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== Introduction to Influence and Philosophy ==

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Although critics often misunderstood Hemingway and Mailer’s obsession with death, their work was never about glorifying violence—it was about confronting reality. They rejected the comforts of illusion and asked readers to do the same.Mailer may have felt he couldn’t match Hemingway’s reach, but Sanders argues—and rightly so that An American Dream proves otherwise. In fact, by Hemingway’s own definition of a great artist one who takes what has been known and “goes beyond to make something of his own” (Death 100) Mailer earned his place as a guide and prophet for his generation.For existential thinkers, death is not the end—it's a mirror. Hemingway and Mailer use this mirror to inspire art. Death urges individuals to examine life as a whole, not just as fleeting moments. That "whole" gives life meaning, and it’s what both authors chase in their writing.Hemingway’s bullfight captures this unity of life, death, and immortality. Mailer, meanwhile, looks for it in personal and cultural violence. In both cases, death becomes the key to authenticity.True artistry, Hemingway believed, involves stating the “real thing” purely enough that it endures forever. This blend of the eternal and the immediate defines his mission. Mailer mirrors this, understanding that art must express something lasting—even if it emerges from a specific, time-bound experience.Their existentialism isn’t abstract. It’s felt in every line, every scene, every confrontation with death. The artist becomes the author not just of work, but of life.

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Deborah isn’t just a woman—she’s a symbol of status, power, and inauthenticity. She’s the American Dream incarnate: seductive, powerful, destructive. To be free, Rojack must escape her. But she’s not letting go.Their dynamic becomes a war—not just of people, but of philosophies. It’s not just man versus woman. It’s self versus system.In a surreal twist, Rojack compares Deborah’s rage to that of a charging bull. Their confrontation becomes a psychological bullfight. He becomes the matador. She, the threat to his very selfhood.The scene mimics Hemingway’s bullring: raw, brutal, spiritual. When Rojack “kills” Deborah, it’s not just murder—it’s a symbolic break from illusion. His liberation is disturbing, but intentional.After the act, Rojack sees “heaven.” He describes emotional waves—hatred, illness, nausea—leaving his body. What’s left is clarity. Just like Hemingway’s “moment of truth,” Mailer stages a moment of transcendence.This isn’t an endorsement of violence. It’s existential metaphor: the old self must die for the new self to emerge. That’s the price of freedom. Mailer once said he couldn’t reach people like Hemingway. But his novel An American Dream proves otherwise. He takes Hemingway’s existential vision and reshapes it for a new age—one of media, masks, and moral chaos. By Hemingway’s own standards, Mailer succeeds. He uses the tools of the past to create something personal, painful, and new. In doing so, he earns the title of “great artist” and becomes a guide for his own lost generation.

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