Robert Coover's The Public Burning (1977) is ostensibly about the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1953 (Rosenberg Case), but the novel, written in the wake of Watergate, is more directly concerned with its unlikely chief narrator, Vice President Richard Nixon, and his symbolic status as the embodiment of cold war America. Fully utilizing the techniques of magic realism and postmodern fiction, Coover makes no attempt to represent actual events. Instead he employs a wide range of styles, mixing historical fact with popular culture, myths, parodies, and fables. The result is a massive collage that adds up to a satiric indictment of American culture, with Nixon as its representative. But despite the polemics that dominate the work, Coover manages a portrait of Nixon that is not entirely lacking in compassion.

The novel begins with the announcement that following the final rejection of their appeal, the Rosenbergs' fate has been "sealed, and it is determined to burn them in New York City's Times Square on the night of their 14th wedding anniversary, Thursday, June 18, 1953." Against this background, Nixon narrates his life story in a candid, self-revealing fashion. He speaks, for example, of his difficulty in connecting with other people, epitomized is his description of his relation with his wife Pat: "Without having to say a thing, she became my arbiter, my audience, guide, model, and goal. Sometimes she felt that she did have to say something, but it was usually better when she kept quiet." He is acutely conscious of the fact that President Eisenhower, like most people he knows, doesn't particularly like him. But the resentment he feels serves as fuel for his ambition.

In his analysis of the Rosenberg trial, he displays his sharp lawyer's intelligence, but he also finds himself increasingly wondering about the two spies, comparing them to himself: "I was the Vice President. . . . They were condemned to burn as traitors. What went wrong?" He becomes particularly interested in Ethel. As the execution date nears, he makes a desperate attempt to prevent it by going to Sing Sing Prison with the intention of getting them to confess. But when he confronts Ethel, he is swept up in a passion for her, a passion she requites. The two repressed people have a wild sexual encounter just prior to the entrance of the executioner. Nixon narrowly escapes, with his pants around his knees.

At the public execution in Times Square, a frenzied Dionysian blood sacrifice, Nixon makes an appearance, pants still around his feet. Faced with howls and cackles from the manic crowd, he engages in a meaningless rant invoking the sacred cliches of political life. Finally, the audience takes up the chant, "PANTS DOWN." Everyone begins to drop their pants as the Rosenbergs are led to their deaths.

Not surprisingly, many publishers turned down the manuscript of The Public Burning, fearing the lawsuits that it might provoke. Some also questioned the taste of what seemed to many reviewers the author's adolescent humor. Others maintain it to be a postmodernist classic. Thus the controversy that surrounded the man in his lifetime continues in the reaction to the literature he evoked.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on American Literature at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to American Literature and other relevant topics.