Libra's depiction of Lee Harvey Oswald
Don DeLillo's Libra is a masterful retelling of events that lead up to the assassination of President John. F Kennedy. The book does a great job of altering the narrative behind Lee Harvey Oswald's life. Rather than depicting him as a crazy, psychotic, one-dimensional villain, he is depicted as a delusional, pathetic, and misunderstood figure who challenges the readers to o confront the blurred lines between historical fact and humanity.
Oswald's delusions in Libra are flawed attempts to find meaning in a life characterized by marginality and uncertainty, rather than grand conspiracy theories. He repeatedly clings to the notion of a "world inside the world," a hidden meaning structure that promises to clarify his mission and his role in history. His compulsive need to be a part of something greater than himself, even though he never fully comprehends what that might be, is reinforced by the repeated use of this term throughout the book.
Delillo also highlights Lee's sadness through scenes that reveal his social awkwardness, emotional instability, and profound isolation. Oswald's strange actions at the beginning of the book, such as smiling after a fight. point towards a man who is disengaged from the social standards that surround him.
His vulnerability is reinforced even by his relationships. His marriage to Marina is tense and uneven, filled with abusive and perplexing moments that are more suggestive of psychological instability and insecurity than outright evil.
DeLillo refuses to paint Lee Harvey Oswald as merely a villain. Rather, he portrays him as a contradictory man who sees himself as a social outcast and longs to fit in. However, his own pride and insecurities continue to hold him back from finding that sense of belonging everywhere he goes. DeLillo turns Oswald from a historical villain into a likable, and to some even relatable, character. Someone who is delusional, pitiful, and deeply misunderstood.
- Aldo
I'm not sure I find Oswald particularly likable, but I agree that this depiction makes him seem almost real. Nonetheless, we are kept at a bit of a distance from him and most of the characters in the ridiculous conspiracy plot, so it's interesting to see that even in the craziness, we get moments of vulnerability. In a way, I think that highlights the vulnerability more.
ReplyDeleteHi Aldo, I completely agree with your analysis of Oswald's portrayal. He is so so deeply flawed in Libra, and that's what makes him human. He isn't just this guy with no story, completely psychopath, and villain who takes a shot at Kennedy. He's Lee, he's goofy, pathetic, delusional, but also misunderstood and a little endearing. Delillo breathes life into the Lee behind the assasination, and I found Lee's struggles to be relatable and his character deserving of some appreciation despite his many flaws.
ReplyDeleteThis post does a nice job of articulating what is oddly compelling and even sympathetic about Oswald as he is depicted in this novel, and that's a fine line to try to walk--it's easy to sound like we're affirming what he's done, or endorsing political assassination as a strategy, or making light of the life-and-death seriousness of the historical event to admit that he is not a simple monster whom we can condemn with no ambiguity. You wisely describe Lee as vulnerable and "relatable," not "good" or "nice" or "likable." We don't have to LIKE him--in fact, we might find it very frustrating to be a friend of Lee. He drives us nuts--he keeps screwing up and getting himself into more trouble, and yet there's something compelling about the structural role of a *protagonist* (which means "one who struggles") in a narrative. We don't have to LIKE the person, but we are engaged with their *struggle*, and we almost can't help but root for them on some level, because we are structurally aligned with their perspective. Consider how much is floating in the background for the reader when, 400-something pages in to the narrative, DeLillo places us alongside Lee in that window on the sixth floor: we don't WANT the president to be killed, but we also know it is inevitable, so instead we engage with Lee and his almost comical vulnerability when he suddenly realizes he's been duped.
ReplyDeleteHey Aldo, I really liked how you focused on Oswald as a misunderstood and lonely person instead of just a villain. The way you explained his need to be part of something bigger, especially with the “world inside the world” idea, made the book feel more interesting and human. Good post!
ReplyDelete