Summary
Following the Memorial Day holiday in 1944, a poor Italian neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey sees its first case of polio. In the Jewish neighborhood of Weequahic, the news of the disease doesn’t reach citizens until a month later, around July 4th. Everyone is warned about the disease’s debilitating side effects such as fever, stiff neck, joint pain, and nausea. Although the narrator recalls that there was an outbreak of the disease in 1916, polio’s resurgence in 1944 causes parents and children alike to re-evaluate their summer plans. While polio often afflicts children, the narrator explains that adults are not immune. After President Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted the disease, he had to wear foot and leg braces in order to walk.
The narrator explains the geography of Newark and its history as a hub for infectious diseases. Because Newark is ringed by extensive wetlands, the city gets particularly hot and humid during the summer months. Malaria, carried by mosquitoes that thrive in warm, humid conditions, had ravaged the city years prior. Due to this history, Newark citizens fear that polio will profoundly affect their densely populated and geographically susceptible city. The narrator explains the divisions among social classes within the Newark community.
As wealthier individuals send their children away to summer camps to protect them from contracting the disease, the working-class population has no choice but to remain in Newark. Although safety measures are enacted, it seems impossible for the community to avoid public gathering spaces. Since children need to escape the congestion in their hot homes, they often convene in playgrounds. We are introduced to Bucky Cantor, the playground director. At just 23 years old, Buddy quickly becomes a role model for the community’s children.
The reader learns more about Bucky and the circumstances that led up to him becoming the phys-ed teacher at Chancellor Avenue School. Bucky, whose birth name is Eugene, was raised by his grandparents in tenement housing after his mother died in childbirth. His biological father was imprisoned during Bucky’s childhood, and Bucky’s grandfather, Sam Cantor, was determined to erase his father’s genetic influence. Sam began to call Eugene “Bucky” after the child killed a rat with his own shovel while working at his grandfather’s store. His grandfather raised Bucky to value independence, strength, and determination.
Due to Bucky’s poor eyesight that necessitates wearing thick eyeglasses, he is prohibited from serving in the war. Bucky feels guilty, isolated, and emasculated for not fighting, and he compensates with intense weightlifting. Bucky’s physical and emotional strength is noticed and valued by the Newark Jewish community. One day, while Bucky is supervising his students, a group of Italian children visits the playground. They begin spitting on the ground and proclaiming that they are “spreading polio,” which greatly alarms the children. The encounter fuels the ongoing rivalry between the Jewish and Italian communities in Newark. Bucky confronts the Italians and takes control of the playground, which renders him a community hero.
A few days following the playground incident, students of the Chancellor Avenue school begin contracting polio. The disease spreads quickly, and the aftermath is devastating. Bucky’s star pupil, Alan Michaels, dies just 72 hours after contracting the disease. Amidst the panic, Bucky remains steadfast. He sees the playground as an antidote to the community’s anxiety, and he encourages the students to continue living as normally as possible in spite of their fears. Meanwhile, the tension between the Italians and Jews crescendos. The Jews are convinced that the Italians have purposefully infected their community, and they grow angry and resentful.
Bucky receives a phone call from Marcia, who used to be a teacher at Chancellor. She is spending her summer as a counselor in the Poconos, and she is deeply concerned when she hears about the polio outbreak at her former school. The two proclaim their love for one another. After the phone call, Bucky visits the home of Alan Michaels in order to pay his respects to the family. He listens intently as Mr. Michaels praises Alan, and Bucky is deeply affected by the family’s overwhelming grief. Throughout the visit, Bucky reiterates the importance of keeping the playground children calm and ensuring their happiness during this unprecedented time.
Analysis
In the first section of Nemesis, the reader is introduced to key themes that are explored throughout the novel. Firstly, the depiction of “Equatorial Newark” establishes the theme of environmental injustice. Weequahic’s population is made up of low-income immigrants, and the ringed wetlands and abundance of mosquitoes make it a breeding ground for disease. The oppressive heat and humidity contribute to the impression of a hellish ecosystem. Throughout the story, Weequahic’s climate intensifies Bucky’s feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety.
As the pandemic gets worse, Bucky begins to see himself as a “working-class hero.” After Bucky is medically disqualified from serving in the war, he sees the playground as an opportunity to make a difference within his community. Although people in Weequahic fear that the playground may not be the safest for the children’s wellbeing, Bucky emphasizes the importance of play as an antidote to community suffering. For the neighborhood children, the playground is a space that enables them to escape the severity of current events. For Bucky, the playground is a “battlefield” in which he can exercise his leadership skills.
Bucky’s background plants the seeds for the insecurities that govern his life. Because Bucky’s mother died during his childhood, he feels guilty for merely being brought into this world. Bucky’s sense of guilt is omnipresent as he navigates the polio epidemic in both Newark and in the Poconos. Additionally, Bucky’s grandfather taught his grandson to overcome adversities by “being strong.” As Bucky grows older, he compensates for his setbacks by hiding his emotions, which he perceives to be signs of weakness. Bucky’s inability to appropriately express his vulnerability causes him to dissociate.
When Alan Michaels dies from polio, Bucky is shocked and overwhelmed by the senseless tragedy. He cannot understand why the disease affects vulnerable children, and he begins to question his faith in God. When Bucky pays his respects to Mr. Michaels, he first-handedly witnesses the family’s grieving process. Although Bucky cannot comprehend the feeling of losing one’s own child, he empathizes with the family’s distress. Bucky’s way of coping with his sadness is to work harder. Although he wants to help the neighborhood children, he fails to understand that working is draining his energy.
The presence of the Italians in Newark provides insight into the ethnic problems that dominated social life in the mid-20th century. As polio spreads, people in Weequahic grow deeply afraid and struggle to find answers. In order to make sense of the disease, they try to blame their misfortune on a scapegoat. They begin condemning the Italians, which leads to tensions between the communities. The anxiety and paranoia that the Weequahic citizens feel stems from the rise of antisemitism prior to and during the Second World War.
