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Abstract
Chief among these, and at the pinnacle of his craft, Philip Roth has led the way in producing the compelling mix of social commentary and fiction that has afforded a portrayal of a nation corrupted by a moral and political bankruptcy, undone by a spiritualism that smacks of Reaganism at its worst. The breadth of this project, stretching across the seminal events of America's recent history-the McCarthyite purges, the anti-war sentiment of the Vietnam era, and Monica Lewinsky's stained Gap dress- is neatly balanced by the deeply personal nature of the work. [...]worse, Silk's terror of discovery through the genetic heritage of his children-all are born white-which ultimately poisons filial relationships. [...]his triumph is to offer a future-a vision of the purity and peace of nature-which succeeds despite the brutality endemic at every turn.