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{{byline|Last= | {{byline|Last=Mailer|First=Norman|Abstract= On The Armies of the Night]].|url:https://prmlr.us/mr16gord}} | ||
I am six years older than Norman | I am six years older than Norman Mailer when he wrote ''In Armies of the Night''. In 1968, its year of publication, I was 10. I come to this book therefore | ||
the Night. In 1968, its year of publication, I was 10. I come to this book therefore | |||
from a position perhaps somewhat different from my colleagues here. | from a position perhaps somewhat different from my colleagues here. | ||
I come to it looking for an insight into the origins of my own political consciousness. | I come to it looking for an insight into the origins of my own political consciousness. | ||
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of the Labor Movement, in which “Communists and Trotskyites, Splinterites, | of the Labor Movement, in which “Communists and Trotskyites, Splinterites, | ||
and Reutherites ultimately came to sit closer to the Mafia than to | and Reutherites ultimately came to sit closer to the Mafia than to | ||
Marx.” This | Marx.” This precisely is the context most usually forgotten among people | ||
of my age | of my age from which emerged the New Left. | ||
Who were they? Mailer describes “A generation of college students | Who were they? Mailer describes “A generation of college students | ||
who were finally indifferent to the blockhouse polemics of the past, | who were finally indifferent to the blockhouse polemics of the past, | ||
and the real nature of the Soviet. It was the real injustice in America which attracted | and the real nature of the Soviet. It was the real injustice in America which attracted | ||
their attention—poverty, civil rights, an end to censorship” | their attention—poverty, civil rights, an end to censorship” {{sfn|Mailer|2008 |p=120}} | ||
It is a genealogy of the New Left that, if we wish to understand who we are | It is a genealogy of the New Left that, if we wish to understand who we are | ||
as Liberals and Radicals in America today, we need to master in its details. | as Liberals and Radicals in America today, we need to master in its details. | ||
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which he tells of confrontations between protesters and soldiers that | which he tells of confrontations between protesters and soldiers that | ||
occurred during the night while Mailer was in jail. So he is not just writing | occurred during the night while Mailer was in jail. So he is not just writing | ||
about an event he did not see; he is writing about people from another generation | about an event he did ''not'' see; he is writing about people from another generation | ||
whom he did not know. Let’s just listen to one little quotation: | whom he did not know. Let’s just listen to one little quotation: | ||
<blockquote> Night was on. The demonstrators were entering the last few hours of their march on the Pentagon. They were tired, exceptionally tired, they felt vulnerable—their aggression, their ability even to defend themselves now used up by endless calls over the hours for more adrenaline; yes, the mood was pacifistic,almost saintly, but very weak. In the night, they were all close to | <blockquote> Night was on. The demonstrators were entering the last few hours of their march on the Pentagon. They were tired, exceptionally tired, they felt vulnerable—their aggression, their ability even to defend themselves now used up by endless calls over the hours for more adrenaline; yes, the mood was pacifistic,almost saintly, but very weak. In the night, they were all close to | ||
each other.Quietly They were waiting. The walls of the Pentagon bulked large.{{sfn| | each other.Quietly They were waiting. The walls of the Pentagon bulked large.{{sfn|Mailer|2008 |p=309}}</blockquote> | ||
We are seeing, here, a great American writer at the height of his powers. | We are seeing, here, a great American writer at the height of his powers. | ||
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That is a complicated question, but it is one that has been most convincingly | That is a complicated question, but it is one that has been most convincingly | ||
addressed, in my view, by W.G. Sebald in his monumental essay about | addressed, in my view, by W.G. Sebald in his monumental essay about | ||
the allied bombing of Germany during World War II, The Natural History of | the allied bombing of Germany during World War II, ''The Natural History of Destruction''. In it, if I may simplify somewhat, Sebald suggests that the truth or falsehood of a description of historical event is not to be judged by the | ||
Destruction. In it, if I may simplify somewhat, Sebald suggests that the truth | |||
or falsehood of a description of historical event is not to be judged by the | |||
number of facts or witnesses but by the integrity and poetry of the language | number of facts or witnesses but by the integrity and poetry of the language | ||
of description. By this standard, The Armies of the Night makes a huge and | of description. By this standard, ''The Armies of the Night'' makes a huge and | ||
durable case for the supremacy of the novelist’s empathetic imagination | durable case for the supremacy of the novelist’s empathetic imagination | ||
over, the “mere recitation of facts.” | over, the “mere recitation of facts.” | ||
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publication, not only as a work of art, and not only as a deeply relevant meditation | publication, not only as a work of art, and not only as a deeply relevant meditation | ||
of history and fiction, and not only as a map of our political past and | of history and fiction, and not only as a map of our political past and | ||
an explanation of our political consciousness, but also as a guide to what it | an explanation of our political consciousness, but also as a guide to ''what it means for a novelist to write well about history''; what kind of language is adequate to the task. | ||
means for a novelist to write well about history; what kind of language is adequate | |||
to the task. | |||
That is not to understate the importance, however, of the historical accuracy, | That is not to understate the importance, however, of the historical accuracy, | ||
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This paper was presented on October 19, 2007 at Georgetown University. | This paper was presented on October 19, 2007 at Georgetown University. | ||
The conference was the “40th anniversary conference on The March on the | The conference was the “40th anniversary conference on The March on the | ||
Pentagon The Armies of the Night.” | Pentagon ''On The Armies of the Night'' .” | ||
''This paper was presented on October 19, 2007 at Georgetown University.The conference was the “40th anniversary conference on The March on thePentagon/The Armies of the Night'' | |||
The conference was the “40th anniversary conference on The March on | |||
==Works Cited== | |||
{{Refbegin}} | |||
* {{On The Armies of the Night}}|Mailer|Norman|1968|Ref=harv | |||