User:Erhernandez/sandbox: Difference between revisions

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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” (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” (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 (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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decided for. Or as Rojack himself puts it in the novel: “Deborah had gotten

her hooks into me, eight years ago she had clinched the hooks and they had

given birth to other hooks” (Mailer~~, American~~ 9). Rojack’s possibilities coincide with those of the Hipster—either he dies the death of conformity or

given birth to other hooks”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=9}} Rojack’s possibilities coincide with those of the Hipster—either he dies the death of conformity or

he acts violently in order to break free. This juxtaposition between courage

and cowardice is metaphorically elaborated by the image of cancer. A lack of

bravery not only nullifies the possibility of rebellion and the resultant personal freedom, but it also generates the deadly disease.

In the first chapter, Rojack desperately wants to break free from his high

society life and he considers committing suicide. It seems the final resolution

is to come in contact with his uncorrupted, “raw being”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=11-12}} Only by killing himself will he be liberated from the restraints his life imposes on him. Rojack is attending a party when the urge for suicide overwhelms him. He goes outside to the balcony and is lured to the parapet. Standing on the edge of the balcony he debates whether to jump or not. In the end, he must admit that he lacks the bravery to leap into the void. After this failed attempt to step out of life and regain his freedom, he feels the cancerous growth of cowardice in his body:

<blockquote>This illness now, huddling in the deck chair, was an extinction. I

could feel what was good in me going away, going away perhaps forever, rising after all to the moon, my courage, my wit, ambition and hope. Nothing but sickness and dung remained in the sack of my torso. . . . [I]f I died froma revolt of the cells, a growth against the design of my organs, that this was the moment it all began, this was the hour when the cells took their leap?{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=13}}</blockquote>

Rojack, however, is not yet completely condemned to die the death of conformity. He can “cure” his cancer by finding another way to unearth the necessary courage to stand out as an individual. Instead of stepping out of life, he has to take what is his own and reclaim his individuality by engaging in open battle with the powers that hold him down. The need for courage is the

most basic characteristic of Hip and will resonate throughout the whole

novel. Rojack has to unearth his courage to “seek the powers of the gods in

the underworld,” which is the next phase of the heroic quest.

=====FIGHTING DEMONS=====

The third characteristic of Slotkin’s definition of the heroic quest exemplified

in ''Dream'' is the motivation of the hero, after his departure from the

common day world, to “seek the power of the gods in the underworld” and

thus to complete his odyssey. This characteristic of the mythological form of

the heroic quest must be understood in the light of confrontation and con-

flict. The mythical hero engages in an open battle with the gods who wrong

him and the society in which he lives. In the novel this confrontation with

the gods is spread out over a series of conflicts with an array of adversaries

and assumes a ladder-like structure. Rojack has to pass a series of ascending

stages by which he may advance and, ultimately, reach his destination.

Mailer seemed to derive the underlining idea for structuring the novel

along the lines of subsequent confrontations from the basic ideas expressed

in “White Negro.” Here, the Hipster must seek confrontation and violence to

improve on his life. Instead of having to face the “constant humility” the

mass of comfortably numb people is subjected to, the Hipster chooses to

live a life with “ever-threatening danger”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=341}} The Hipster actively seeks danger because, according to the philosophy of Hip, “life was war” and one can only “remain in life only by engaging death”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=341-342}} The ability of violence, however, goes beyond supplying the Hipster with the necessary thrills to feel alive. The importance of violence in the philosophy of the Hipster is summarized in the term “to swing” from the Hip-lexicon:

<blockquote>For to swing is to communicate, is to convey the rhythms of one’s own being to a lover, a friend, or an audience, and—equally necessary—be able to feel the rhythm of their response. To swing with the rhythms of another is to enrich oneself—the conception of the learning process as dug by Hip is that one cannot really learn until one contains within oneself the implicit rhythm of the subject or the person.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=350}}</blockquote>

