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Winchester)” (35).
Winchester)” (35).


Moving to the beginning of Mailer’s career, it is obvious that every character in ''The Naked and the Dead'' {{sfn|''The Naked and the Dead''|1948|}} is issued regulation small arms: the officers with caliber .45 ACP Model 1911A1 pistols, the enlisted men with 30-06 M1 Garand rifles (as distinguished from Rojack’s smaller M1 carbine) or .45 Thompson submachine guns. Perhaps the most crucial episode in which one of these weapons figures is late in the book, during the abortive attempt by I & R platoon to climb Mt. Anaka, when Red Valsen rebels against Staff Sgt. Croft’s leadership and is forced to obey at gunpoint: “Croft . . . unslung his rifle, cocked the bolt leisurely. . . . It was worthless to temporize. Croft wanted to shoot him” (695-6).When Red capitulates, it signals the end of all resistance to Croft, which is emblematic of the allegorical conclusion by Mailer that reactionaries would dominate post-war America and which emphasizes the novel’s pessimistic message, its naturalistic bias.
Moving to the beginning of Mailer’s career, it is obvious that every character in ''The Naked and the Dead'' {{sfn|Mailer|1948|}} is issued regulation small arms: the officers with caliber .45 ACP Model 1911A1 pistols, the enlisted men with 30-06 M1 Garand rifles (as distinguished from Rojack’s smaller M1 carbine) or .45 Thompson submachine guns. Perhaps the most crucial episode in which one of these weapons figures is late in the book, during the abortive attempt by I & R platoon to climb Mt. Anaka, when Red Valsen rebels against Staff Sgt. Croft’s leadership and is forced to obey at gunpoint: “Croft . . . unslung his rifle, cocked the bolt leisurely. . . . It was worthless to temporize. Croft wanted to shoot him” (695-6).When Red capitulates, it signals the end of all resistance to Croft, which is emblematic of the allegorical conclusion by Mailer that reactionaries would dominate post-war America and which emphasizes the novel’s pessimistic message, its naturalistic bias.
{{pg|158|159}}  
{{pg|158|159}}  
If war is the most obvious arena in which guns figure, it is not hard to
If war is the most obvious arena in which guns figure, it is not hard to
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to a job that must be done, pursue their prey, ex-boxer Ole Anderson, with
to a job that must be done, pursue their prey, ex-boxer Ole Anderson, with
a chilling, leisurely assurance and sawed-off 12 gauge shotguns. In the first
a chilling, leisurely assurance and sawed-off 12 gauge shotguns. In the first
cinematic version of the story {{sfn|''The Killers''|1946|}}, a classic ''film noir'' with Burt Lancaster
cinematic version of the story {{sfn|Hemingway|1946|}}, a classic ''film noir'' with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner in their first starring roles, the killers (one of whom is William Conrad, later of TV“Cannon” fame) use more pedestrian Smith &
and Ava Gardner in their first starring roles, the killers (one of whom is
William Conrad, later of TV“Cannon” fame) use more pedestrian Smith &
Wesson Model 10 .38 Special revolvers. As in Hemingway’s story, Ole Anderson, in true naturalistic fashion, passively awaits his death.
Wesson Model 10 .38 Special revolvers. As in Hemingway’s story, Ole Anderson, in true naturalistic fashion, passively awaits his death.


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