User:Erhernandez/sandbox: Difference between revisions

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other Hip-features emerge and accumulate in the protagonist’s process of hero-genesis in the unravelling of the plot.

In order to understand the reading of Dream as a heroic quest, we must understand the importance attributed to the series of confrontations in the

In order to understand the reading of Dream as a heroic quest, we must understand the importance attributed to the series of confrontations in the novel. The momentum of violence and victory in the novel are crucial in the depiction and emergence of Mailer’s main character. At the same, the

novel. The momentum of violence and victory in the novel are crucial in

the depiction and emergence of Mailer’s main character. At the same, the

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overcome the deadening pressure present in society that forces every single

one to become part of the nameless mass of comfortably numb people who

live according to the rules of the totalitarian state. As a result, the greatest danger besieging society in Mailer’s perspective is “slow death by conformity with every creative and rebellious instinct stifled”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339}} The reason for this numbing of society lies in the aftermath of the Second World War. The legacy of the war implanted society with the constant fear of “instant death by atomic war” and “death by deus ex ~~machina”~~.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339,338}} As a result, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” draining the last drop of dynamism and forcing society to a frightened standstill.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338}} This dead stop in American society is reinforced by the rule of the upper class. The high society regime has absolute power over the nation and deprives the individual of his will to stand out as an individual. The Hipster is the only one in society who dares to turn away from the safe bosom of the totalitarian state, reluctant to die the “slow death by conformity.” Therefore the Hipster consciously chooses the path of rebellion.

live according to the rules of the totalitarian state. As a result, the greatest danger besieging society in Mailer’s perspective is “slow death by conformity with every creative and rebellious instinct stifled”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339}} The reason for this numbing of society lies in the aftermath of the Second World War. The legacy of the war implanted society with the constant fear of “instant death by atomic war” and “death by ''deus ex machina''”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339,338}} As a result, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” draining the last drop of dynamism and forcing society to a frightened standstill.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338}} This dead stop in American society is reinforced by the rule of the upper class. The high society regime has absolute power over the nation and deprives the individual of his will to stand out as an individual. The Hipster is the only one in society who dares to turn away from the safe bosom of the totalitarian state, reluctant to die the “slow death by conformity.” Therefore the Hipster consciously chooses the path of rebellion.

The same dichotomy between conformity and rebellion is present in the novel. Initially, Rojack is part of the mass of comfortably numb people. Notwithstanding the fact that he is considered a successful man who lives the

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In the end, Rojack defeats Shago by kicking him down the stairs and back on the street. Rojack has absorbed Shago’s power—or, as Cherry remarks to Shago, “you’re not white, you’re just losing your black”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=191}} Shago’s powers pass over to Rojack. As a token of her love and trust in Rojack, and as an illustration of Rojack’s newly acquired powers, Cherry hands over Shago’s umbrella to Rojack. It is clear that Rojack accumulates the final necessary characteristics in this penultimate confrontation to be enabled to defeat his last and foremost powerful adversary.

In the final confrontation of the novel, Rojack has to face his father-in law, Barney Oswald Kelly. In the unravelling of the novel’s plot, this encounter is the final ordeal the protagonist has to face before reaching personal salvation. The rich and powerful Kelly is the strongest and foremost intelligent enemy Rojack has encountered thus far. In contrast with Shago or Romeo, Kelly deliberately postpones the actual physical encounter. Mailer makes clear that Kelly is situated in a totally different league of evil—Kelly is the novel’s Devil, the physical embodiment of upper evil in American society. Indeed, Kelly’s life story reveals him as the prime example of the corrupt American nouveau riche, bereft even of the smallest hint of morality. However, this digression from the actual encounter between the two characters is not only a tool to complete the disturbing image of Barney

In the final confrontation of the novel, Rojack has to face his father-in law, Barney Oswald Kelly. In the unravelling of the novel’s plot, this encounter is the final ordeal the protagonist has to face before reaching personal salvation. The rich and powerful Kelly is the strongest and foremost intelligent enemy Rojack has encountered thus far. In contrast with Shago or Romeo, Kelly deliberately postpones the actual physical encounter. Mailer makes clear that Kelly is situated in a totally different league of evil—Kelly is the novel’s Devil, the physical embodiment of upper evil in American society. Indeed, Kelly’s life story reveals him as the prime example of the corrupt American ''nouveau riche'', bereft even of the smallest hint of morality. However, this digression from the actual encounter between the two characters is not only a tool to complete the disturbing image of Barney Kelly, but can also be considered an attempt on behalf of Kelly to gain Rojack’s confidence in order to make the protagonist confess the murder of his daughter Deborah. From early on in the conversation, Kelly stresses the fact that Rojack has to attend Deborah’s funeral.

