The short story "Lyndon" by David Foster Wallace is a look at the Lyndon B. Johnson's life through the eyes of a member of his staff. It is a lot different from what one would expect from someone who would become the most powerful man in the United States of America.
First of all, the first line, "'My name is Lyndon Baines Johnson. I own the fucking floor you stand on, boy.'l speaks for itself. It is definitely a very in-depth look at Lyndon that people would not normally read about. The way he is portrayed is very vulgar and sometimes downright disgusting. I did not like Lyndon as a character at all. I found him to be quite an asshole which one wouldn't expect from someone with such power. His always calling people "boy" and "son" really bothered me. It made him sound like he always talked down to people.
I didn't think Wallace could think of this much to write about Johnson. Like why pick Lyndon B. Johnson over any other president to write about? There were a lot of more interesting presidents he could've written about that would have made a more interesting read. Overall I didn't really like reading the short story. Although it is very interesting that he was sworn in as the president right after the assassination of JFK which is probably why we read this before starting Libra.
I wonder what ever gave you the idea that a man in power would be somehow *less* inclined to be an "asshole" than someone not in power?
ReplyDeleteAs for why Johnson, he's an interesting--and, to many, contradictory--president for a range of reasons. He's responsible for the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts and a host of progressive legislation, while at the same time he was the poster-man for the escalation of the Vietnam war, the object of much of the protesters' fury. This combination of older-school politician with his unvarnished or "earthy" demeanor also makes him a fun character to play with. Is it possible to hear the "boy" and "son" stuff as NOT condescending but as almost fatherly or coach-like? In any case, it's interesting that David is not only NOT turned off by this, he comes pretty quickly to "love" Lyndon. He's crude and abrupt, but there's a genuineness to him, and a commitment to his role of public service (the "same day directive") that makes him more admirable than we might expect in a politician.