The Plot Against America by Philip Roth is an alternate history of the 1940 election in
which Roosevelt is defeated by Charles Lindbergh. The novel provides both an alternate
history and the point of view of the author, who has embedded himself and his real family
into the story along with other historical figures. Because Lindbergh has become president,
America did not take part in the war. Young Philip Roths cousin, Alvin, goes off to Canada
to fight against Nazi Germany and loses his leg. This event marks a significant change in
the main characters of the story, including Philip, and Alvins stump leg becomes an
important symbol throughout the novel.
There are different dimensions of the stump. First, the stump, literally, was what Alvins leg
was referred to after the lower half had been blown off in the war: the blunt remnant of
something whole that belonged there and once had been there (136). The stump was an
appalling and fearsome, yet fascinating, subject to the young Philip Roth. Secondly, the
stump served as a symbol; A symbol of injustice, cruelty, loss of innocence, fear and the
inability to control the unforeseen.
The stump symbolized something different for each of the characters. For Alvin, it was a
loss of his way of life after he lost his leg in the war against Hitler. It also represented a
change in attitude, where Alvin gave up what he had once considered his patriotic duty of
fighting Nazism. After losing his leg, Alvin transformed. First, he became angry about his
circumstances. Once he learned to cope with his loss, he became a mischievous delinquent
despite everything that his aunt and uncle had done for him by taking him in.
For Philip, the stump symbolized a loss of innocence. All at once, in viewing his cousins
lost limb, Philip learned that the world was changing and that people close to him could be
hurt in an instant. In a way, the stump forced him to grow up, as he does rather quickly
throughout the rest of the novel. His first views of the stump shock and appall him: I
couldnt bear Alvin because of his missing limb and his empty trouser leg*€¦ (134)
Progressively, however, he sees it as his responsibility to take care of Alvins stump. Philip
becomes obsessed with caring for Alvin in any way that he can. He even practices
bandaging his own leg in order to help Alvin with his bandages.