Kelly, but can also be considered an attempt on behalf of Kelly to gain Rojack’s

confidence in order to make the protagonist confess the murder of his daughter Deborah. From early on in the conversation, Kelly stresses the fact that Rojack has to attend Deborah’s funeral.

Kelly uses the topic of the funeral to probe into the actual facts about Deborah’s sudden death. When Kelly has finished unearthing the specifics of his past life, Kelly asks Rojack, “There’s one reason why you won’t go to the funeral, isn’t there? . . . It’s because you did kill Deborah?” Rojack replies affirmatively,

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take over the powers and qualities of his adversary. However, in contrast with

the desired qualities of streetwise wit, cool and power represented by Romeo, Roberts and Shago, Kelly’s determining characteristics are of a different, less

desirable kind. The main reason for Barney Kelly’s success is his pact with the

devil, which invested him with a magical kind of intelligence, a “[w]ondrous

sort of power,” enabling him to be visionary and therefore extremely successful

in business.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=244}} Rojack is frightened by the immense power of Barney Kelly’s devilish intelligence, which briefly seems to pass over to him.“[A] gout of the stench which comes from devotion to the goat came up from him and

went over to me”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=253}} This fills Rojack with an immense and crippling fear:

<blockquote>For I wanted to escape from that intelligence which let me know of murders in one direction and conceive of visits to Cherry from the other, I wanted to be free of magic, the tongue of the Devil, the dread of the Lord, I wanted to be some sort of rational man again, nailed tight to details, promiscuous, reasonable, blind to the reach of the seas.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=255}}</blockquote>

By taking the walk round the parapet, defeating Kelly and his own cowardice, Rojack casts away the temptation of real evil, opening up the possibilities for a new, rational and even happy life with Cherry.

On the level of myth and the battle between good and evil, this final conflict shows that Rojack equally uses good and evil in order to reach a state of higher personal awareness. Rojack has learned to master the Hipster skill of “swinging,” but in this final confrontation he consciously opts not to “swing” and, as a result, chooses not to continue to nurture the evil side of his personality. Rather than being tempted by the allure of immense power equal to that of Kelly or even the Devil, the hero-protagonist resolutely chooses for good, for Cherry and for love, determined to reach his personal salvation. The Hip morality as presented by Mailer in “White Negro” provides a set of rules that Rojack must follow and absorb if he wants to break with his previous, depressing high society life. Rojack hopes to start life anew, reaching a higher level of existence.

=====REACHING SALVATION=====

The fourth and final characteristic of Slotkin’s definition of the heroic quest

is “the initiation into a higher level of existence.” For Rojack, this means that

he reached the end of his ordeals and acquired personal salvation. At last,

he is liberated from the constraints of his deadening high-society life, having

personally defeated the representatives of his previous life. In line with American mythology, Rojack goes west to Las Vegas where he redresses balances, after which he continues on to the lawless territories of Mexico. Free at last. However, this character of the heroic quest is the least elaborated in the novel. The reason therefore lies in the fact that the novel is an act of constructing, not a finalized construction.

=====THE MYTHOGENESIS OF MAILER=====

According to Slotkin, mythology is a key for understanding a nation’s identity, since “a mythology is a complex of narratives that dramatizes the world visions and historical sense of a people or culture, reducing centuries of experience

into a constellation of compelling metaphors.” It is important to note that the narrative of a myth is not perpetual, but has to be reactive to the changes in an inherently dynamic society. If a mythological narrative strives to sustain its functionality, the myth must address these alterations in society. At the same time, the response of people living in that particular society to that particular myth is equally essential to the viability of a myth, because “a people unaware of myths is likely to continue living by them, though the world around that people may change and demand changes in their psychology, their world view, their ethics, and their institutions”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=4-5}}

This triple dynamic between the mythology itself, the myth-maker, and the myth-maker’s audience shapes the precarious task of the literary mythmaker as the seismograph of a society:

<blockquote>On the basis of limited, finite experience, he (the myth-maker) creates a hypothetical vision of a universal, infinite order and imposes that hypothesis on his perception of the phenomena of nature and his own behavior. He tests his vision by acting in accordance with the principles of behavior that seem to be demanded

by reality as he envisions it.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=7}}</blockquote>

In constructing his own myth, the writer is able to ventilate his own idiosyncratic

view on the values of society that is intended to raise certain awareness among the people of a particular society. Not only does artistic mythogenesis tend to make people aware of the existence of a myth, it also prescribes this population with a set of rules to follow if they want to survive

in a society dominated by that particular myth. Subsequently, a myth is much more than ''only'' a narrative, but can be considered to be “a source of power.” This power is derived from the fact that a myth shows its readers “how to appropriate and control the forces that order the world”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=7}} In this view, myths offer a guide to success.

