The Office of American Absorption (OAA)
The Office of American Absorption (OAA) plays a critical role in Philip Roth's Book 'The Plot against America.' The OAA ensured that separation of power was observed and the majority did not rule by an iron fist. The OAA endeavored to offer a system of shared control in a situation where Nazi German rule took the day, and the Jewish representation was significant. Also, the role of OAA was to introduce the urban youth who were Jewish to traditional ways and relocate ethnic Americans into rural suburbs of the country with the aim of enriching Americanness in future generations. The government positioned its policies with the help of OAA who drew up programs such as Homestead 42 where Jews were sent from Newark to Kentucky to live and work there. In essence, it created a poor political environment for American Jews and illuminated the past via the past (Roth). The result was a weakened Jewish community which had no political neither electoral power. The question of identity is paramount throughout the novel, and the issue of communal identity is prevalent. Every Jewish assimilationist questioned his sense of ethnic solidarity. The young Jews forgot their heritage as an overture to denying it by first feeling it and then calling themselves Americans. Jews could not only get into the country club, but they could not also get into a regular hotel.
Antisemitism during the 18th century
During the 18th century, so much hatred against the Jews was experienced in what one can describe as Antisemitism. The phenomenon entailed hatred of not only Jews but also cosmopolitan as well as international political trends linked with Jews. It affected the constitutional rights and civil rights of Jews. The role of Antisemitism was a manifestation of pogroms and violent riots launched against the Jews with the support of the government. Pogroms were conducted by blood libels who aimed to thwart the Jewish solidarity. Despite America being a free country, the nation is not free of racial prejudice. Antisemitism rendered the American upper class bold enough to cherish racial prejudice. It was a conduit through which the divisive attitude of destroying the Jewish togetherness was demonstrated. American constitutional belief in the separation of power and democracy federally did not endorse the destruction of a racial minority who were vulnerable to devious leaders. Antisemitism highlights America's steadfast links to its European heritage which is on an upward trajectory.
Political dimension of Antisemitism
Antisemitism was pivotal since it gave the ideology of hatred a new political dimension. It toughened the will to resist political depravities and the American sense of freedom that is essential in a country's history, heritage, and value. Antisemitism catalyzed the formation of political parties in German among other countries. Substantially, this paved the way for the generation of false theories of a Jewish conspiracy. For instance, through the element of political antisemitism, the followers falsely denounced Jews as untrustworthy citizens. Further, it paved the way for Nazi Party fame to spread anti-Jewish propaganda. The Nazi party under the leadership of Adolf Hitler gave political expression to the theory of racism. It was a platform through which the 19th-century xenophobic people's movement consisting of artists, scholars, and German philosophers perceived the Jewish spirit as alien to Germandom. They struggled to remove Jews from Germany via antisemitism.
Work Cited
Roth, Philip. The Plot against America. New York: Vintage Books, 2005. print.
