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“Furthermore, having lost faith in himself, he thought it his duty to undermine the nation's faith in itself” - (West, Nathanael. P.p.110). Nathanael West is a prominent author of the Modern era and his novels are rich with passive criticism of the American institutions during the Modern Age. A Cool Million (1934) was published during an era when every young middle-class American was struggling to pursue his/her American Dream. This dream gives hope to everyone to struggle and move upwards changing one's socio-economic status in society. Everyone was writing glamorizing this struggle, West wrote differently: he wrote a Juvenalian Satire and pointed out many obstacles that come in the way of those poor or middle-class citizens who strive for economic stability. Juvenalian Satire is a literary term that refers to an ironic or bitter criticism of contemporary institutions. The term originated from a Latin satirist Juvenal who existed during the Romans’ age. Juvenal was famous for criticizing government institutions using ironic statements like Who will guard the guards themselves? He questions the Roman soldiers' ability passively in this dialogue. A Cool Million (1934) is also a good example of Juvenalian Satire because he also criticizes different institutions of the USA. His hero Lemuel Pitkin is a young and optimistic boy who travels the New York City in search of fortune where he loses everything he possesses before traveling: a house, a mother, a girlfriend, health, and finally his life.
There are many examples in A Cool Million (1934) that support the argument that this novel is a Juvenalian Satire. Lemuel Pitkin is a young American who has just met with a public figure Mr. Whipple to discuss a family problem his house is going to be sold for not paying back the loan his late father had lent. Instead of offering him the help he is asking for, Mr. Whipple satisfies him with idealistic speeches. He says to Lem (Lemuel Pitkin): “I would not help you by lending you money, even if it were possible for me to do so” (West, Nathanael. P.p. 10). He tells Lem to travel to New York and earn money himself. He further says: “America is the land of opportunity. She takes care of the honest and industrious and never fails them” (West, Nathanael. P.p.10). Lem is impressed by the words of Mr. Whipple and travels to New York to make money. He starts his expedition and it proves to be too adventurous that he starts losing everything. Betty is his beloved whom she loses even before starting the journey, but the following incidents are more terrible that make this novel a Juvenalian Satire (Galloway, David D, and Nathanael West. N.p). He almost begs Mr. Whipple for helping him and as Mr. Whipple is a too generous and outspoken person, he lends him thirty dollars although snatching the cow of Lem; the only possession he has. Then he travels to New York and he is robbed on his way, but he stays optimistic. Ironically, the robbery leaves him penniless and he is sent to jail because a robber makes Lem a scapegoat. This is a criticism of the police department that fails to arrest the right person. Another criticism of the police occurs when they their eak teeth of Lem after putting him in jail. The inability of police and other American institutions is apparent throughout the novel when the reader notices that a pure-hearted person is being tortured for unjustifiable reasons.
West appears like Juvenal when he describes the miseries of Lem due to the incompetence of ruling institutions in his book A Cool Million (1934). Lem always stays optimistic as well as good-hearted that whenever he feels someone is in trouble, he goes to rescue whatever consequences he faces later on (Hyman, Stanley Edgar. N.p.). For example, as he helps Betty and makes Tom Baxter his enemy at the start of the novel; he does not show reluctance to help an elderly man and his daughter later on. Consequently, his eye hurts and he is admitted to the hospital where we again see the incompetence of a government institution. When he goes to a hospital, the reader believes that he will recover, but the author tells otherwise: 'Lem was dismissed from the hospital minus his right eye” (West, Nathanael. P.p.13). Every new person and institution Lem comes into contact with is a glorized city by Mr. Whipple; he loses all of his body parts apart from his mental peace. Until the end, he has lost his eye, thumb, teeth, and one leg apart from his mother and his father’s home. Even then he stays optimistic and this optimism is also exploited by another group present here: the National Revolutionary Party. This party wants to cash his optimism and struggle when the party leaders ask Lem to give a speech to the audience at a rally. A great loser thinks that he might have a new life with a political career. He is about to share his struggle with the audience, but is assassinated by an enemy: not his, but the party's enemy. Lem has lost his life the last thing he has, but the party has got a martyr to win the next election.
Nathanael West’s book A Cool Million (1934) is a classic example of Juvenalian Satire because West also criticizes the institutions of America like Juvenal does with the institutions of Rome. The term Juvenalian Satire has been broadened by literary critics and when a person criticizes society, it is also called Juvenalian Satire. West has not only criticized the American socio-political institutions, but he also has criticized different characters of society (Graham, John. N.p.). For example, Betty is raped and sold to a brothel, Lem is robbed and put to jail, and institutions are satisfied with their performance like the police, jail, and the hospital. The politicians know what circumstances he faced, but they are exploiting his death for their vote bank and roaring on stage: “Hail, Lemuel Pitkin. All hail, the American Boy!” (West, Nathanael. P.p. 116).
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