In what Slotkin calls the primary stage of myth, the “mythopoeic state of consciousness” predominates. This means that both mythmaker and audience are very susceptible to a new myth. In this stage a certain fixity of form takes hold in society.

In the secondary or romantic stage of myth, the emphasis is on “the fulfilment

of the obligations established for the myth”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=13}} This means that the people became aware of the specific set of rules outlined by the myth-artist, and try to live life accordingly.

The third and final stage is called the consumatory stage of myth. In this stage, the major thinkers in society become aware of the corruption that flowed from the romantic stage. The original faiths and values that were constructed in the primary stage were perverted to such an extent that the myth is no longer supportive to the nation and the nation’s people. The mythmaking artist is the first to become aware of this degeneration. He is blessed with a strong sense of critical awareness and senses the need for a new myth. “In a conscious attempt to recapture the lost innocence of the mythopoeic attitude, [he] tries to assume the role of a prophet in society.” As a visionary, he reaches out to people and tries to make them susceptible to his new vision. The artist’s prophecy is based on his new hypothetical “construction of symbols and values, derived from real and imaginary experience and ordered by the imagination according to the deepest needs of the psyche”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=13}} Mailer’s work on the “American identity” is situated in this final stage of the development of American mythology, not only because of the apparent reaction to a degenerated myth frozen in the romantic stage, but also because of the prophecy of a new, consumatory myth.

The myth Mailer is concerned with is one of the strongest surviving myths in American society: the American Dream. According to Slotkin, the American Dream equals “the conception of America as a wide-open land of unlimited opportunity for the strong, ambitious, self-reliant individual to thrust his way to the top”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=5}} In this view, anyone can climb the ladder of success by hard work and just a bit of luck. However, the reality of everyday life often contradicts this perpetual ''idee-fixe''—and wealth is often accom-

modated by corruption and high-society influencing. In contrast with the democratic ideal of the original American Dream, wealth has become the privilege of a secluded group of perverted semi-criminals.

In ''Advertisements'', Mailer signals a frightened standstill in contemporary

society. American society has turned into a totalitarian state controlled by a

small number of highly powerful people—“men who had too much money and controlled too many things”—who are obstructively relentless to change. As a consequence, the American people were deprived of the possibilities of personal growth, which were initially offered by the democratic ideal of the American Dream. Enforced by the legacy of the Second World War, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” resulting in the fact that “almost any kind of unconventional action often takes disproportionate courage”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338, 339-40}} According to Mailer, the power needed to overthrow the dictatorial regime is found in the power of the individual. The individual has to show courage to stand out of society, because without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. By breaking away from the impediments of society, the Hipster will be able to claim what is rightfully his, namely the American possibility of self-creation. The guideline for this individual regeneration—a source of power in Slotkin’s view—

was outlined in the essay and re-evaluated in ''Dream''. Mailer tests his

mythological hypothesis by applying it to Rojack. At the same time, the dichotomy

between the “evil” and the “good” American Dream that was already touched upon in ''Advertisements'' is further elaborated in the novel. In Dream the conflict between the romantic and the consumatory stage of the American myth is illustrated by the protagonist’s heroic attempt to break the bonds with his old life and start life anew. The representation of Rojack’s old life holds Mailer’s description of the corrupted American Dream while the protagonist’s new life represents the new myth Mailer is proposing.

=====THE DECONSTRUCTION OF AN AMERICAN IDEAL=====

The prime representative of Rojack’s old life is his highly influential father in-

law, Barney Oswald Kelly. Kelly is presented as the embodiment of the romantic stage in the mythological development of the American Dream. The plot of Kelly’s life-story reveals the characteristics of a corrupted American society.

Kelly is of Northern-Irish descent and grew up in a poor immigrant family. Notwithstanding the fact that Kelly had to start from an impoverished

background, he was able to climb the ladder of success and become one of America’s most powerful men. On the surface, the synopsis of Kelly’s life seems the perfect illustration of the original American Dream in the primary stage of the mythological development. However, a closer look at the reasons for his success reveals the corruption that Mailer reacts against.

One of the pillars on which the success of Kelly is based is his ability to

network. From early on, Kelly was able to sense the importance of high society

influence. His first marriage with the Sicilian Leonora, her name meaning “bright light,” was not a marriage of love but of convenience. This marriage to the old European aristocracy provided Kelly with the necessary money and influences to continue his path to success. Or, as he comments, “I adored the life she opened, Leonora’s friends were the patch for me”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=240, 339-40}}

This blending of old and new money, which lies at the basis of Kelly’s success,

is metaphorically elaborated by the coat of arms Kelly constructs out of the heraldic images stolen from the Mangaravidi and the Kelly family’s symbols.

