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Mythic Mailer in An American Dream: Difference between revisions
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Ironically, most critics who are unhappy with the book mention its lack of realism. In some ways, Mailer uses the mythic aspects of ''<u>An American Dream</u>'' to explore his own concept of reality. Mailer basically thinks in mythic terms; he is a mythic realist {{sfn|Adams|1975|p=211}}. When asked about the basis of reality in this particular novel, Mailer replied: | Ironically, most critics who are unhappy with the book mention its lack of realism. In some ways, Mailer uses the mythic aspects of ''<u>An American Dream</u>'' to explore his own concept of reality. Mailer basically thinks in mythic terms; he is a mythic realist {{sfn|Adams|1975|p=211}}. When asked about the basis of reality in this particular novel, Mailer replied: | ||
<blockquote | <blockquote>There wasn't a single phenomenon in that book that I consider dream-like or fanciful or fantastical. To me, it was a realistic book, but a realistic book at that place where extraordinary things are happening. I believe the experience of extraordinary people in extraordinary situations is not like our ordinary realistic experience at all.{{sfn|Adams|1975|p=211-212}} </blockquote> | ||
To Mailer, intensifying the realistic action deepens the mythic dimension of his work. However, myth does not function easily in realistic genres. Ernst Cassirer writes that myth itself is "incoherent, capricious, irrational" {{sfn|Mailer|1964-65|p=18}}. Laura Adams states that "one of the mistakes many critics made in first reviewing it [''<u>An American Dream</u>''] was to take it too literally" {{sfn|Adams|1975|p=210}}. Merrill agrees with Adams: "to read ''<u>An American Dream</u>'' as a realistic novel is to misread it altogether"{{sfn|Merrill|1978|p=69}}. Such critics misunderstand how myth structures the book and deepens its universality. | To Mailer, intensifying the realistic action deepens the mythic dimension of his work. However, myth does not function easily in realistic genres. Ernst Cassirer writes that myth itself is "incoherent, capricious, irrational" {{sfn|Mailer|1964-65|p=18}}. Laura Adams states that "one of the mistakes many critics made in first reviewing it [''<u>An American Dream</u>''] was to take it too literally" {{sfn|Adams|1975|p=210}}. Merrill agrees with Adams: "to read ''<u>An American Dream</u>'' as a realistic novel is to misread it altogether"{{sfn|Merrill|1978|p=69}}. Such critics misunderstand how myth structures the book and deepens its universality. | ||