Nicholas Branch is an Unnecessary Part of Libra

I brought this point up in class the other day; this idea that the whole Nicholas Branch part of Libra  is a really unnecessary aspect of the book. Now, maybe this idea stems from the fact that even after having finished the novel, I STILL don't understand what Branch was up to and in fact found all of his parts extremely confusing, but from what I do understand about Branch and his story, they don't seem to be an integral part of the novel.

That sentence was long. Let me try again.

What I'm trying to say is that I think Libra could've succeeded as a story without Branch and his parts. Like, to me it seemed Branch was put in to give the novel that "meta" aspect we've talked about so much in class. But I feel like Libra itself already had that aspect to it. I mean, just looking at the JFK assassination from a different perspective and under different circumstances causes us to rethink and reshape our thoughts on what really happened and why and the consequences of that. We don't need a character in the book to help channel those thoughts because just by simply reading, we are having them. (Hope that made more sense.)

The thing is, Branch didn't really add anything to the story, at least not for me. He was more of an annoyance than anything else. I'd be smack dab in the middle of Lee's story, and then all of a sudden I'm reading about Branch, and I'm like, "Hold up. What's this? What's going on?" It'd get so confusing, simply because I was so wrapped up in the Lee story that I had forgotten about the Branch part of it. And I think that's when you can tell if a character or if a part of a story is unnecessary.

I encountered the same thing with my short story project. I had used a frame narrative couple for meta purposes and to ease my way into my main story. The frame narrative couple basically stood as bookmarks for the main novel couple. But that didn't work. As my peer edit told me, "I had completely forgotten about your other couple, and so when they came in I was like 'Whoa, who are these people?' and had to go searching to find where they had been before." (Or, well, he said something like that.) The point is, there was no use for my frame narrative couple. What I wanted to use them for worked out fine without them. My story stood without them, and the messages I wanted conveyed were conveyed. And that's why I feel like Nicholas Branch and his story is unnecessary,

But hey. It's ok, Branch. You can go hang with my frame narrative couple.

Lee at the Hands of Fate

In my last post, I asked what makes Lee so easily manipulated? Why is it that he goes along so willingly with other people's plans and ideas? I stated it was because of him wanting to find himself and find a place to belong. However, I now offer up a different answer. Fate and astrology.

Libra plays on these two main themes; the idea that Lee has a certain fate that can not be avoided and is essentially linked to his astrological sign, which of course, is Libra. As a Libra, and especially if we're looking at the negative aspects of that astrological sign, Lee is unsteady and impulsive. We see these traits appear several times in the novel, for example when Lee shot himself or when he planned the assassination of General Walker. However, the main thing about Lee being a Libra that leads into his unavoidable fate, is the fact that he is, "easily, easily, easily influenced." Because of how Lee is, he's able to be easily manipulated by other people, thus explaining his entire part in the JFK assassination. Lee can not avoid his astrological sign, which means he can not avoid being so easily influenced and manipulated. He truly is a victim of fate. It was Lee's fate to be a Libra, and being that Libra is the reason why he got involved int he JFK assassination.

But it goes further than that. See, I used to think that the whole assassination plot was Ferrie's thing. He was the evil mastermind that developed the whole scheme, and was the one who personally manipulated Lee into getting involved in it. In my eyes, he planned the entire thing. But I know that's just not so. Ferrie admits himself that JFK coming to Dallas where Lee just happens to be and his car taking a route that goes right by the building where Lee works is something he could never arrange and I believe that. Those things are not just mere coincidences. It's fate. Lee is somehow meant to assassinate the president, and it seems to be some sort of astrological destiny.

It really makes you think differently about Lee. He's a victim of fate. What can you do? Do we still blame him, if the only reason he acted was because of outside forces out of anyone's control that controlled him? Do we put the blame on him because his astrological sign caused so much trouble? I mean, can you even do that? Someone's astrological sign is a part of him, so in effect, can you blame someone for doing something bad if it's in their blood, if they can't help it at all?

This all makes me very nervous and confused. Especially since I'm a Libra.

Why is Lee So Easily Manipulated?

In Libra, Lee becomes a pawn in this secret plan to "assassinate" and miss the President. From my point of view, he's being manipulated this entire time. He never really knows what's going on, but he goes along with it. Why, I ask you? What makes Lee so easily malleable? Why is it that everyone can control him. to an extent of course, but still. Lee moves from place to place, sometimes on his own accord, but sometimes based on the talk of others. He let's people tell him what to do, or at least takes their suggestions and follows through with it. Why?

I think it's because Lee is desperate to fit in somewhere and make a name for himself. From his childhood, he was always displaced. No matter where he lived, people made fun of him. Lee just wanted to be liked and accepted by them, but he was turned away. So, in an effort to find himself and find his place, Lee turned away from the U.S. and headed off to Russia. But even there, he wasn't a part of anything. He thought he was, but in truth, he still didn't find who Lee was and where he fit in the world. So when he comes back to the U.S., a different man but still a man who doesn't quite know who he is, he's easily taken under anybody's wing.

Lee just needs to find himself and his niche. We've seen him try several different things, a military man, a U.S. citizen, a Russian citizen, Pro-Castro, communist, socialist, assassin, etc. The list just goes on and on. I really think that Libra is about Lee trying to find himself and where he belongs, but because he's so desperate to find all this, he'll take on any role and go anywhere and do anything, because it just might end up being what he needs. And for that, I feel sorry for him. You know, Lee really wants this, and he tries so hard to get it. He goes through not only emotional pain but physical as well. Those shots he fired at himself? A cry for attention, yes, a cry for something because to Lee, without knowing who he is or where he belongs, he doesn't have anything. And that's what I feel is so sad about his character; that he's such a lost soul that he will go to the ends of the earth by any means necessary to find who he is and where he truly belongs.