The image represents a naked infant being devoured by the serpent of the Mangaravidi family. On a metaphorical level, the naked, pure child represents the innocence of the Irish immigrant family, while the serpent serves as clear rendition of the Devil and illustrates the temptation of wealth and success. Moreover, the motto underlining the coat of arms also invokes the presence of the devil. The phrase ''Victoria caelo terraque'' seems to echo the famous line, “It’s better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven,” from John Milton’s ''Paradise Lost''.{{sfn|Milton|1884|p=263}}

In order to consolidate his bond with the old and powerful Mangaravidi family, Kelly must have a child with Leonora. Kelly knew that a child means a connection to good luck. Leonora however, is reluctant to the idea of sex and in an attempt to rape her, Kelly calls the Devil, the serpent in the coat of arms, for help: “Satan, if it takes your pitchfork up my gut, let me blast a child into this bitch!”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=240}} With the help of Lucifer, Deborah is conceived, reassuring Kelly’s physical connection to the powerful Mangaravidi family. The influence of the devil, however, is not restricted to the conception of Deborah but continues throughout Kelly’s successes. Moreover, Satan’s help is the second pillar on which Kelly’s success story is built. Not only does the devil invest Kelly with a “wondrous sort of power”—when Kelly wished one of his adversaries to drop dead, it actually happened—but Kelly is also able to reinforce his position at the pinnacle of American society. Mailer uses the

image of the “spider” to describe Kelly’s position at the top of society.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=237}} As a spider, Kelly constructed a flexible web that stretches out over American society, rigorously controlling the different powers constituting the nation. Kelly’s influence ranges from the corrupted police officer in the street to the head of the CIA, from the petty thieves populating the outskirts of the city to the organized crime of the mafia and even to the American media.

But if you strike a bargain with the devil, the devil will come and collect. Kelly has to pay the price for his success and the devil sends his envoy Bess to corrupt Kelly even further. Bess is described as a representative of the American ''nouveau rich'' and is, to say the least, not reluctant to the idea of sex. She tempts Kelly in cheating on his wife Leonora and wants him to take part in an incestuous threesome with her daughter. Even for Kelly, who never felt such temptation, this act is too much. Nevertheless, Kelly debates what the outcome could have been if he had not resisted, since “[i]ncest is the gate to the worst sort of forces” (246).{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=246}} The idea of the potential powers of incest

keeps haunting him until Deborah, fifteen years old at the time, returns

home to live with her father. This time Deborah is the serpent, the temptress

sent by Satan to corrupt Kelly. In contrast with Bess, she succeeds in her sinister

task. The temptation overwhelms Kelly, and he and Deborah have sex. Deborah’s daughter Deirdre is the living proof of their incestuous relationship. At this point, Barney Oswald Kelly is totally corrupted and reached the point of no return. The corruption of the American Dream is now complete.

Mailer uses Kelly’s character to illustrate the corrupted American Dream in the romantic stage of American mythology. Following Mailer’s hypothesis, the American Dream was destroyed by the corruption and perversion of the ''nouveau riche'' class, who succeeded in acquiring the power needed to control society. Their influence on society is so powerful that the possibilities for individual growth are effaced. Personal enrichment is only possible by responding to the demands imposed by the ruling class. Mailer’s prophecy rises as a phoenix from the ashes of a corrupted society sent to inflame the American people, not only with the ideas of the newly proposed myth but also with the idea of great personal awareness.

=====THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN AMERICAN IDEAL=====

The greatest motivation for the destruction of the power of the ruling class

and the fourth characteristic in Mailer’s myth is the urge to be free. In the ro-

mantic stage of the mythology of the American dream, the right to freedom of the common man was bound and gagged by the supreme powers of upper class. It may seem a cliché, but for an American this stage is not acceptable because personal freedom is one of the pillars of American citizenship.

Mailer has always shown a great concern for the welfare of his nation. Therefore his mythogenesis can be considered a call to arms to recapture the lost right for personal freedom. This thesis clearly echoes the Hip morality Mailer proposed in ''Advertisements'': “The only Hip morality (but of course it is an ever-present morality) is to do what one feels whenever and wherever it is possible”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=354}} America is the land of the free.

Within the framework of mythology offered by Slotkin, Mailer functions as a consummate myth-maker, a creator who in times of need assumes the role of prophet, shaking the nation’s people with new ideas and beliefs. As a critical observer he is able to sense that change is needed in order to assure the nation’s health, and the message he sends is one of hope. If the original American features of individuality and persistence are regained, change is still possible and the corrupted powers can be overthrown. America remains the land of endless opportunity.

