This is said to symbolize balance, peace, and fairness. Within the context of DeLillo's novel I think it is interesting to consider why he choose "Libra" as his title as opposed to some other zodiac sign, or anything at all really. This book really doesn't seem like the kind of story one would title "peace" or "fairness" since it is, above all else, focused on an assassination. In addition to the violence, DeLillo also extensively discusses how the powerful CIA officials make their own rules, planning a failed assassination on their own president to further their own purposes in Cuba. Parameter at least is in this plot for direct monetary gains if Castro is overthrown. This makes it odd to title the book with a symbol of fairness and equality.
Perhaps the title refers more to Lee Harvey Oswald's beliefs and how he was actually a relatively fair person, as can be seen by his obsession with the marine handbook. However, he also disregards these rules that he memorizes better than anyone else. Oswald is also a perfect counterexample to the idea of balance. His life is defined by the unbalanced nature of his mental state. On one hand he is a dedicated communist, reading Das Kapital at an early age despite his dyslexia. On the other hand he is unstable enough to attempt to attempt to shoot Major General Edwin A. Walker, just because of the influence from a man he met for only one day.
I think that either I am missing something huge, or DeLillo has something in store for us later in this book to warrant such a title. Or, perhaps the point of such a title is to deliberately contrast with the plot to highlight the imbalance, the unfairness, of the events depicted. Why do you think DeLillo chose such a title? Is it too early in the novel to make such a judgement?
I am pumped to delve deeper into the depths of this novel. I think you're right that the author has something in store for us. It is an interesting choice of a title considering that the main character is a complete opposite of the meaning of Libra as a zodiac sign. Perhaps there is some truth that Lee wants equality as per his Communistic ideas, but realizes (as others, like Lenin did), that some transitionary state is necessary to achieve the final equality he idealizes. Perhaps this stage in his life is just that transition but he never got to live out the days of equality.
ReplyDeleteHowever, usually when people like Lenin or Stalin make the argument that it has to get worse before the ideal society emerges, the ideals are never realized and the country stays in the imbalanced, unfair state that was supposed to be nothing more than a transition.
DeletePerhaps since DeLillo gives us a more balanced view of Lee Harvey Oswald, as opposed to the more traditional view of him as a cold blooded murderer, the title "Libra" refers to this more nuanced depiction.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a balance between following the rules and breaking them. You need a perfect balance of doing things undercover and making people believe you are doing things fairly not to get caught. We talked about how the CIA does things to cover up their mistakes. Like the Bay of Pigs was a mess in part because they weren't able to cover up their actions well enough.
ReplyDeleteExactly right
DeleteIt has been pointed out on a few other blogs that Lee H. Oswald happens to have been a Libra, which maybe has something to do with the title. But it has to be more than that, and your speculation about the scales is suggestive.
ReplyDeleteThe title is accounted for later in the novel, but these early speculations are insightful and relevant.
While I think it's worth pointing out Lee himself was a Libra (though I'll admit I had to google that) I wonder if the title just hasn't been explained yet as we're still pretty early in the book. Either way, your points are relevant to our current reading
ReplyDeleteI think the assassination of JFK in the novel actually is sort of motivated by "justice" or "fairness". TJ and others feel betrayed/ostracized by their organization and are attempting to expose the CIA as redemption. Win's plot to pin it on the Cubans as an act of vengeance for the CIA's assassination attempts on Castro is another example of this theme.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact that Lee himself was a Libra may have been significant in the titling of the novel. I think what Ben mentioned is interesting, that the balance represents a broader, more balanced view of the tale and of Oswald. While many may think of him as simply a psycho assassin, the novel serves to show other sides of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the book was titled Libra also confused me for some while. From far away, Libra, the scale representing balance, seems to be a bad title because of just how chaotic and hectic Lee's life is. As in, I feel as though it is missing the balance. However, if you delve into Lee's life more, you start seeing how all of his ideas in his mind start to "balance" for example US vs Russia, Capitalism vs. Communism are a couple of examples.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's an explanation coming (I think I heard Mitchell teasing it in class the other day), but fairness makes a lot of sense to me. The novel very clearly is spending "equal" amounts of time on Lee and the CIA's point of view, and Nicholas Branch is obsessed with fairness, looking at all relevant documents fairly. Lee's also obsessed with fairness: the idea that marines and people living under communism are treated fairly is something he's all about. Equality is on the fringes of the narrative already, and I can't wait for it to take center stage.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's sorta like balancing out the history and fictional aspects of the JFK assassination. Often times we hear of the standard story or the huge conspiracy theory story, but the book so far seems like a decent mixture of the two. It's not too out there, but it doesn't seem so easily explained.
ReplyDeleteAs is it a conspiracy novel, one of my suspicions is that "Libra" will come up as a the name of some pivotal part of the plan, maybe a central unit of the Everett led expeditions including Lee or maybe as a code-name for Lee himself. Lee was a Libra, but I definitely don't think that's enough to name the book after--and as you pointed out, there doesn't seem to be much of a highlight on balance.
ReplyDeleteI feel like DeLillo is really using the title "Libra" as irony, something to make us try to find balance or justice in the novel and only see it contradicted. So many people within the novel have a twisted sense of justice in their motives to kill Kennedy. For instance, Vasquez wants to get back at Castro because he feels betrayed. Bobby Dupard wants justice against white supremacy by attempting the assassination of General Walker. All of these people are trying to "balance out" the wrong done to them by assassinating Kennedy, but we can see how twisted that sense of justice is.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it's talking about balance. It's funny that you mention Lee's instability, because that wouldn't work with the whole scale analogy, right? But I also sort of think that it does considering, that Lee seems to teeter back and forth between being a stable, rational person (look at his relationship with Marina in the beginning) and someone that is completely unhinged (referring to the domestic violence). I also agree with Grace that it could be ironic, in that you could view Lee as not having any particular rhyme or reason at all.
ReplyDeletelee brins balance
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