I just finished this book while on retreat this week. I finally learned for sure that Harrison William Shepherd is a fictional character along with his archivist, Mrs. Violet Brown. Almost every other character is historically accurate. In particular, Leo Davidovich Trotsky did emigrate to Mexico in the late 1920′s to escape Stalin’s death squads. Mexico at the time was well known as a place where Communists were at least tolerated, even if Mexicans did not know the difference between Communism and social democracy. Trotsky was a true Marxist and social democrat; something we know nothing about in the United States. Which is the whole point of this book, I think.
Kingsolver is offering us an opportunity to learn more about the differences between communism (a failed form of governance), Marxism (an economic system), and social democracy (combines economics and governance). I, myself, am a social democrat. I believe that we should take the very best care of our citizens: From each according to his ability and to each according to her need. This feels very reasonable to me, and in a time when many Americans have lost their homes and their jobs, a necessary one. However, we now have the top 1% of the top 1% in wealth running our country. We have liars like Sarah Palin wanting to be President. And we have a perfectly good President getting the crap beat out of him daily by the fundamentalist, Christian Right.
We have an educational system that is failing children most in need. Of course, there are exceptions. Yesterday on the second to the last “Oprah” from the United Center in Chicago, we saw 450 Morehouse men parade to the stage to thank Oprah Winfrey for her scholarship program. I had no idea. Considering the school to prison pipeline for Hispanic and Black men between the ages of 18 and 24, having 450 young black men graduate from Morehouse College is perhaps Oprah’s best kept secret. I am so proud of her and of her scholarship recipients. Put your money where your mouth is.
My hope is that (even a fictionalized) Harrison William Shepherd swam through the lacuna into a new life. I can’t think of a better, more hopeful, more positive ending for a book and a life.
Tags: communists, lacuna, Marx, Mexico, Morehouse, Oprah, social democracy