===Citations===

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 other Hip-features emerge and accumulate in the protagonist’s process of hero-genesis in the unravelling of the plot.
-In order to understand the reading of Dream as a heroic quest, we must understand the importance attributed to the series of confrontations in the
+In order to understand the reading of Dream as a heroic quest, we must understand the importance attributed to the series of confrontations in the novel. The momentum of violence and victory in the novel are crucial in the depiction and emergence of Mailer’s main character. At the same, the
-novel. The momentum of violence and victory in the novel are crucial in
-the depiction and emergence of Mailer’s main character. At the same, the
 {{pg|349|350}}
@@ Line 71: / Line 69: @@
 overcome the deadening pressure present in society that forces every single
 one to become part of the nameless mass of comfortably numb people who
-live according to the rules of the totalitarian state. As a result, the greatest danger besieging society in Mailer’s perspective is “slow death by conformity with every creative and rebellious instinct stifled”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339}} The reason for this numbing of society lies in the aftermath of the Second World War. The legacy of the war implanted society with the constant fear of “instant death by atomic war” and “death by deus ex machina”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339,338}} As a result, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” draining the last drop of dynamism and forcing society to a frightened standstill.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338}} This dead stop in American society is reinforced by the rule of the upper class. The high society regime has absolute power over the nation and deprives the individual of his will to stand out as an individual. The Hipster is the only one in society who dares to turn away from the safe bosom of the totalitarian state, reluctant to die the “slow death by conformity.” Therefore the Hipster consciously chooses the path of rebellion.
+live according to the rules of the totalitarian state. As a result, the greatest danger besieging society in Mailer’s perspective is “slow death by conformity with every creative and rebellious instinct stifled”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339}} The reason for this numbing of society lies in the aftermath of the Second World War. The legacy of the war implanted society with the constant fear of “instant death by atomic war” and “death by ''deus ex machina''”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=339,338}} As a result, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” draining the last drop of dynamism and forcing society to a frightened standstill.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338}} This dead stop in American society is reinforced by the rule of the upper class. The high society regime has absolute power over the nation and deprives the individual of his will to stand out as an individual. The Hipster is the only one in society who dares to turn away from the safe bosom of the totalitarian state, reluctant to die the “slow death by conformity.” Therefore the Hipster consciously chooses the path of rebellion.
 The same dichotomy between conformity and rebellion is present in the novel. Initially, Rojack is part of the mass of comfortably numb people. Notwithstanding the fact that he is considered a successful man who lives the
@@ Line 223: / Line 221: @@
 In the end, Rojack defeats Shago by kicking him down the stairs and back on the street. Rojack has absorbed Shago’s power—or, as Cherry remarks to Shago, “you’re not white, you’re just losing your black”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=191}} Shago’s powers pass over to Rojack. As a token of her love and trust in Rojack, and as an illustration of Rojack’s newly acquired powers, Cherry hands over Shago’s umbrella to Rojack. It is clear that Rojack accumulates the final necessary characteristics in this penultimate confrontation to be enabled to defeat his last and foremost powerful adversary.
-In the final confrontation of the novel, Rojack has to face his father-in law, Barney Oswald Kelly. In the unravelling of the novel’s plot, this encounter is the final ordeal the protagonist has to face before reaching personal salvation. The rich and powerful Kelly is the strongest and foremost intelligent enemy Rojack has encountered thus far. In contrast with Shago or Romeo, Kelly deliberately postpones the actual physical encounter. Mailer makes clear that Kelly is situated in a totally different league of evil—Kelly is the novel’s Devil, the physical embodiment of upper evil in American society. Indeed, Kelly’s life story reveals him as the prime example of the corrupt American nouveau riche, bereft even of the smallest hint of morality. However, this digression from the actual encounter between the two characters is not only a tool to complete the disturbing image of Barney
+In the final confrontation of the novel, Rojack has to face his father-in law, Barney Oswald Kelly. In the unravelling of the novel’s plot, this encounter is the final ordeal the protagonist has to face before reaching personal salvation. The rich and powerful Kelly is the strongest and foremost intelligent enemy Rojack has encountered thus far. In contrast with Shago or Romeo, Kelly deliberately postpones the actual physical encounter. Mailer makes clear that Kelly is situated in a totally different league of evil—Kelly is the novel’s Devil, the physical embodiment of upper evil in American society. Indeed, Kelly’s life story reveals him as the prime example of the corrupt American ''nouveau riche'', bereft even of the smallest hint of morality. However, this digression from the actual encounter between the two characters is not only a tool to complete the disturbing image of Barney Kelly, but can also be considered an attempt on behalf of Kelly to gain Rojack’s confidence in order to make the protagonist confess the murder of his daughter Deborah. From early on in the conversation, Kelly stresses the fact that Rojack has to attend Deborah’s funeral.
