Cross Down

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue 1-Part 1

Part 2

Parts 3-4

Part 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Themes

Federalist Versus Anti-Federalist Political Philosophies

Cross Down explores the debate between federalist versus anti-federalist ideology; that is, between the political argument for a strong central government versus decentralized state governments. The novel ultimately suggests that a federalist government is necessary but should not be taken to the extreme. In the novel, key figures in the government work to address the growing crisis in America without compromising their interpretation of liberty. The federalist view is championed by General Grissom, who favors a strong, federal response to the crisis of American division. Through whatever means necessary, Grissom will unify the country under one government that controls all aspects of society. Through Grissom, Patterson highlights the problems when federalism is taken to the most extreme iteration and transformed into authoritarianism.

In Cross Down, tyranny is exactly what Grissom desires. During the Constitutional Convention, the anti-federalists eventually convinced the federalists to agree to a Bill of Rights, which was a compromise that satisfied both parties and resulted in the amendments that articulated American democracy. Freedom of religion, speech and assembly, a fair trial, and due process are precisely what General Grissom, a staunch federalist, targets to ensure strong central control of the nation. Grissom details his plan: “the suspension of habeas corpus, the arrest and detainment of individuals the FBI and CIA know have connections to various terrorist and extremist groups, travel restrictions, and government oversight of the news media” (274).

Secretary of Homeland Security Landsdale champions the opposing view: that it is the states that should take the lead on fighting extremism and domestic terror to safeguard the nation. Her anti-federalist view holds that the states know their people, their customs, and their geography, and are thus best positioned to ensure the safety of their citizens. She believes the role of the federal government is to offer whatever support the states request. The chief concern of the anti-federalists is that a strong central government could turn to tyranny. Landsdale’s more moderate anti-federalist alternative, however, proves ineffective in confronting the crisis in America. State and local governments and law enforcement around the nation fail to prevent the attacks because they do not have a coordinated protocol for information sharing.

The Increasing Fear of Extremism in America

Cross Down explores contemporary concerns about the rise in domestic extremism, a divisive news media, and a powder-keg partisan political system. It explores the fears that everyone has of extremism, regardless of identity or political ideology, and suggests that everyone benefits if extremism is tackled.

The novel is a cautionary tale of a future reality in which America’s internal divisions have paved the way for the end of democracy in the country. It builds on recent events, opening with a reference to the 2021 insurrection: “It took only a small number of hard men goading the demonstrators to turn that crowd into a violent mob that threatened our institutions” (8). By referencing the events of 2021, Patterson builds upon examples of extremism to highlight a prescient fear of extremism in America. The use of the word “our” is unifying and suggests that everyone is threatened by the violent potential of a mob.

The novel depicts a version of the United States deeply threatened by partisan infighting, bias, hate, and violence. Both the protagonist and the antagonist in Cross Down identify the news media as a source of the division. Listening to the radio, Sampson observes: “Every caller, every talk-show host, was sure that he or she was the only one who knew the real truth and had the real solutions. It was always ‘the other’ who should be arrested” (95). This reinforces the novel’s point that everyone, regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum, fears the extremism of “the other.” Sampson goes on to blame the media for the fear gripping the people of the United States: “But when you have certain cable networks and their respective talking heads spreading lies, rumors, and absolute bitterness to drive up their ratings, that’s not news anymore. It’s inciting hate, inciting violence, poisoning civil discourse” (274). This portrays widespread capabilities to whip up extremism. The harsh diction of “hate” and “poisoning” reinforces the novel’s notion that it is in everyone’s interests to combat extremism.

The antagonist exploits the division created by the media, deepening the divide by playing hate groups off of one another. “Eventually they were going to tear this nation apart” Grissom explains (394). He turns Americans, often already disgruntled due to work circumstances, into extremists through subversive manipulation. General Grissom’s seditious conspiracy relies on the exploitation of American anger to sow the terror that paves the way for a dictator to step in and offer safety in return for a relinquishing of rights. The fact that one authoritarian attempts to win, targeting all political groups and identities to get there, underscores the novel’s point that extremism will not benefit a majority of people.

The Military as Untouchable in American Political Discourse

The man behind the seditious conspiracy in Cross Down is America’s most powerful and trusted military General, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a war veteran. He is revered by his men, respected by civilian leaders, and applauded by the American public. And yet, he is a tyrant intent on overthrowing democracy to install himself as dictator. He knowingly exploits America’s enduring faith in the military to consolidate and retain power: “There’s only one organization that consistently remains popular with the American people year after year, and you and I belong to it” (378). The theme of an unquestionable military appears repeatedly in Cross Down, suggesting that a reexamining of faith in the military is necessary.

Harry Maynard, a ringleader in the General’s insurrectionist army, recruits retired military personnel because he knows they are well-trained, disciplined, and dependable soldiers. “Maynard recalls that Clyde is from Arizona, served with the Tenth Mountain Division in Afghanistan back in the day, and was a good scrounger when you needed something quick” (60), he thinks of one of his dying recruits. Maynard convinces former soldiers to sacrifice for their cause because of their skillsets and expertise, then dispatches them when they serve no purpose. Repeatedly, the novel suggests that good, well-meaning people can be goaded to violence. The danger is heightened when the well-meaning people have military training and discipline and the unquestioned faith of a public cowed by fear.

Sampson visits the destroyed village of Mir Kas in remote Afghanistan and is told: “For long hours, the village was bombed from one end to the other. Machine-gun fire from the air cut down everyone who tried to escape” (259). Several characters suggest the US is responsible, which proves true. Confronted with stark images of the result of American fire power, Sampson wonders about the morality of American actions in Afghanistan, acknowledging the breach in ethics of the American presence there and the loss, pain, and anger US actions in the region have ignited.