User:Erhernandez/sandbox: Difference between revisions

Line 314:

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

===Citations===

@@ Line 314: / Line 314: @@
 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}}
 ===Citations===