-Kelly, but can also be considered an attempt on behalf of Kelly to gain Rojack’s
-confidence in order to make the protagonist confess the murder of his daughter Deborah. From early on in the conversation, Kelly stresses the fact that Rojack has to attend Deborah’s funeral.
 Kelly uses the topic of the funeral to probe into the actual facts about Deborah’s sudden death. When Kelly has finished unearthing the specifics of his past life, Kelly asks Rojack, “There’s one reason why you won’t go to the funeral, isn’t there? . . . It’s because you did kill Deborah?” Rojack replies affirmatively,
@@ Line 251: / Line 247: @@
 take over the powers and qualities of his adversary. However, in contrast with
 {{pg|359|360}}
+the desired qualities of streetwise wit, cool and power represented by Romeo, Roberts and Shago, Kelly’s determining characteristics are of a different, less
+desirable kind. The main reason for Barney Kelly’s success is his pact with the
+devil, which invested him with a magical kind of intelligence, a “[w]ondrous
+sort of power,” enabling him to be visionary and therefore extremely successful
+in business.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=244}} Rojack is frightened by the immense power of Barney Kelly’s devilish intelligence, which briefly seems to pass over to him.“[A] gout of the stench which comes from devotion to the goat came up from him and
+went over to me”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=253}} This fills Rojack with an immense and crippling fear:
+<blockquote>For I wanted to escape from that intelligence which let me know of murders in one direction and conceive of visits to Cherry from the other, I wanted to be free of magic, the tongue of the Devil, the dread of the Lord, I wanted to be some sort of rational man again, nailed tight to details, promiscuous, reasonable, blind to the reach of the seas.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=255}}</blockquote>
+By taking the walk round the parapet, defeating Kelly and his own cowardice, Rojack casts away the temptation of real evil, opening up the possibilities for a new, rational and even happy life with Cherry.
+On the level of myth and the battle between good and evil, this final conflict shows that Rojack equally uses good and evil in order to reach a state of higher personal awareness. Rojack has learned to master the Hipster skill of “swinging,” but in this final confrontation he consciously opts not to “swing” and, as a result, chooses not to continue to nurture the evil side of his personality. Rather than being tempted by the allure of immense power equal to that of Kelly or even the Devil, the hero-protagonist resolutely chooses for good, for Cherry and for love, determined to reach his personal salvation. The Hip morality as presented by Mailer in “White Negro” provides a set of rules that Rojack must follow and absorb if he wants to break with his previous, depressing high society life. Rojack hopes to start life anew, reaching a higher level of existence.
+=====REACHING SALVATION=====
+The fourth and final characteristic of Slotkin’s definition of the heroic quest
+is “the initiation into a higher level of existence.” For Rojack, this means that
+he reached the end of his ordeals and acquired personal salvation. At last,
+{{pg|360|361}}
+he is liberated from the constraints of his deadening high-society life, having
+personally defeated the representatives of his previous life. In line with American mythology, Rojack goes west to Las Vegas where he redresses balances, after which he continues on to the lawless territories of Mexico. Free at last. However, this character of the heroic quest is the least elaborated in the novel. The reason therefore lies in the fact that the novel is an act of constructing, not a finalized construction.
+=====THE MYTHOGENESIS OF MAILER=====
+According to Slotkin, mythology is a key for understanding a nation’s identity, since “a mythology is a complex of narratives that dramatizes the world visions and historical sense of a people or culture, reducing centuries of experience
+into a constellation of compelling metaphors.” It is important to note that the narrative of a myth is not perpetual, but has to be reactive to the changes in an inherently dynamic society. If a mythological narrative strives to sustain its functionality, the myth must address these alterations in society. At the same time, the response of people living in that particular society to that particular myth is equally essential to the viability of a myth, because “a people unaware of myths is likely to continue living by them, though the world around that people may change and demand changes in their psychology, their world view, their ethics, and their institutions”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=4-5}}
+This triple dynamic between the mythology itself, the myth-maker, and the myth-maker’s audience shapes the precarious task of the literary mythmaker as the seismograph of a society:
+<blockquote>On the basis of limited, finite experience, he (the myth-maker) creates a hypothetical vision of a universal, infinite order and imposes that hypothesis on his perception of the phenomena of nature and his own behavior. He tests his vision by acting in accordance with the principles of behavior that seem to be demanded
+by reality as he envisions it.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=7}}</blockquote>
+In constructing his own myth, the writer is able to ventilate his own idiosyncratic
+view on the values of society that is intended to raise certain awareness among the people of a particular society. Not only does artistic mythogenesis tend to make people aware of the existence of a myth, it also prescribes this population with a set of rules to follow if they want to survive
+{{pg|361|362}}
