before Christmas vacation. Earl’s mother would have a nervous breakdown days later and his father would take the family away. Philip never knew where they went. They follow a man with two shopping bags. When they got to the man’s house, they got close enough to see his Christmas tree, with an ornament of Jesus near the top. The man turns and sees them, then invites them in, promising them candy and cocoa. Earl runs, yelling, “It’s a fairy!” (120). Philip follows him.