how come no one talks about Excitement's Crave anymore?
Apr 6, 2018 2:12:50 GMT
BoxersFracture likes this
Post by justasking on Apr 6, 2018 2:12:50 GMT
Confirmation bias and circular reasoning possibly at play. It sounds like EAR / disordered mind because the first impression was that it's written by EAR. And the reason it's thought to be written by EAR (or a disordered mind) is because it "sounds like" EAR / disordered mind.
I will offer an example of what I called a contorted view. Below is a description of an event...
"Attack # 26 10.29.77 Winters (p.244) states the victim felt the sobbing was genuine. Interestingly he had abruptly pulled his penis out of the victim’s mouth and begun sobbing “I don’t want to do this Mommy.” He then stumbled around the room and began to hyperventilate"
Many here believe it was all an act, just disinformation.
It is, for me, difficult to read this and not believe EAR was responding to internal struggle, probably dissociating from the reality of the event. Forced fellatio was the apogee of domination and control for him at that time-and he interrupted it to go cry...Because in his fertile mind he intends to mislead a cop? Really?
To me that is a huge stretch.
I wonder whether the professor could have thought the same about any "handfully"-styled satirist, just by virtue of the literary style (the author assuming questionable literary roles, for example)?
So it's my opinion that there is nothing in the poem itself that can't be explained by other means than psychopathology. I think the most definitively suspicious aspect was the somewhat unethical manner of sending the letter. The author might not have realized the weight of it, not knowing to what even more morbid proportions the then current and local phenomenon of "East Area Rapist" would grow.
I've read the poem, for some years. Of course the EAR/ONS had an undoubtedly disordered psyche, and that wasn't in dispute. It was about whether the poem in itself should seem disordered.
All those mortal's surviving birth - Those recluse people thrown into world, or people just in general
Upon facing maturity, - They face maturity
Take inventory of their worth - And question their worth
To prevailing society.
Up to this point, nothing "disordered". Just reflective.
Choosing values becomes a task - Hard to choose values, social disintegration
Oneself must seek satisfaction. - Everyone is on their own, even more so in the times of egoism
The selected route will unmask - The character will show, and be revealed in...
Character when plans take action - Whatever one chooses to do in life
General reflection. Also, the possible implied sense as a bonus; rapist's vile character is unmasked even if the face was covered with a ski mask.
Accepting some work to perform
At fixed pay, but promise for more,
Is a recognized social norm,
As is decorum, seeking lore.
Again reflective and descriptive in the passive voice, no psychopathology there. It says that the "promise for more" and decorum and "seeking lore" are all recognized social norms. The "promise for more" goes together with the theme of "fame" in the poem.
Achieving while others lifting
Should be cause for deserving fame.
Leisure tempts excitement seeking,
What's right and expected seems tame.
"Achieving while others lifting / should be cause for deserving fame" is one of the problematic points, since many think that the narrator all of a sudden makes a normative judgement at this point from his/her point of view, although it should be read in the succession of what was said before. The stanza before this one was descriptive in the passive voice. No reason to think that the word "should" was used as a normative statement by the author here either. And the sense behind is most likely the opposite, even. When referring with "should" to what is the general consensus about how some state of affairs "should" be; it is actually usually in the sense of "so they say", carrying an implication that the opinion isn't shared by the one who made the reference. So it's even more likely that it's completely the opposite to the narrator expressing agreement with the opinion described. There is a resentful and moral tone to it, as the narrator is describing the consensus (that those who are "achieving while others are lifting" is considered generally "deserving fame") regretfully, not endorsing it. If not that; then a neutral description at least.
Leisure is also frowned upon, as it tempts people to seek excitement. It's moralism about the lack of meaningful commitments and duties, and no disorder. Followed by the reasonable description of the state of mind of individuals such as the 'EAR'. The narrator is exactly describing the disordered mind there when describing how it seems to them as they (again, regrettably) detach from the moral values: "what's right and expected seems tame" (to them), but this too has been read as a normative statement from the narrator's own point of view.
"Jessie James" has been seen by all,
And "Son of Sam" has an author.
Others now feel temptations call.
An accurate description about how the "fame" is granted to criminals and how others, such as the 'EAR' "feel the temptations call".
Sacramento should make an offer.
And this is the crave, crave in the sense of a request. The writer was educated enough to understand that it is precisely an 'excitement's crave' to crave Sacramento to make an offer from the perspective of the "excitement" as a phenomenon that's described in the poem, and which the author will further characterize at this point by satirically assuming the voice of the "EAR".
To make a movie of my life
That will pay for my planned exile.
Just now I'd like to add the wife
Of a Mafia lord to my file.
And as the author has now assumed the satirical position of "EAR", he elaborates that 'crave' ( = a 'request', 'beg', etc.) further; hoping to have a movie made of "his" life, since the other criminals have had their fame too (and it's not something celebrated by the author, but on the opposite; implicitly criticized) - and at this point, after 'craving' Sacramento to make the movie, the "EAR" already starts to blend in a surreal way into the "criminal romantic" of mythology and movies.
"Planning to exile", very much in line with the general Western "outlaw" and "desperado" imagery, and fitting to the "Jesse James", who was already mentioned in the poem.
"Add the wife of a Mafia lord to my file" - "add the wife" because of both: EAR's M.O. and to make it rhyme. 'Mafia lord' again as a reference to the cinematic fascination with those types of criminals too, very contemporary and fitting to that time period. "File" is in reference (if not to a general idea, then at least particularly) to the 'Son of Sam' which was a big media spectacle back then, before and after his arrest. It became known nationwide; 'Son of Sam', in essence, had "kept a file" detailing his crimes. And remember, 'Son of Sam' was already explicitly mentioned before in the poem.
Your East Area Rapist
And deserving pest
See you in the press or on T.V.
Signature is a lampooning imitation. Underlining how this criminal too must feel himself to be deserving, as it's the spirit of the times. "See you in the press or on T.V." is a further reference to the prospect of EAR gaining (to the author's mind: regrettable) sensational publicity. But in fact, there is also a possible mocking tone towards EAR himself too, spoken in his "own" last words. It's farcical; the character "EAR" in the poem aspires to "achieve" what criminals such as the 'Son of Sam' had "achieved". But look how it ended (had already ended at that point, some months before) for Berkowitz? He got caught. Then he was actually seen in the press and on T.V., wearing handcuffs and looking back... So in effect, this sense would amount to the satirist author saying: "I'm the East Area Rapist and I will get caught".
But of course, it could still be a product of a disordered mind obsessed with prowling and rape, but who still always had time for learning the correct metrics of poetry. That's an option too. The sync between the model of the typewriter and the ~suspicious manner of delivering the letter being the most pressing aspects pointing towards him being the author, and not the content of the poem itself.