+in a society dominated by that particular myth. Subsequently, a myth is much more than ''only'' a narrative, but can be considered to be “a source of power.” This power is derived from the fact that a myth shows its readers “how to appropriate and control the forces that order the world”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=7}} In this view, myths offer a guide to success.
+In what Slotkin calls the primary stage of myth, the “mythopoeic state of consciousness” predominates. This means that both mythmaker and audience are very susceptible to a new myth. In this stage a certain fixity of form takes hold in society.
+In the secondary or romantic stage of myth, the emphasis is on “the fulfilment
+of the obligations established for the myth”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=13}} This means that the people became aware of the specific set of rules outlined by the myth-artist, and try to live life accordingly.
+The third and final stage is called the consumatory stage of myth. In this stage, the major thinkers in society become aware of the corruption that flowed from the romantic stage. The original faiths and values that were constructed in the primary stage were perverted to such an extent that the myth is no longer supportive to the nation and the nation’s people. The mythmaking artist is the first to become aware of this degeneration. He is blessed with a strong sense of critical awareness and senses the need for a new myth. “In a conscious attempt to recapture the lost innocence of the mythopoeic attitude, [he] tries to assume the role of a prophet in society.” As a visionary, he reaches out to people and tries to make them susceptible to his new vision. The artist’s prophecy is based on his new hypothetical “construction of symbols and values, derived from real and imaginary experience and ordered by the imagination according to the deepest needs of the psyche”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=13}} Mailer’s work on the “American identity” is situated in this final stage of the development of American mythology, not only because of the apparent reaction to a degenerated myth frozen in the romantic stage, but also because of the prophecy of a new, consumatory myth.
+The myth Mailer is concerned with is one of the strongest surviving myths in American society: the American Dream. According to Slotkin, the American Dream equals “the conception of America as a wide-open land of unlimited opportunity for the strong, ambitious, self-reliant individual to thrust his way to the top”.{{sfn|Slotkin|1965|p=5}} In this view, anyone can climb the ladder of success by hard work and just a bit of luck. However, the reality of everyday life often contradicts this perpetual ''idee-fixe''—and wealth is often accom-
+{{pg|362|363}}
+modated by corruption and high-society influencing. In contrast with the democratic ideal of the original American Dream, wealth has become the privilege of a secluded group of perverted semi-criminals.
+In ''Advertisements'', Mailer signals a frightened standstill in contemporary
+society. American society has turned into a totalitarian state controlled by a
+small number of highly powerful people—“men who had too much money and controlled too many things”—who are obstructively relentless to change. As a consequence, the American people were deprived of the possibilities of personal growth, which were initially offered by the democratic ideal of the American Dream. Enforced by the legacy of the Second World War, “[a] stench of fear has come out of every pore of American life,” resulting in the fact that “almost any kind of unconventional action often takes disproportionate courage”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=338, 339-40}} According to Mailer, the power needed to overthrow the dictatorial regime is found in the power of the individual. The individual has to show courage to stand out of society, because without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. By breaking away from the impediments of society, the Hipster will be able to claim what is rightfully his, namely the American possibility of self-creation. The guideline for this individual regeneration—a source of power in Slotkin’s view—
+was outlined in the essay and re-evaluated in ''Dream''. Mailer tests his
+mythological hypothesis by applying it to Rojack. At the same time, the dichotomy
+between the “evil” and the “good” American Dream that was already touched upon in ''Advertisements'' is further elaborated in the novel. In Dream the conflict between the romantic and the consumatory stage of the American myth is illustrated by the protagonist’s heroic attempt to break the bonds with his old life and start life anew. The representation of Rojack’s old life holds Mailer’s description of the corrupted American Dream while the protagonist’s new life represents the new myth Mailer is proposing.
+=====THE DECONSTRUCTION OF AN AMERICAN IDEAL=====
+The prime representative of Rojack’s old life is his highly influential father in-
+law, Barney Oswald Kelly. Kelly is presented as the embodiment of the romantic stage in the mythological development of the American Dream. The plot of Kelly’s life-story reveals the characteristics of a corrupted American society.
+Kelly is of Northern-Irish descent and grew up in a poor immigrant family. Notwithstanding the fact that Kelly had to start from an impoverished
+{{pg|363|364}}
+background, he was able to climb the ladder of success and become one of America’s most powerful men. On the surface, the synopsis of Kelly’s life seems the perfect illustration of the original American Dream in the primary stage of the mythological development. However, a closer look at the reasons for his success reveals the corruption that Mailer reacts against.
+One of the pillars on which the success of Kelly is based is his ability to
+network. From early on, Kelly was able to sense the importance of high society
+influence. His first marriage with the Sicilian Leonora, her name meaning “bright light,” was not a marriage of love but of convenience. This marriage to the old European aristocracy provided Kelly with the necessary money and influences to continue his path to success. Or, as he comments, “I adored the life she opened, Leonora’s friends were the patch for me”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=240, 339-40}}
