Completed the first part of the book today and found myself thinking a lot about Israel-Palestine protests. Really struck by how Roth is more interested, so far, in how Merry’s revolutionary ideas disrupt the idyllic American life the Swede has created. In particular, this line about what the Vietnamese want:
>”To have to live out here in the privileged middle of nowhere? No, I don’t think that’s what B-b-bill and Melissa want for them. It’s not what I want for them.”
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>”Don’t you? Then think again. I think that to have this privileged middle-of-no-where kind of life would make them quite content, frankly.”
Swede can only contextualize things from the perspective of his own privileged life. He assumes this is what everyone wants. Since Merry’s desires go against his own, he has trouble connecting with her. I am curious to see where Roth takes this.
by Sheep_Boy26