Essay Questions

Who is Lee Harvey Oswald?

The novel 'Libra' is about President John F. Kennedy's assassination and the principal suspect in his murder. Lee Harvey Oswald is the chief suspect in President Kennedy's assassination. Oswald is married to a Russian woman who is also the core accused in the murder case. Since his childhood, Oswald is described as a good person who grew up to Join U.S.'s Marine Corps. DeLillo narrates how Oswald joined the C.I.A. operatives who plotted the assassination of the President. The author also reveals that Oswald was a member of communists who opposed President Kennedy's current regime. Despite the accusations, DeLillo believes that Oswald is not a saint. Still, he is also not a wrong person, and the book concludes without giving a detailed conclusion on how Oswald's trial ended.

How did the assassination of President J.F Kennedy transform the U.S.A.'s political environment?

According to the Novel 'Libra,' one of the main reasons President J.F Kennedy was killed is his stand against communism taking root in Cuba. The communists were against the current regime's policies, and the operatives thought that the best way to end it was to kill the sitting President. The killing, however, came as a wake-up call for the American government to beef up security for the head of state by increasing the level of intelligence. Similarly, American changed its tactic of directly dealing with communists to indirect strategies such as the imposition of business and political sanctions, which are used even today.

What is the dramatic irony in the novel ‘Libra’?

In most cases, murderers are seen as evil people who are possessed by the forces of darkness. Ironically, the novel 'Libra' depicts Oswald as a good man who has lived an ordinary life since his childhood. The people who loved President Kennedy see Oswald as a criminal mastermind, but the author of this novel does not think that Oswald is wicked. According to DeLillo, Oswald was just used by communist operatives to achieve their goals. Therefore, Oswald is portrayed in the novel as a tool of assassination.