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High Castle Themes

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Philip K Dick’s The Man in the High Castle portrays life in America after World War II in the early 1960’s in a society in which the Axis powers have defeated the Allied Powers. In this novel, Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany occupy the United States and have placed racial relations as a mark of one’s height in the social hierarchy. Characters in this alternate history novel adopt customs that shield their true ancestry only to maximize their status and gain a sense of belonging. Many characters in this novel reveal a desire to find unification in the culture to which they now belong. Japanese, German, Jewish, and American characters seek unity within their society that is no longer occupied solely by their own culture. This shield misleads …show more content…

The dystopian society portrayed in Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle places race as measure of class standing, bringing about a desire for unity and creating a culture of deception. The occupation of the United States by the Japanese and Germans has resulted in the vast adoption of other cultures, resulting in undeniable deceit. While the Japanese appear to hold a higher positioning in the government and in the social hierarchy, the Japanese characters in this novel show great interest in American culture. Betty and Paul Kasoura are Japanese characters who show great admiration for the ways of Americans. Betty and Paul are first introduced when visiting Robert Childan’s American Artistic Handcrafts store. They are seeking a decorative piece of American art for their home in San Francisco. The Kasouras and many other Japanese citizens come to Childan’s store for the purpose of purchasing American artifacts. The Japanese, having taken over the United States, …show more content…

As a result, characters, like Robert Childan, reveal an intense desire to become a race other than his or her own. Robert Childan, owner of American Artistic Handcrafts, frequently serves Japanese customers who are seeking authentic American antiques. Now that they occupy his home, the Japanese are deemed superior to him. As a result, Childan often becomes intimidated by the Japanese race. When talking to Mr. Tagomi and the Kasouras, it is evident that Childan becomes incredibly nervous. When talking on the phone to Japanese business man Tagomi, Childan finds “his hand sticky on the phone” (Dick 2). His nerves in addressing those superior to him causes perspiration. He acts similarly in his interaction with the Kasouras both in his store and before arriving to their home, “[trembling] with fear” (Dick 5). Childan is longing to feel as though he belongs in his own country. His home is no longer his own. He shares his home along the West Coast with the Japanese who occupy the San Francisco area. Because of his desire to impress the Japanese and feel unified with his home and its occupants, he creates a mask. Childan tries to impress the Japanese with his products and wants very much to please his customers. In each interaction with Tagomi and the Kasouras, Robert Childan reveals his desire to become one of the Japanese, despite the fact that the

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