U.S. Frontier Period

The U.S. Frontier Period, the era of westward expansion and the American Civil War, functions in the novel as a powerful symbol of a lost, authentic American past. In the world of the novel, where the Axis powers won World War II, this period has become a commodity, its artifacts—guns, buttons, and other relics—highly prized by Japanese collectors. The period's significance is thus double-edged: it represents a genuine American heritage, but one that is now being bought, sold, and often forged by the occupying powers and their collaborators.

The Frontier Period as a Commodity

The novel's plot is heavily driven by the trade in Frontier Period artifacts. Robert Childan, the owner of American Artistic Handcrafts Inc., makes his living selling such items to wealthy Japanese clients. His stock includes a Colt .44 revolver of 1860, which he describes as having been "issued to U. S. Army" and carried by "Boys in blue" into battles like Second Bull Run. The value of these objects lies not in their material but in their supposed history, a concept Wyndam-Matson, the owner of W-M Corporation, later explains to his mistress Rita. He demonstrates with two Zippo lighters, one of which allegedly belonged to Franklin D. Roosevelt, arguing that the "historicity" is all in the mind, not the object itself. This commodification is so pervasive that W-M Corporation runs a secret factory producing forgeries of such artifacts, with Frank Frink, before his firing, specializing in crafting fake Colt revolvers of the Frontier period.

The Frontier Period and Cultural Identity

The Frontier Period also serves as a touchstone for the characters' sense of identity and place. For Childan, the period represents a time when white Americans were the masters of their own land, a stark contrast to his present-day subservience to the Japanese. His resentment is palpable when he reflects on the Japanese collectors' "mania for the trivial" and their "legalistic fascination with documents, proclamations, ads." He sees their interest in American artifacts as a form of cultural plundering, a way for the conquerors to consume and control the conquered people's heritage. This is further emphasized when he visits the Kasouras' apartment and observes their collection of American items—bone napkin rings, sterling silver, and a copy of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy—which he bitterly views as "loot piled up by the conquerors." The period thus becomes a site of cultural anxiety, where the value of American history is both exalted and degraded.

The Frontier Period and Authenticity

The question of authenticity, central to the novel's themes, is most directly explored through the Frontier Period. The fake Colt .44 that nearly ruins Childan's business is a product of this era's commodification. When a supposed representative of Admiral Harusha exposes the gun as a fake, Childan is devastated, realizing that his entire stock might be compromised. The University of California lab confirms the forgery, noting it was "cast from plastic molds" and artificially aged. This incident forces Childan to confront the fragility of the historicity on which his business depends. In contrast, the Edfrank Custom Jewelry, created by Frank Frink and Ed McCarthy, represents a new kind of American art, one that is contemporary and original, with no claim to historical authenticity. Paul Kasoura, a Japanese connoisseur, recognizes this, praising a piece for its "wu," a quality of spiritual balance that he contrasts with historicity. The Frontier Period, with its emphasis on the past, thus stands in opposition to this new, living art, suggesting a potential path forward for American culture beyond the shadow of its own history.