I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, and while I did have difficulty 'getting into it' once I got about a third of the way through, I found I could not put the book down.
In this book I learned much about Leon Trotsky, artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and more about what I consider to be the absolute darkest period in our Nation's history: the McCarthy Era.
It was during this time that a lying, power-seeking, fear monger (and these were his positive attributes), Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, began a reign of terror in the US that jeopardized the rights of so many good Americans. (A frequent sidekick of McCarthy was Richard Nixon) .The feared Dies Committee, aka House Un-American Activities Committee, employed questioning tactics akin to the "So when did you stop beating your wife?" ilk. "Trials" or hearings were not much different than those conducted in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts when the town elders threw the suspected witches into the pond. Only their drowning proved the alleged conjurers' innocence. Ironic, huh? The paradox? In their condemnation of all things Communist these 1950s leaders employed tactics that probably made Stalin proud.
** In addition to reading The Lacuna, if you're interested in reading more about this time, and if you haven't already read/viewed these, consider reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible, or viewing a film titled The Front. I used both of these in my 11th grade American Lit classes and the kids really seemed to get a lot from them. As always, I'm available for discussion. :)
About Me
- KathyA
- I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 53 years, two years after we met at college. I taught in both middle and high schools as I really love teens and in-betweens. I was also a certified Lamaze instructor, and for a short time a volunteer chaplain at Howard County General Hospital. I am a two-time cancer survivor, ovarian (2003), and breast (2019) I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs with great parents, in a bilingual household. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, the Orioles, and sometimes the Ravens. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy (Kath), and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader, cook, photographer, lover of languages, music, and four-footed furries.
Showing posts with label the front. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the front. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
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