Franz von Papen in New Jersey
The Mention of Franz von Papen's military attache, while Tateh and the family are in New Jersey, seemed very strange to me. He shows up for just about a page, and is not seen again, but he is much more mixed up in both the history of the time and the narrative of the family than you might expect. This strange "cameo" somewhat reminds me of Freud's trip through New York. A seemingly random historical figure wanders through our narrative, taking a brief look around, and leaving, without any significant effect on the plot. Both serve to remind us of the historical setting of the novel as well as providing an ironic twist, due to our hindsight. In Freud's case, we are reminded that Freud was writing his works at the same time that this novel is taking place. Then we see him return to Vienna, saying that all of America is a mistake, and complaining about the way they appropriate and ruin European culture, hinting at the figure of JP Morgan, who will only appear later i...