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suggestions in the style of investigative journalism), Mr. Respectful (who acts rather meekly compared to some of his compatriots), Mr. Shrewd (who, being slightly more daring than Mr. Daring, suggests
President Dixon may be giving voting rights to the unborn for purely political reasons), Miss Charming (the typical female reporter often stereotyped in media as 'charming' indeed), Mr. Practical (concerned not with the politics of the situation, but the when and the how much of the situation).
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Well, of course, that is a very iffy question, isn't it? What we lawyers call a hypothetical instance—isn't it? If you will remember, we are only "supposing" there to have been a pregnant woman in the ditch at My Lai to begin with. Suppose there "wasn't" a pregnant woman in that ditch—which, in
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In chapter two, entitled "Tricky holds a press conference", Dixon takes questions from reporters with names to suit their respective personalities. The reporters are called Mr. Asslick (who, as his name suggests, "sucks up" to the
President), Mr. Daring (who poses, as suggested, the more daring
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From personal and religious beliefs I consider abortions an unacceptable form of population control. Furthermore, unrestricted abortion policies, or abortion on-demand, I cannot square with my personal belief in the sanctity of human life—including the life of the yet unborn. For, surely, the
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in the process. After an operation to remove his upper lip sweat gland, he is eventually assassinated by being drowned in a giant baggie filled with water, his corpse in the fetal position. Tricky ends the novel in Hell, campaigning against Satan for the position of Devil.
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302:'s release from prison to house arrest. As the book is written entirely as dialogue, Roth uses stage directions, such as "impish endearing smile", when Dixon is talking.
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The book is six chapters long. Chapter one is entitled "Tricky comforts a troubled citizen". In the chapter, the citizen in question is concerned with
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described the book as "far-fetched, unfair, tasteless, disturbing, logical, coarse and very funny" and "in short, a masterpiece". On the other hand,
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fact, seems from all evidence to have been the case. We are then involved in a totally academic discussion.
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Clemons, Walter (November 8, 1971). "Joking in the Square".
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by Nixon making this statement on the same week he ordered
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
281:, the book takes its cue from an actual
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421:Macdonald, Dwight (November 7, 1971).
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314:'s killing of twenty-two
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952:The Plot Against America
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339:("Highbrow coach") and
376:compared the novel to
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1002:Novels by Philip Roth
799:Nemeses: Short Novels
771:I Married a Communist
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58:"Our Gang" novel
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863:A Philip Roth Reader
43:improve this article
16:Novel by Philip Roth
904:Portnoy's Complaint
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347:and the nation of
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944:American Pastoral
896:Goodbye, Columbus
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729:Zuckerman Unbound
684:Operation Shylock
606:Sabbath's Theater
566:When She Was Good
550:Goodbye, Columbus
454:. 6 November 1971
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41:Please help
36:verification
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936:Indignation
847:Collections
816:Indignation
531:Philip Roth
341:Spiro Agnew
261:Philip Roth
143:Philip Roth
991:Categories
787:Exit Ghost
652:Roth books
625:The Breast
558:Letting Go
458:27 October
448:"Our Gang"
423:"Our Gang"
393:References
353:Copenhagen
345:Curt Flood
316:Vietnamese
259:(1971) is
69:newspapers
960:Deception
880:(2005–17)
871:Shop Talk
704:Zuckerman
676:Patrimony
668:Deception
660:The Facts
484:April 12,
360:Reception
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122:Our Gang
808:Everyman
582:Our Gang
408:Newsweek
379:MacBird!
296:Our Gang
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832:Nemesis
538:Fiction
349:Denmark
306:Summary
152:English
83:scholar
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