Their Country

Their Country names both a section of the narrative and Bess Roth’s stark conclusion that the Roth family has lost its claim to safety and belonging in the United States. Her words come as she urges Herman Roth to leave for Canada, making the phrase a domestic reckoning with political power rather than an abstract statement of patriotism.

The Phrase in Its Scene

The section is dated May 22, 1942. In the family’s argument, Herman Roth is writing to Walter Winchell and fears that the Federal Bureau of Investigation may interfere with the mail. Bess Roth points out that their children have already been questioned and that the agency is watching them because of Alvin Roth. The family’s sense of danger has entered ordinary life: even sending a letter seems uncertain.

Bess Roth presses Herman Roth to consider Canada, citing Shepsie Tirschwell as someone who has not simply waited for events to worsen. Herman Roth rejects the idea of leaving and insists that he will not run away. Bess Roth answers with the section’s defining words: “It's their country.” The phrase follows her assertion that the country belongs to Charles A. Lindbergh and to the non-Jewish majority; in this exchange, “their” marks a painful reversal from national belonging to exclusion.

Family Conflict and Consequences

The declaration does not resolve the argument; it exposes the limits of Herman Roth’s confidence that he can protect his family by remaining where they are. Bess Roth’s words force him to confront how little control he has, despite his energy and determination. The comparison to Mr. Wishnow, found dead in a closet, makes the threat immediate and personal: the family’s fear is bound up with a recent death, not merely a political forecast.

Sandy Roth responds from a different position. Still angry at having been stripped of his earlier importance, he dismisses his parents as “Ghetto Jews,” using language he has picked up from Aunt Evelyn. His contempt sharpens the meaning of the phrase: the family is divided not only over whether to leave, but also over whether its fears deserve to be taken seriously. Their Country thus names a threatened public belonging while registering the fracture that threat opens inside the Roth household.