Words & Images & Atrophic

Thoughts
& Declining Civilizations
While I served (August 1967-August 1968) in Vietnam as a feld and
staf frst lieutenant in the Artillery, I read seventy-t! "!!#s am!ng
hi$h ere "i!gra%hies, hist!ries, n!vels, %!etries, e$!n!mi$
the!ries, %!liti$al hy%!theses, %hil!s!%hi$al treatises, et alia. &uey
heli$!%ters, hen 'urnishing us ith su%%lies in the (ungles al!ng the
"!undary lines !' )am"!dia and *a!s, "r!ught )-rati!ns, s!metimes
h!t $h!, ammuniti!n, mail and a "ag (am-%a$#ed ith reading
materials d!nated t! the Ameri$an +ed )r!ss that ne,t distri"uted t!
us everything 'r!m s#in mags t! "i"les- .!ldiers dum%ed the "ag'uls
!nt! the gr!und, and then s$r!unged '!r h!met!n nes%a%ers !r
hatever might interest them- When it as my turn, I %i$#ed u%,
here and there, that hat I th!ught !uld het my $uri!sity- I
alays had a"!ut ten "!!#s in my ru$#sa$#- I as the !nly !ne ever
t! "e seen reading a "!!# in the in'antry $!m%anies I served ith in
the /!urth and Ameri$al 0ivisi!ns- I as $alled 12he &i%%ie
*ieutenant-3 2he "!!#s and %eri!di$als that remained !n the gr!und
!uld "e eventually $!lle$ted and used t! 'uel fres in the early
m!rnings "e'!re e set !ut !n %atr!l-
2he Vietnam 1War3 as a turning %!int in my li'e "e$ause it gave me
the time t! re4e$t at length !n my e,isten$e and hat I anted t! d!
ith it in the 'uture5i' ever I returned sa'e and s!und t! 6e 7!r#-
It as hile I hum%ed u% and d!n the hills !' the )entral &ighlands
in Vietnam that I de$ided, fnally, t! d! s!mething a"!ut my dream !'
"e$!ming a riter8 I !uld leave the essential $!re !' my li'e, 6e
7!r#, and return t! university, !n the 9I :ill, and study ;nglish frst
'!r a master<s degree, and then h!%e'ully a =h0- :e$ause I had
re$eived a "a$hel!r<s degree in =hil!s!%hy in 1966, I $!uld n!t enter
the >niversity !' /l!rida<s graduate %r!gram ith!ut amassing the
num"er !' ;nglish $!urses that !uld ?uali'y me t! $!ntinue my
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;nglish studies, s! I attended (197@-7A) the >niversity !' Biami
here I gained en!ugh ;nglish $redits t! enter the grad %r!gram
(197A-7C) at >/ a"!ut fve h!urs n!rth !' Biami in 9ainesville- I
r!te %art-time general assignments '!r the The Miami Herald hile
I studied in Biami, and in 9ainesville I re%!rted !n !dd-(!"
(!urnalism %r!(e$ts '!r The Gainesville Sun. I '!rever had h!%ed that
I !uld have "een sele$ted t! rite revies !' "!!#s andD!r flms,
"ut that ish never materialiEed- 6!r did !thers I envisi!ned !uld
"e'all me !n$e I had returned t! the >nited .tates a'ter my servi$e
in the >. Army- I fnally 4ed t! )ara$as, VeneEuela in 0e$em"er
1976, a very disgruntled Vietnam veteran, $!ntent t! have le't the
re%r!"ate, ra$ist 0is>nited .tates '!r g!!d- A girl'riend hel%ed me
land a $!%y edit!r<s %!st at The Dail !ournal" VeneEuela<s ;nglish-
ritten nes%a%er- *ater, I t!iled '!r the VeneEuelan g!vernment<s
Ministerio del In#ormaci$n Turismo" here I r!te and rer!te
s%ee$hes '!r =resident )arl!s AndrFs =FreE and hel%ed !ut hen the
MIT as stret$hed ith visiting di%l!mati$ missi!ns and
ram"un$ti!us (!urnalists snifing '!r st!ries-
When, in 197A, I re%!rted t! the >niversity !' /l!rida<s ;nglish
0e%artment (then in Anders!n &all), I as assigned t! "e advised "y
=r!'ess!r William + +!"ins!n- W++ had a$hieved ;nglish literary
$riti$ism 'ame ith his !utstanding "!!# %d&in Arlington 'o(inson)
A *oetr o# the Act (2he =ress !' Western +eserve >niversity, 1967-)
In this !r#, W++ $laimed that ;din Arlingt!n +!"ins!n as a
m!dern %!et h! rev!lted against materialism and dualism- It is
$!nsidered the "est analysis !' ;A+<s %!etry- W++ sent me a $!%y !'
it in 1991, and it sits !n my night ta"le ne,t t! an aut!gra%hed $!%y
!' A *eople+s Histor o# the ,nited States hi$h &!ard Ginn had
mailed me in @HH@- A *oetr o# the Act is an en!rm!usly ell-
d!$umented and ell-th!ught-!ut study, and it t!!# W++ many years
t! fnish the t!me (ust as &!ard Ginn<s la"!r t!!# him s!me tenty
years t! "ring t! 'ruiti!n-
=r!'ess!r +!"ins!n as a #ind and gener!us edu$at!r at the ready
t! hel% his students- &e $hallenged their %remises and made us all
thin# ti$e a"!ut hat su"(e$t e ere %ursuing- :e$ause I had t!
