On November 22, 1963, fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while travelling in a presidential motorcade with First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. It was an event which many remember as a shock that made the world come to a halt. The Globe and Mail reports that Kennedy’s assassination “ushered in a time of fear and desolation for those who had been captivated by the Kennedys and the liberal ideals they represented.”
Kennedy’s death was not the only factor in the escalating fear. Conspiracy theories began to spin out of control following the events in Dallas, which greatly affected the anxiety already being felt by Americans. While the Warren Commission reported that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, polls conducted between 1966 – 2003 found that 80% of Americans suspected President Kennedy’s death was the result of a conspiracy. Geoff Hamilton’s article, “Oswalds Wake: Representations of JFK’s Alleged Assassination in Recent American Literature,” which appeared in the 2002 edition of The University of Toronto Quarterly, highlights multiple philosophies including the idea that there were multiple snipers and Oswald did not act alone. It also suggests that Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub manager, shot Oswald before he could stand trial to cover-up a CIA murder plot, and that Lyndon Johnson orchestrated Kennedy’s death to gain presidential status. A detailed analysis of representation of Kennedy’s death in literature is also provided, emphasizing Don DeLillo and Norman Mailer’s unconventional portrayals of Lee Harvey Oswald.
The 50th Anniversary of Kennedy’s death has undoubtedly reignited the debate – “Who killed President Kennedy?”
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