Hello, my name is Enis Bektesevic from LaGuardia Community College. I am currently studying a course in Violence in American Art and Culture. This has been an interesting class that has me focusing on why people commit violence and if it is every justified. We have studied violence from real and fictional text. Right now we are reading Caesar's Column by Ignatius Donnelly, a fictional story involving the clash of the classes about a secret society that is trying to over throw a corrupt-rich favoring American Government.
The theme that catches my eye in this novel is the Sociopathic nature displayed by the rich people and Oligarchy-who are obviously also rich. While the corrupt and poor man hating Prince Cabano forms a meeting with other members of the Oligarchy, a description of the members are given. Donnelly points out, "You can tell them at a glance-large, coarse, corpulent men; red faced, brutal; decorated with vulgar taste; loud-voiced, selfish, self-assertive; cringing sycophants to all above them, slave-drivers of all below them. (93). All these characteristics are all little elements that make up a sociopath, but the keywords are "slave drivers". This sociopathic nature is basically what is the main force that drives the rich to take all the money in the world for themselves while allowing the poor just enough to eat and survive in order to have the ability to work for pennies that ultimately allows the rich to maintain their wealth. There is absolutely no other way for the rich to be able to do something so inhumane, they have to be unemotional and unsympathetic towards the people they are causing such misery to. In the beginning of the novel, Gabriel describes the rich, "The chief features of the men were incredulity, unbelief, cunning, observation, heartlessness. I did not see a good face in the whole room..." (15). Again, we see the rich described with elements that point out to sociopathic nature. This theme floats around constantly whether it is describing physical features of the rich, or the actions of the rich. I think Donnelly uses theme heavily to really make the rich stand out as the "bad guys."
good post. i liked how you pointed out the quote mentioning the members of the oligarchy. however, is your message trying to imply that those in power are emotionless to the point where they are dehumanized? in a way, you could imply they are pure-bred machines. since they are taking control of the poor. do you think that they are trying to take advantage of the people to the point where they have no purpose of living? it can relate to the suicide rooms in the beginning of the novel. in a way, only the dehumanized can take away the purpose of those who already are not deprived of their humanity
ReplyDeletePointing out the similarities between the oligarchy and identifying them as sociopaths is a really interesting idea, in that it ties into the theme of social Darwinism. While we can argue about the idea or nature vs nurture its clear that Donnely believes personality traits such as sociopathy can be inherited( much like skin color. hint hint). The question now is are the oligarchy rich because they've inherited sociopathic "genes" from their parents(their Jewish blood)? or are they sociopaths because they're rich and that's how they were raised? It's an especially interesting question when you look at a character like Caesar who is also revealed to be a sociopath towards the end of the novel. Is he the way he is because of his race or is he a sociopath because he's been so brutally oppressed, much like the rest of the Brotherhood?
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