If you're least favorite part of politics is the voting, but you still love when government agencies struggle against each other, then have we got a world for you. In The Man in the High Castle, politics is a major source of conflict. In the background, different Nazis are struggling over who gets to call themselves Top Nazi. In the foreground, we see characters engage in politics. For instance, Hugo Reiss and Tagomi are both politicians who have to deal with larger government issues (like war), whereas everyone else—from Childan to Juliana Frink—has their own opinion on politics. Thankfully, no one here has a political blog.
Questions About Politics
- What do we learn about the characters when they discuss politics? Do we learn more about the political character (Tagomi, Reiss) through their politics or through other fields (like hobbies)?
- Is there any way to fight the political system? Is there any way outside of the political system? Religion? Art? Road trips?
- Is politics a good thing in this book? Does it make people's lives better or worse or both (at the same time)?
- How do the Japanese and German government differ? Do we see a lot of them? What about the Rocky Mountain States government? Is there any government there?
Chew on This
The Man in the High Castle focuses on the ordinary people (rather than the Japanese Emperor and the German Fuhrer) so that politics remains mysterious and all-powerful.
The Man in the High Castle shows us that politics is only as good as the people involved. In fact, all politics is the personal—all politicians are motivated by personal issues.