The State of OZ 2011

DorObamathy lays down the state of the Kingdom to the Emerald people of Oz.

The Boehnerly Lion is having another uncontrolled cry-gasm after being neutered by the Wizard.

American Pastoral: Swede Levov's Situation

Philip Roth takes a reverse swing at the American Dream in American Pastoral. Swede Levov is Phillip Roth's emblematic cinderblock precisely cut from the rock hard mountain of the American dream. Roth produces a thoughtfully developed narrative with an intelligent style of hyper-real truthiness through "the Swede" 's situation in American Pastoral. The Swede is a Blonde jewish hero puffed up with docile honor and nobility seemingly carved out of the heart of one of America's founding fathers. A New Jersey-ite bred through success on the field and in the social jungle the Swede peaks the cliche perfection meter in every way right down to the Miss New Jersey wife. The Swede's situation in his journey traversing the American historical landscape of the 1950s, 60s through to the 90s brings him into a void. Just to note this New Jerseyian's situation is far from thee "Situation" from the shores of Jersey with its oceans of Jager spiked vomit and beaches of sandy vaginas and vanity..

In the Swede's journey he is an unfitting Pleasentville mayor riding the rapids of the 60s and 70s only made worse through his relationship with his Daughter Merry. Merry is a young stuttering translucent sponge to the black liquids that spill over the perfection bucket of America onto the rest of society. Swede cannot reconcile this and is ended at a standstill with reality. Roth attempts to retrace the ails of the Swede and inserts himself into the Swede through his Character Zuckerman reflecting on this rough ride and trouble despite his own Ivory tower image of the Swede. Roth in this interaction shares some wise albeit manic insights that drip with every page onto the Swede that cinderblock of the American dream slowly but surely melting him and it away. As impervious as a section of Washington's own Mount Rushmore chin may seem to the American masses standing on a gilded soap box of patriotic rhetoric Roth eloquently subjects it to the chinese water torture of his pensive anxiety pulverizing it from cinderblock into moon rock. He explains the "trouble with Swede Levov," the trouble with "The American Dream," the trouble of perfection, the trouble of doing the right thing in a world that spins too often against the grain of our socially derived ideals, the horror of chaos that still exists even when we close one eye to avoid it. I feel this is the true take away of American Pastoral.

All poo slinging on ideals aside it still wants us to ask ourselves "what exactly is the American Dream and where has it gone wrong?" One can think of what we have seemed to mutually agree on as a society in what is success through reaching for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness but our communication is far from clear, the murmurs from the dark crowded periphery of humanity and reality itself still reach us... Our aloofness to them puts us in a situation where we are subject to the tyranny of blind fate despite our feeling of having both reins of success and happiness welded solidly in each hand. There is a lot to learn and unlearn in this book. It is a bit slow, mentally and emotionally challenging however the biting hyper-realism and forced relevant contemplation it brings on makes it a worthy read. I highly recommend taking a slow and thoughtful literary walk with it.