On a primary level “to swing” indicates that the defeat of an adversary not

only enables the Hipster to move up a step in the ladder of confrontations,

but also prepares him for the next conflict in his path. On a secondary level,

the accomplishment of a stage in the series of conflicts invests the Hipster

with the characteristics necessary to combat his next and more powerful

enemy. In conflict the Hipster is able to unearth previously unknown talents

because “[t]o swing with the rhythms of another is to enrich oneself ”—

with the characteristics of his adversary. On a tertiary level, an act of violence functions as a purifying act. This cleansing ability of violence enables the Hipster to lessen tensions from the past, coming to terms with the traumas in his previous life. The context of the act of “swinging” determines the outcome of the con-

===Citations===

Line 96:

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* {{cite journal |last=Levine|first=Andrea|title=The (Jewish)White Negro: Mailer’s Racial Bodies|journal=MELUS |volume=28|issue=2|date=2003|pages=59-81|ref=harv}}

* {{cite book |last=Mailer|first=Norman|date=1965|title=An American Dream|location=New York|publisher=Dial Press|ref=harv}}

* {{cite book |last=Mailer |first=Norman |author-mask=1|title=Advertisements for Myself|chapter=The White Negro: Superficial Reflections on the Hipster|location=New York|publisher=G.P. Putnam’s Sons|pages=337-358|ref=harv}}

* {{cite book |last=Mailer |first=Norman |author-mask=1|date=1959|title=Advertisements for Myself|chapter=The White Negro: Superficial Reflections on the Hipster|location=New York|publisher=G.P. Putnam’s Sons|pages=337-358|ref=harv}}

* {{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Norman-Mailer|title=Mailer, Norman|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|access-date=2008-11-01|ref=harv}}

* {{cite book |last=Milton|first=John|date=1884|title=Paradise Lost|editor=Matthias Mull|location=London|publisher=Kegan Paul|ref=harv}}

