Lipton’s Journal/January 20, 1955/202

The tragic air of Mexico^[1] about which everyone can agree comes from the great need of the Mexicans to have heroes—for without heroes a culture and a civilization it will perish. But to use Trotsky’s style—Mexico arrives late on the stage of history in its attempt to found a civilization. So its heroes can never satisfy the Mexicans, for their cynicism is the cynicism of the world, and backward countries are equal to civilized countries in their cynicism, despair sets in, and sentimentality must follow to give the false rescue to despair. So the vicious circle revolves while the country slowly starves in its economic and political irreconcilables.

Note

↑ Mailer usually spent two or three months every year from 1952–59, visiting Susan in Mexico, and usually bringing her back to the U.S. for a visit.

[1] Mailer usually spent two or three months every year from 1952–59, visiting Susan in Mexico, and usually bringing her back to the U.S. for a visit.

[1]