Comparing Plot Against America 'And Inglorious Basterd'
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In the novel, The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth and Quentin Tarintino’s movie Inglourious Basterds the genre of alternate history is both seen and critiqued at the same time. Focussing on the issues and events on World War two (WWII), both the novel and the movie propose counterfactual historical events which subtly make a comment about truth and lies that history presents which in itself counters the essence of these works and also satirises WWII. These themes will be discussed in the following essay; beginning with a close reading of the given two quotes, defining what alternate history may entail and how these two works are understood to be alternative history.
Alternate history concerns itself with a counterfactual ending to historical events; it analyses plausible, causal relationship . Alternate history relies on cause and effect, which is seen largely in both, The Plot Against America and…show more content… This quote links to the previous quote as Roth questions the power dynamic of who is telling the story, just as how Tarintino questions whether facts in textbooks should be studies over rumours. There is a blurred line between truth and falsehood, rumours are questioned here as well following aunt Evelyn. The reader questions whether she is right or just hysterical- Roth and Tarintino both comment on the facts of history and by doing so critiques their own mode of genre. Alternate history reveals something about the present more so than it does of the past. Alternate history casts a mirror on our society – then and now – and the reflection we see is not one with which we might be entirely comfortable. In rewriting history, Roth confronts us with