What Is The Figurative Language In The Plot Against America

Jessica Chan

Summer Assignment

The Plot Against America

(1) 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?

“ Yosemite in California, Grand Canyon in Arizona, Mesa Verde in Colorado,... everything in America that was the bluest and greenest and the whitest and to be preserved forever in these pristine reservations, was printed a black swastika” (Roth 52). I found the given passage very powerful. The author used imagery to make an impact on the reader by describing how Philip Roth’s beloved stamp collection transformed into something that would destroy him. Throughout the entire first chapter, Roth expressed his pride about his stamp collection that was inspired by Roosevelt, the current president at the time. Roth was happy with his family and spoke about how hardworking his mother was and how talented his brother Sandy was at drawing. However, after Lindbergh started to gain power in the United States, Roth felt threatened because Lindbergh supported Hitler. For once, Roth was terrified that his happy lifestyle was threatened, so scared in fact, he had nightmares. What made the passage even more powerful after knowing the background were the descriptions of the iconic landmarks

For example, Sandy learned to go against his Jewish culture just by being in the “Just Folks” program for eight weeks. While he was living in Kentucky, he started to eat pork, something against his culture. He also learned to support Lindbergh along with his Aunt Evelyn. Anyone could have been persuaded by Lindbergh’s ruse. In fact, the majority of the country had already been supporting Lindbergh from the start. To top it off, even Sandy, an intelligent and talented boy, fell for it. This goes to show that in human nature, people are gullible and easily