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The Mailer Review/Volume 4, 2010/Jive-Ass Aficionado: Why Are We in Vietnam? and Hemingway's Moral Code: Difference between revisions

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In the spring of 1924 Hemingway had written the lower-case in our time,
In the spring of 1924 Hemingway had written the lower-case in our time,
which consisted of eighteen vignettes drawn from the young writer’s journalistic observations of political upheaval, war, and bullfighting, published in an edition of only 170 copies. For ''In Our Time,''{{sfn|Hemingway|1925}}  which was released by a major publisher in a first edition of 1,335 copies, he elevated two of those vignettes to stories and used the other sixteen as interlocutory chapters inserted in front of each of the longer new stories that he had crafted, most of which involved a coming-of-age protagonist named Nick Adams. To solve the problem of having an extra vignette, Hemingway broke the last story—“Big Two-Hearted River”—into Parts I and II. Interestingly, as Michael Reynolds reminds, Hemingway later said he always intended the vignettes to function as “chapter headings,” explaining, “‘You get the close up very quietly but absolutely solid and the real thing but very close, and then through it all between every story comes the rhythm of the in our time chapters’”{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=233}}. As Hemingway further clarified for critic Edmund Wilson, his intent was to “give the picture of the whole between examining it in detail.”{{sfn|Mailer|1981|p=128}}
which consisted of eighteen vignettes drawn from the young writer’s journalistic observations of political upheaval, war, and bullfighting, published in an edition of only 170 copies. For ''In Our Time,''{{sfn|Hemingway|1925}}  which was released by a major publisher in a first edition of 1,335 copies, he elevated two of those vignettes to stories and used the other sixteen as interlocutory chapters inserted in front of each of the longer new stories that he had crafted, most of which involved a coming-of-age protagonist named Nick Adams. To solve the problem of having an extra vignette, Hemingway broke the last story—“Big Two-Hearted River”—into Parts I and II. Interestingly, as Michael Reynolds reminds, Hemingway later said he always intended the vignettes to function as “chapter headings,” explaining, “‘You get the close up very quietly but absolutely solid and the real thing but very close, and then through it all between every story comes the rhythm of the in our time chapters’”{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=233}}. As Hemingway further clarified for critic Edmund Wilson, his intent was to “give the picture of the whole between examining it in detail.”{{sfn|Hemingway|1981|p=128}}


That’s exactly how ''Why Are We in Vietnam?''{{sfn|Mailer|1967}} is structured with similar effects that it has on the reader. Just as Hemingway’s short stories focused onNick and the personal lives of people “in his time,”while the vignettes served as newspaper-headline reminders of the violent, larger world that was affecting individual psyches, so, too, Mailer’s highly personalized and detailed narrative of sixteen-year-old D.J.’s hunting trip with his father, his father’s business associates, and his best friend Tex in the rugged Brooks Range of Alaska is intercut with “Intro Beeps” that serve the same function and add “rhythm” as did Hemingway’s vignettes. The chapters in ''Why Are We in''{{pg |195|196}}
That’s exactly how ''Why Are We in Vietnam?''{{sfn|Mailer|1967}} is structured with similar effects that it has on the reader. Just as Hemingway’s short stories focused onNick and the personal lives of people “in his time,”while the vignettes served as newspaper-headline reminders of the violent, larger world that was affecting individual psyches, so, too, Mailer’s highly personalized and detailed narrative of sixteen-year-old D.J.’s hunting trip with his father, his father’s business associates, and his best friend Tex in the rugged Brooks Range of Alaska is intercut with “Intro Beeps” that serve the same function and add “rhythm” as did Hemingway’s vignettes. The chapters in ''Why Are We in''{{pg |195|196}}
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shooting and Rusty takes the credit, he forever alienates his son: “Final end
shooting and Rusty takes the credit, he forever alienates his son: “Final end
of love of one son for one father.”{{sfn|Mailer|1967|p=147}} That is different from a similar scene
of love of one son for one father.”{{sfn|Mailer|1967|p=147}} That is different from a similar scene
in ''Green Hills''{{sfn|Mailer|1935}} in which Poor Old Mama and Poppa shoot at a lion, and while
in ''Green Hills''{{sfn|Hemingway|1935}} in which Poor Old Mama and Poppa shoot at a lion, and while
the “killing of the lion had been confused and unsatisfactory,” Poppa
the “killing of the lion had been confused and unsatisfactory,” Poppa
nonetheless gives the credit to his wife, even after seeing that the bullet dug
nonetheless gives the credit to his wife, even after seeing that the bullet dug
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Likewise, in ''Green Hills of Africa'', Poppa’s prowess and hunting ''aficion'' earns him a special tribal handshake “using the thumb which evidently denoted
Likewise, in ''Green Hills of Africa'', Poppa’s prowess and hunting ''aficion'' earns him a special tribal handshake “using the thumb which evidently denoted
extreme emotion” {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=167}}; later, he asks what it means, and Pop explains, “It’s on the order of blood brotherhood but a little less formal,” and quips, “You’re getting to be a hell of a fellow” when he hears that the Massai have accepted Poppa into their circle {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=206}}.
extreme emotion” {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=167}}; later, he asks what it means, and Pop explains, “It’s on the order of blood brotherhood but a little less formal,” and quips, “You’re getting to be a hell of a fellow” when he hears that the Massai have accepted Poppa into their circle {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=206}}.
“Hip makes for a livelier vocabulary, a more stylish way of carrying oneself, more and better orgasms,” writes one critic. {{sfn|Dupee|1976|p=101}} The Hipster, which D.J. embraces, is a culture whose Mandarin language is understood only by members of an exclusive group, the same as with Hemingway’s heroes. “The Hipster is, of course, only one of many possible realizations of the ‘new consciousness’ of which Mailer is the prophet,” Foster concludes {{sfn|Foster|1968|p=26}} and prophets are always insiders. By the end of ''Why Are We in Vietnam?''{{sfn|Mailer|1967}}; it has become clear that D.J. is indeed an insider with a unique and prophetic voice. He’s also a true aficionado. But the disturbing question (and the force behind what power the novel possesses) is, as Mailer was fully{{pg|206|207}}
“Hip makes for a livelier vocabulary, a more stylish way of carrying oneself, more and better orgasms,” writes one critic. {{sfn|Dupree|1976|p=101}} The Hipster, which D.J. embraces, is a culture whose Mandarin language is understood only by members of an exclusive group, the same as with Hemingway’s heroes. “The Hipster is, of course, only one of many possible realizations of the ‘new consciousness’ of which Mailer is the prophet,” Foster concludes {{sfn|Foster|1968|p=26}} and prophets are always insiders. By the end of ''Why Are We in Vietnam?''{{sfn|Mailer|1967}}; it has become clear that D.J. is indeed an insider with a unique and prophetic voice. He’s also a true aficionado. But the disturbing question (and the force behind what power the novel possesses) is, as Mailer was fully{{pg|206|207}}
aware, of ''what?'' More and better orgasms? As Hemingway’s war-wounded
aware, of ''what?'' More and better orgasms? As Hemingway’s war-wounded
hero quips at the end of ''The Sun Also Rises''{{sfn|Hemingway|1986}},“Isn’t it pretty to think so?” {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=247}}.
hero quips at the end of ''The Sun Also Rises''{{sfn|Hemingway|1986}},“Isn’t it pretty to think so?” {{sfn|Hemingway|1986|p=247}}.
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