'The Man' by Irving Wallace

"In a Composite Nation like ours, made up of almost every variety of the human family, there should be, as before the Law, no rich, no poor, no high, no low, no black, no white, but one country, one citizenship, equal rights and a common destiny for all. A Government that cannot or does not protect the humblest citizen in his right to life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, should be reformed or overthrow, without delay." - Frederick Douglass. Irresistible, unstoppable...though small print, a medium sized book... The man by Irving Wallace is an interesting and captivating read, that speculatively explores the socio-political consequences in U.S. society when a black man becomes President of the United States. 30th of 2020, the novel's title derives from the sixties American slang,"The Man"; used to describe White people.

When acting president TC dies due to a fluke of destiny, the succession laws let Douglas Dillman, a black citizen, as The President. Douglas Dillman is sharp, intelligent, shy at asking any favours, very sensitive and over-cautious lest he be labelled as showing preferential treatment to his kind. Though a widower, he is reluctant to pursue a relationship with a biracial woman because he fears the lightness of her skin will raise the specter of miscegenation. To calm people’s worries, he agrees to play the role of a figurehead. He doesn’t even veto a clearly unconstitutional bill prohibiting him from removing any member of his predecessor’s Cabinet. But little by little he asserts himself, to the growing frustration and fury of his enemies. They finally pounce after he fires a backstabbing secretary of state. Dillman is impeached on spurious charges, but at the Senate trial he is dramatically acquitted by one vote. Several weeks later he is celebrating the New Year with his lady friend, whom he no longer feels nervous around. A new poll has been released: two-thirds of the public have drifted into the undecided column. This is good news, an advisor tells Dillman. He isn’t liked, but he isn’t disliked either. The Femme Fatale Sally Watson and her introduction by Leroy Poole, Ambitious Arthur Eaton, ‘keep the door open’ sequence between Doug and Edna, wavering of Edna Foster, fall and rise of Otto Beggs and the near assassination, high octane bursts from The Judge, bombastic speeches by Zeke Miller, interrogation of Wanda Gibson by Zeke Meller, loyalty of Nat Abraham and his wife Sue, Presidents transformation from being too depended and fitting into the shoes of late T.C. per request of his widowed wife – again a game plan, his gradually writing own speaches, meeting the CIA, his relationship with son Julian Dilman and daughter Mindy; and the deeds of Senator Watson father of Sally are all interesting plots, weaving the story.

Interesting lessons are, when it gets real bad, it’s enough to make it worth while. With great job comes great responsibility, do the best. Braveness is good, but we need to be smart and keep ourselves surrounded with smart people.

Thanks to Pattabhi Ram Sir for recommending this book, a worthy read, especially in the current political scenario. 

I think of a quotation from the final page of his novel The Prize, the last line of which appears on his grave marker:

“All man's honors are small beside the greatest prize to which he may and must aspire—the finding of his soul, his spirit, his divine strength and worth—the knowledge that he can and must live in freedom and dignity—the final realization that life is not a daily dying, not a pointless end, not ashes-to-ashes and dust-to-dust, b