+This blending of old and new money, which lies at the basis of Kelly’s success,
+is metaphorically elaborated by the coat of arms Kelly constructs out of the heraldic images stolen from the Mangaravidi and the Kelly family’s symbols.
+The image represents a naked infant being devoured by the serpent of the Mangaravidi family. On a metaphorical level, the naked, pure child represents the innocence of the Irish immigrant family, while the serpent serves as clear rendition of the Devil and illustrates the temptation of wealth and success. Moreover, the motto underlining the coat of arms also invokes the presence of the devil. The phrase ''Victoria caelo terraque'' seems to echo the famous line, “It’s better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven,” from John Milton’s ''Paradise Lost''.{{sfn|Milton|1884|p=263}}
+In order to consolidate his bond with the old and powerful Mangaravidi family, Kelly must have a child with Leonora. Kelly knew that a child means a connection to good luck. Leonora however, is reluctant to the idea of sex and in an attempt to rape her, Kelly calls the Devil, the serpent in the coat of arms, for help: “Satan, if it takes your pitchfork up my gut, let me blast a child into this bitch!”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=240}} With the help of Lucifer, Deborah is conceived, reassuring Kelly’s physical connection to the powerful Mangaravidi family. The influence of the devil, however, is not restricted to the conception of Deborah but continues throughout Kelly’s successes. Moreover, Satan’s help is the second pillar on which Kelly’s success story is built. Not only does the devil invest Kelly with a “wondrous sort of power”—when Kelly wished one of his adversaries to drop dead, it actually happened—but Kelly is also able to reinforce his position at the pinnacle of American society. Mailer uses the
+{{pg|364|365}}
+image of the “spider” to describe Kelly’s position at the top of society.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=237}} As a spider, Kelly constructed a flexible web that stretches out over American society, rigorously controlling the different powers constituting the nation. Kelly’s influence ranges from the corrupted police officer in the street to the head of the CIA, from the petty thieves populating the outskirts of the city to the organized crime of the mafia and even to the American media.
+But if you strike a bargain with the devil, the devil will come and collect. Kelly has to pay the price for his success and the devil sends his envoy Bess to corrupt Kelly even further. Bess is described as a representative of the American ''nouveau rich'' and is, to say the least, not reluctant to the idea of sex. She tempts Kelly in cheating on his wife Leonora and wants him to take part in an incestuous threesome with her daughter. Even for Kelly, who never felt such temptation, this act is too much. Nevertheless, Kelly debates what the outcome could have been if he had not resisted, since “[i]ncest is the gate to the worst sort of forces” (246).{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=246}} The idea of the potential powers of incest
+keeps haunting him until Deborah, fifteen years old at the time, returns
+home to live with her father. This time Deborah is the serpent, the temptress
+sent by Satan to corrupt Kelly. In contrast with Bess, she succeeds in her sinister
+task. The temptation overwhelms Kelly, and he and Deborah have sex. Deborah’s daughter Deirdre is the living proof of their incestuous relationship. At this point, Barney Oswald Kelly is totally corrupted and reached the point of no return. The corruption of the American Dream is now complete.
+Mailer uses Kelly’s character to illustrate the corrupted American Dream in the romantic stage of American mythology. Following Mailer’s hypothesis, the American Dream was destroyed by the corruption and perversion of the ''nouveau riche'' class, who succeeded in acquiring the power needed to control society. Their influence on society is so powerful that the possibilities for individual growth are effaced. Personal enrichment is only possible by responding to the demands imposed by the ruling class. Mailer’s prophecy rises as a phoenix from the ashes of a corrupted society sent to inflame the American people, not only with the ideas of the newly proposed myth but also with the idea of great personal awareness.
+=====THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN AMERICAN IDEAL=====
+The greatest motivation for the destruction of the power of the ruling class
+and the fourth characteristic in Mailer’s myth is the urge to be free. In the ro-
+{{pg|365|366}}
+mantic stage of the mythology of the American dream, the right to freedom of the common man was bound and gagged by the supreme powers of upper class. It may seem a cliché, but for an American this stage is not acceptable because personal freedom is one of the pillars of American citizenship.
+Mailer has always shown a great concern for the welfare of his nation. Therefore his mythogenesis can be considered a call to arms to recapture the lost right for personal freedom. This thesis clearly echoes the Hip morality Mailer proposed in ''Advertisements'': “The only Hip morality (but of course it is an ever-present morality) is to do what one feels whenever and wherever it is possible”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=354}} America is the land of the free.
+Within the framework of mythology offered by Slotkin, Mailer functions as a consummate myth-maker, a creator who in times of need assumes the role of prophet, shaking the nation’s people with new ideas and beliefs. As a critical observer he is able to sense that change is needed in order to assure the nation’s health, and the message he sends is one of hope. If the original American features of individuality and persistence are regained, change is still possible and the corrupted powers can be overthrown. America remains the land of endless opportunity.
 ===Citations===