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 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” (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” (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 (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 78: / Line 78: @@
 decided for. Or as Rojack himself puts it in the novel: “Deborah had gotten
 her hooks into me, eight years ago she had clinched the hooks and they had
-given birth to other hooks” (Mailer, American 9). Rojack’s possibilities coincide with those of the Hipster—either he dies the death of conformity or
+given birth to other hooks”.{{sfn|Mailer|1965|p=9}} Rojack’s possibilities coincide with those of the Hipster—either he dies the death of conformity or
 he acts violently in order to break free. This juxtaposition between courage
 {{pg|350|351}}
+and cowardice is metaphorically elaborated by the image of cancer. A lack of
+bravery not only nullifies the possibility of rebellion and the resultant personal freedom, but it also generates the deadly disease.
+In the first chapter, Rojack desperately wants to break free from his high
+society life and he considers committing suicide. It seems the final resolution
+is to come in contact with his uncorrupted, “raw being”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=11-12}} Only by killing himself will he be liberated from the restraints his life imposes on him. Rojack is attending a party when the urge for suicide overwhelms him. He goes outside to the balcony and is lured to the parapet. Standing on the edge of the balcony he debates whether to jump or not. In the end, he must admit that he lacks the bravery to leap into the void. After this failed attempt to step out of life and regain his freedom, he feels the cancerous growth of cowardice in his body:
+<blockquote>This illness now, huddling in the deck chair, was an extinction. I
+could feel what was good in me going away, going away perhaps forever, rising after all to the moon, my courage, my wit, ambition and hope. Nothing but sickness and dung remained in the sack of my torso. . . . [I]f I died froma revolt of the cells, a growth against the design of my organs, that this was the moment it all began, this was the hour when the cells took their leap?{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=13}}</blockquote>
+Rojack, however, is not yet completely condemned to die the death of conformity. He can “cure” his cancer by finding another way to unearth the necessary courage to stand out as an individual. Instead of stepping out of life, he has to take what is his own and reclaim his individuality by engaging in open battle with the powers that hold him down. The need for courage is the
+most basic characteristic of Hip and will resonate throughout the whole
+novel. Rojack has to unearth his courage to “seek the powers of the gods in
+the underworld,” which is the next phase of the heroic quest.
+=====FIGHTING DEMONS=====
+The third characteristic of Slotkin’s definition of the heroic quest exemplified
+in ''Dream'' is the motivation of the hero, after his departure from the
+common day world, to “seek the power of the gods in the underworld” and
+thus to complete his odyssey. This characteristic of the mythological form of
+the heroic quest must be understood in the light of confrontation and con-
+{{pg|351|352}}
+flict. The mythical hero engages in an open battle with the gods who wrong
+him and the society in which he lives. In the novel this confrontation with
+the gods is spread out over a series of conflicts with an array of adversaries
+and assumes a ladder-like structure. Rojack has to pass a series of ascending
+stages by which he may advance and, ultimately, reach his destination.
+Mailer seemed to derive the underlining idea for structuring the novel
+along the lines of subsequent confrontations from the basic ideas expressed
+in “White Negro.” Here, the Hipster must seek confrontation and violence to
+improve on his life. Instead of having to face the “constant humility” the
+mass of comfortably numb people is subjected to, the Hipster chooses to
+live a life with “ever-threatening danger”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=341}} The Hipster actively seeks danger because, according to the philosophy of Hip, “life was war” and one can only “remain in life only by engaging death”.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=341-342}} The ability of violence, however, goes beyond supplying the Hipster with the necessary thrills to feel alive. The importance of violence in the philosophy of the Hipster is summarized in the term “to swing” from the Hip-lexicon:
+<blockquote>For to swing is to communicate, is to convey the rhythms of one’s own being to a lover, a friend, or an audience, and—equally necessary—be able to feel the rhythm of their response. To swing with the rhythms of another is to enrich oneself—the conception of the learning process as dug by Hip is that one cannot really learn until one contains within oneself the implicit rhythm of the subject or the person.{{sfn|Mailer|1959|p=350}}</blockquote>
+On a primary level “to swing” indicates that the defeat of an adversary not
+only enables the Hipster to move up a step in the ladder of confrontations,
+but also prepares him for the next conflict in his path. On a secondary level,
+the accomplishment of a stage in the series of conflicts invests the Hipster
+with the characteristics necessary to combat his next and more powerful
+enemy. In conflict the Hipster is able to unearth previously unknown talents
+because “[t]o swing with the rhythms of another is to enrich oneself ”—
+with the characteristics of his adversary. On a tertiary level, an act of violence functions as a purifying act. This cleansing ability of violence enables the Hipster to lessen tensions from the past, coming to terms with the traumas in his previous life. The context of the act of “swinging” determines the outcome of the con-
+{{pg|352|353}}
 ===Citations===
@@ Line 96: / Line 146: @@
 * {{cite journal |last=Levine|first=Andrea|title=The (Jewish)White Negro: Mailer’s Racial Bodies|journal=MELUS |volume=28|issue=2|date=2003|pages=59-81|ref=harv}}
 * {{cite book |last=Mailer|first=Norman|date=1965|title=An American Dream|location=New York|publisher=Dial Press|ref=harv}}
-* {{cite book |last=Mailer |first=Norman |author-mask=1|title=Advertisements for Myself|chapter=The White Negro: Superficial Reflections on the Hipster|location=New York|publisher=G.P. Putnam’s Sons|pages=337-358|ref=harv}}
+* {{cite book |last=Mailer |first=Norman |author-mask=1|date=1959|title=Advertisements for Myself|chapter=The White Negro: Superficial Reflections on the Hipster|location=New York|publisher=G.P. Putnam’s Sons|pages=337-358|ref=harv}}
 * {{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Norman-Mailer|title=Mailer, Norman|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|access-date=2008-11-01|ref=harv}}
 * {{cite book |last=Milton|first=John|date=1884|title=Paradise Lost|editor=Matthias Mull|location=London|publisher=Kegan Paul|ref=harv}}