The Man In The High Castle

Childan prepares for his visit to the Kasouras's house. Noticing the lack of white people in the upscale neighborhood, he feels like "an outsider in [his] own country" (66). With a gift for the couple and his recent refund from Ray Calvin, he is feeling positive about his life again. At the Kasouras's house, Childan mistakenly discusses politics. The conversation is a "dreadful beginning" (68) and he almost argues with his hosts by defending the Nazis. He chides himself for his social faux pas. At the same time, he cannot help but be attracted to Betty Kasouras's "slender body" (69). When the couple begins discussing The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, Childan feels left out because he has not read the book. He cannot join the discussion about the merits of alternative history. They talk about music but do not share similar tastes and, returning to the idea of alternative history, Childan causes an issue with his hosts by insisting that the world would be "much worse" (70) if the Allies had won World War II. Paul and Betty Kasoura's disagree. When Paul mentions a Jewish writer, Childan comments that he is glad the Nazis won, otherwise "the Jews would be running the world today" (72).