Mailer, the novelist, sees himself as agent for change. His critics on the other hand assign to his works the brilliancy of reportage. The nonfiction novel exists in order not to change the American situation that makes possible so much literary aggression against it.
Norman Mailer′s Miami and The Siege of Chicago is an account of the 1968 Conventions in Miami (Republicans) and Chicago (Democrats). This "classic work of interpretive political reportage"4,5 consists of two parts, the first "Nixon in Miami" and the second "The Siege of Chicago". Mailer uses a device he developed to high craft: third-person story telling based on first-person participation."His style and rhetorical devices stand out among other novelists. When Mailer describes the Republican convention in Miami using metaphorical language filled with disgust he risks to offend the audience: "And the country roaring like the bull in its wounds, coughing like a sick lung in the smog [...]." His informal critical account is often directed against the audience. Even though it sounds like a paradox, with this style Mailer, the surrealistic critic and observer of American society, seems to attract many readers to his novels. The Republican Convention 1968 in Miami preceded the election of Nixon as 33rd American President, which was a close victory of 43,4% vs. Hubert Humphrey of the Democrats with a total of 42,7% votes. The Amphitheatre in Chicago, location of the Democratic Convention, had according to Mailer then the "packed intimacy of a neighborhood fightclub"8 and "the air of circus was also the air of slaughterhouse". Chicago was also home to a Yippie Convention, which made the situation worse and was reason enough for the Democrats to discuss about another location.
This paper will try to analyse the style and metaphors for political action in the novel. This will be done on the levels of setting, character, point of view, plot, and theme. It will be shown that the significance of the metaphors is not limited to providing mere background color. Rather, they are integrated on all levels of the novel and provide it with many opportunities to bring Mailer′s intentions home to the reader, as the final subchapter will elaborate.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The metaphor within the structure of the novel
2.1. Setting
2.2. Characters
2.3. Point of view
2.4. Plot
2.5. Theme
2.5.1. Politics
2.5.2. Society
2.5.3. The Novelist as reporter, the agent for change
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper aims to analyze the stylistic significance and the functional role of metaphors regarding political action within Norman Mailer's nonfiction novel Miami and the Siege of Chicago, investigating how these literary devices transcend mere descriptive background to shape the author’s critique of the 1968 political landscape.
- Examination of Mailer's unique "nonfiction novel" narrative style.
- Analysis of metaphorical language in the context of setting and political plot.
- Evaluation of character portrayal, ranging from major political figures to minor participants.
- Investigation into Mailer's dual identity as both objective reporter and active political agent.
- Discussion on the representation of American society and political decay in the 1960s.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Setting
The time and places of the plot are two major events in the year 1968. The first event is the Republican Convention from August 3rd to 9th in Convention Hall at Miami Beach. The Democratic Convention in the Amphitheater at Chicago two weeks later is the other 5-day event starting August 24th and finishing the 29th. Both of them are attended by Mailer, the reporter and third-person-narrator of this novel.
The metaphorical term "Siege" in the title Miami and The Siege of Chicago might be associated with traditional battlefields e.g. during the Civil War. Here it probably refers to what became known later as the "police riot", Chicago police beating down protestors, journalists and bystanders.
Another revealing passage of the text is the description of the state of the country when arriving at Miami Beach, 1968 for the Republican Convention: The novelist John Updike was not necessarily one of his (the reporters) favorite authors, but after the assassination of J.F. Kennedy, it was Updike who had made the remark that God might have withdrawn his blessing from America. It was a thought which could not be forgotten for it gave insight to the perspectives of the devil and his political pincers. Left-wing demons, white and Black, working to inflame the conservative heart of America, while Right-wing devils exacerbated Blacks and drove the mind of the New Left and liberal middle class into prides of hopeless position. And the country roaring like a bull in its wounds, coughing like a sick lung in the smog (Miami, p. 15).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the scope of the paper, introducing Mailer’s role as both a writer and a participant in the events of 1968, while establishing the premise of his nonfiction novel techniques.
2. The metaphor within the structure of the novel: Explores how structural elements like setting, character, and plot serve as vehicles for Mailer's metaphorical critique of the American political system.
2.1. Setting: Details the locations of the 1968 political conventions and interprets the title's use of "Siege" as a metaphor for the social and political turmoil of the era.
2.2. Characters: Analyzes the depiction of major presidential candidates and minor figures, focusing on how Mailer assigns them character traits through historical allusion and metaphor.
2.3. Point of view: Discusses Mailer's narrative perspective, blending his journalistic role with an autobiographical approach to interpret contemporary history.
2.4. Plot: Examines how the narrative sequence is constructed, selecting and editing facts to create a "fictionalized" account of the conventions using sports and competitive metaphors.
2.5. Theme: Synthesizes the thematic threads of the work, specifically looking at politics, society, and the novelist’s self-perception.
2.5.1. Politics: Focuses on the portrayal of politics as a competitive, property-based game, highlighting the influence of money and power.
2.5.2. Society: Investigates how Mailer uses existential themes to critique the decay of the American societal body during the late 1960s.
2.5.3. The Novelist as reporter, the agent for change: Critically evaluates the author's own role as a self-styled political agent and the tensions this creates within his journalistic accounts.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes the effectiveness of Mailer's rhetoric and his success in providing an interpretive, witness-based account of the 1968 presidential landscape.
Keywords
Norman Mailer, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, Nonfiction Novel, 1968 Conventions, Political Metaphor, New Journalism, American Society, Richard Nixon, Political Reportage, Literary Techniques, Existentialism, Historical Actor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
This paper examines how Norman Mailer uses metaphorical language and narrative structure to transform journalistic reportage into a critique of political and social events in his book "Miami and the Siege of Chicago."
Which thematic fields are covered?
The study covers the representation of political conventions, the intersection of journalism and fiction, the portrayal of major and minor characters, and the author's personal socio-political agenda.
What is the central research question?
The research investigates how metaphors function within the novel to move beyond simple background description and instead serve as integral tools for delivering Mailer's political and social intentions to the reader.
What research method is employed?
The author employs a literary analysis of the novel’s structure, focusing on the levels of setting, characterization, point of view, plot, and overarching themes to identify metaphorical patterns.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the novel's components—analyzing specific conventions, the author's narrative persona, the "game-like" nature of political competition, and the broader existential critique of 1960s America.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include "Nonfiction Novel," "New Journalism," "Political Metaphor," and "Historical Actor," which describe both Mailer's craft and his subject matter.
How does Mailer incorporate his own presence into the narrative?
Mailer uses a "third-person storytelling based on first-person participation" technique, which allows him to document events as a reporter while simultaneously acting as a figure within the political drama he observes.
What does the "bazaar of metaphor" represent in the context of the political campaigns?
It represents the multifaceted and often contradictory nature of political rhetoric and media representation, where candidates are constructed or "sold" through specific images and carefully crafted language.
- Quote paper
- Jutta Mahlke (Author), 2000, The 'Bazaar of Metaphor' in Norman Mailer's Miami and the Siege of Chicago, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/27849
