American Pastoral

American Pastoral

Webster's New American Dictionary define "pastoral" as "a literary work dealing with shepherds or rural life" (p. 381). At first, I didn't really see meaning of "American Pastoral." This story is situated in Newark, New Jersey and New York City, not pastoral areas, except maybe Rim Rock. But Rim Rock, New Jersey, where Swede, wife, and daughter Merry lived, seem more suburb. So I started out confused, just from title. Then, after I finish book, I thought of possible meaning for word "pastoral," that is, "shepherd" could be like "leader," someone to follow, like Nathan adore and follow Swede in high school. Also, the Swede's wife Dawn, an ex-beauty queen, raises cows, so that could be pastoral, though probably not important. Overall, I feel story is about two main things: first, how perfect Swede grew up into an imperfect life (like everyone), and second, how life changed in America, in 1960's, and it changed for the worse all around Swede, Dawn, Merry, and Swede's successful family, the Levovs. The society change made life in America more difficult for the Levovs, people who always worked hard and succeeded, because after 1960's, there was too much in society beyond anyone's control.

Lvovs, except for Jerry, did not so well during and after 1960's, starting with Merry's bombing a building to protest Vietnam. After that, nothing ever really very good for Swede again: Swede successful but unhappy, Dawn beautiful but unhappy, Merry running away a criminal, Lou Levov (grandfather) disappointed in Merry, etc.

Swede's story is American Jewish story, but it could be any family's sad story of how family life, and society, disintegrated in the 1960's, starting with Vietnam war (which made Merry angry, so she bomb the building); Watergate political corruption; rising divorce rate, immorality of popular movie like Deep Throat with kids seeing it, etc. Before the Levovs counted on things certain way, but after that, starting with Merry's violent crime, their whole comfortable world start slowly fall apart, and nothing ever same again.

Philip Roth sometimes even describe this social tragedy in humorous way, like how Lvovs talk and argue each other at dinner, but between lines is everyone's sadness about American life and change, and how do they get happy again now, with Merry's tragedy always something to think about, unhappy marriage of Swede and Dawn, society changing all around, etc. It remind me, actually, of some ways my country changed, so this American novel maybe actually a world story in some ways: more violence, less respect for people, social world too complicate, etc.

Swede, main character (besides Nathan) is tall, blond and blue eyes, and does not look Jewish, which is mostly dark and dark eyes, not tall or athletic. As Nathan described Swede, "Of the fair complexioned Jewish students in our preponderantly Jewish public high school, none possessed anything remotely like the step-jawed insentient Viking mask of this blue-eyed blond born into our tribe as Seymour Irving Levov (p. 3).

According to Philip Roth, Swede is a tall, blond and blue eyes, and does not look Jewish, which is mostly dark and dark eyes, and not quite as tall. I have seen some blonde Jewish, but according to Philip Roth is was not that common at Nathan Zuckerman's (narrator) high school in Newark, New Jersey during World War II. Swede (he called this because he looks more Swedish than Jewish, but his real name Seymour Levov) is talented athlete, in sports like football, which is not typical Jewish, although Jewish still admire athletics and are very proud of Swede at their high school. But what Jewish admire more than athletic skills is academic successes, like doctor, businessman, or Ph.D.