Never in his life had occasion to ask himself，'Why are things the way they are?' Why should he bother， when the way they were was always perfect? Why are things the way they are? The question to which there is no answer， and up till then he was so blessed he didn't even know the question existed.
——American Pastoral， Novelist， Philip Roth
他这一生都没有机会问自己：“为什么会是这样？”当一切总是完美的时候，他为什么要费心呢？为什么事情会变成这个样子？这个问题没有答案。在那之前，上帝是如此眷顾他，以至于他根本不知道这个问题的存在。
——《美国牧歌》菲利普・罗斯，小说家