42 pages • 1 hour read
Independence Day
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Symbols & Motifs
Emerson’s Self-Reliance
As part of his strategy to use logic and appeal to Paul’s intellect, Frank brings along a copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance. Frank mentions the classic work of American Transcendentalism multiple times in the opening chapters and quotes from it often, both to Paul and in his internal monologues. For example, early in Chapter 1, Frank quotes Emerson’s statement, “To be great is to be misunderstood” (6). Frank uses this line as part of his discussion of the presidential election between Michael Dukakis and George H.W. Bush.
Self-Reliance situates the reader and helps them understand what makes Frank tick. When he pulls from Emerson, the quotes are often squeezed to fit into whatever he is discussing. The book does not serve as a companion to this novel, nor does it provide any real analogous significance. Instead, the references to Emerson draw attention to Frank’s values. When he quotes from Emerson, the reader has a broader understanding of how Frank is trying to live his life—namely, his drive toward independence and not having to rely on others for sustenance in his life.
1988 Presidential Election
The 1988 presidential election appears at various points in the novel. Frank supports the Democrat Michael Dukakis, and many of his acquaintances support the Republican George H.W. Bush. Given that Frank is a real estate agent and a small business owner, many voters in his peer group support the Republican candidate Bush. Frank also believes that Dukakis is a weak candidate—he would go on to lose the election—but he sees himself as a liberal who supports the social causes of the Democrat party of the time. The recurring focus on the election draws out the contrasts between Frank and the people he encounters throughout the novel.
Whenever this topic comes up in conversation with friends, Frank does not allow it to become a wedge. For example, Karl, his partner at the birch-beer stand, is a Republican who was at one time a Democrat. They often disagree on politics, but Frank says this about his partner: “To me, these are the true turncoats, though Karl in most ways is not a bad citizen” (136). Frank sees Karl’s transformation into a Republican as something disagreeable, but that does not automatically mean the man is a bad person. Frank does not hold politics against anyone he doesn’t already dislike, such as Charley O’Dell.
Racism
The most explicit racism in the novel is shown by Joe Markham, though other characters are prone to it, including Frank’s son Paul, who directs a racial slur at the security guard who catches him shoplifting. When Joe finally concedes that he cannot afford to buy a house in Haddam, he asks Frank about the rental units that he owns in the predominantly Black neighborhood. Joe’s prejudice is on full display here, and it is a stark contrast to the way that Frank describes the neighborhood: as a typical, working-class community with good working-class people that one would expect to find anywhere.
The fact there is a predominantly Black neighborhood in general also hints at a broader systemic racism. While Frank does not mention it in the book, this fact recalls the institutionally racist practice of Redlining which effectively built in geographical boundaries that kept Black families separated from the rest of society. Frank buys two homes in this neighborhood. While collecting the rent, the elderly neighbor from across the street sees him and becomes suspicious of his presence in the area. She calls the police, they arrive, interrogate Frank, and then finally let him go. Although he does not mention it directly, Frank’s experience here is an implicit acknowledgment of how this very thing happens with much more frequency when it is a Black man appearing in a white neighborhood without apparent cause, according to those who would call the authorities on him.
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