Delusions of Grandeur

September 1, 2020
A writer and English professor explores the "uncomfortable truths" of what it means to be a White, middle-class man in 21st-century America. Speaking from the perspective of middle age, Franklin boldly confronts the "delusional thinking" he views as "killing us softly, one narcissistic fairy tale at a time." He does so through 12 essays that muse on the many self-deceptions in which he and countless Americans have engaged. The author begins by examining his role as a father through the game of toy soldiers he sometimes plays with his three sons. The game appears to be a harmless bonding activity, but as Franklin suggests, it also speaks to the way "masculinity and mayhem" are inextricably intertwined in American culture. The author observes that the same ready acceptance of surface truth has also characterized his view of class issues. While he was a poor graduate student in southeastern Ohio, he donated plasma for money and saw a connection between himself and the poverty-stricken miners in neighboring communities who did the same. Deeper interrogation forced Franklin to realize that his situation was temporary while the coal miners' situation was not. Ultimately, he was as equally deluded about the "relative ease of social mobility" as he was clueless about "the challenges of systemic poverty." Later in the book, Franklin probes how the continued existence of color lines in America means that he will always see young Black men like Trayvon Martin as different from his sons and that this difference will always preclude the "shared vulnerabilities" that make empathy possible. The best he can do is teach his sons to "embrace the humility and compassion necessary to get to know boys like Trayvon Martin." Wise and humane, Franklin's book offers a timely, socially relevant portrait of the struggles facing thoughtful citizens seeking to create a more just society for every American. Intelligent reading well suited to this moment.

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