!r# during the day, I $!uld !nly attend ;nglish $lasses in the
evenings- 6evertheless, I as lu$#y en!ugh t! ta#e W++<s *iterary
)riti$ism $!urse right !f the "at as I ventured !ut !n my tri%
t!ards a Baster !' Arts degree in ;nglish- W++ and I had s!me
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things in $!mm!n8 We "!th had :a$hel!r !' Arts degrees in
=hil!s!%hyI e "!th had served in the >nited .tates ArmyI and, e
"!th l!ved $igarsJ At the time I as a mem"er !' a 1$igar $lu"3 in
2am%a, /l!rida, and every t! m!nths I re$eived an ass!rtment !'
f'ty $igars !' my $h!i$e5m!stly 'r!m 6i$aragua and the )anary
Islands- (6! &avanasJ) I alays "r!ught a hand'ul !' these $igars t!
W++ hen e had $lass, and I t!ld him they ere t! "e $!nsidered
1a%%les,3 "ri"esJ &e had a !nder'ul sense !' hum!r, "ut used it
l!!sely during his gruelling lit $rit $lasses hi$h !'ten res!unded
ith %hil!s!%hi$al and even meta%hysi$al themes- W++ taught me
t! "e intelle$tually 4e,i"le "ut s$h!lasti$ally rig!r!us-
I did n!t realiEe it at the time I as at the >niversity !' /l!rida, "ut
W++ as then a$ting as a $ham%i!n !' a m!vement "ent !n
in$!r%!rating flm $!urses int! the $urri$ula !' ;nglish 0e%artments
all !ver the >nited .tates- >/ as !ne !' the frst t! have these
$!urses, hi$h had $hanneliEed the study !' flm t! the a$ademi$
level, and they had $!me in handy at the time !fering tea$hing
%!siti!ns t! !therise h!%eless graduate students hile hel%ing in-
h!use %r!'ess!rs t! #ee% their tea$hing "erths- W++ had trai%sed t!
many %arts !' the >nited .tates visiting th!se halls !' Ameri$an iv!ry
here he diligently laid !ut his reas!ns s! that !thers als! $!uld
em"ra$e his %assi!n '!r ma#ing !' flm a s$h!larly underta#ing-
2his is n!t t! say that W++ as stri$tly a flm $!urse sales%ers!n-
+ather, ith his %hil!s!%hi$al "ent, he '!rged a '!rmida"le "asis '!r
his flm $urri$ula and !fered his "eer-drin#ing and $igar-sm!#ing
'ell! travelers in 9ainesville<s Wind(ammer !r +ed *i!n sal!!ns a
$redi"le gamut !' 1flm %hil!s!%hy3 hi$h they $!uld then $ate$hiEe
am!ng their students in all %arts !' the >nited .tates- /ilm, n!
re$!gniEed as a genuine %edanti$ su"(e$t matter t! "e $!nsidered
ith res%e$t and earnestness, as sn!"alling t! heights n! !ne had
ever th!ught it might rea$h-
It is im%!rtant t! understand (ust h! %r!'!und W++<s 1%hil!s!%hy
!' flm3 as as a %i!neer !r# ela"!rating !n the '!r$e flm and
image !uld $!me t! %lay in m!dern Ameri$an s!$iety and its
su"se?uent in4uen$e !n flm %r!du$ti!n thr!ugh!ut the !rld-
W++<s Man and the Movies as th!ught !' "y the -os Angeles Times
as "eing 1!ne !' the "est "!!#s ever a"!ut m!ti!n %i$tures-3 &is
essays, 12he B!vies, 2!!, Will Ba#e 7!u /ree3 and 12he B!vies As a
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+ev!luti!nary B!ral /!r$e (=art I K =art II),3 are e,$ellent
intr!du$ti!ns t! hat W++ th!ught flm might "e and hy it is s!
im%!rtant t! us as a s!$ial and m!ral $!nsiderati!n- W++ as a
mem"er !' the frst generati!n !' university flm the!rist-$riti$s-
=r!'ess!r +!"ins!n "egins lam"asting 2he W!rd as 1a n!stalgi$
f$ti!n-3 /urther, he $laims that 2he W!rd has "een su%erseded "y
sensati!n, and t!day serves as an ad(un$t !' 2he Image hi$h is a
$l!ser anal!g t! reality than is literature- 2he W!rd, reas!n,
ham%ers !ur imaginati!n and re%resents the e,hausted m!rality that
d!es n!t %ermit us t! %!ssess a sense !' man and !man<s idea !'
themselves- W++ states that the man and !man !' reas!n are
%assing t! the man and !man !' a$ti!n sim%ly "e$ause they are
avid t! #n! m!re a"!ut themselves and ultimately their %ur%!rts-
W++ $!ntends that flm is an image-!rd medium that all!s us t!
e,amine m!ti!n and gr!th thus giving us the !%%!rtunity t!
envisage !ur a$ti!ns during the flm<s %resentati!n- 2he Images in
flms are 'ree and m!"ile- 2hey are n!t im%ressi!ns that em%iri$ally
enter !ur intelle$tsI rather, W++ "elieves, they are $harged ith
energy and %r!s%e$t- 2hr!ugh!ut the $enturies, the eye has sl!ly
"ut surely su%%lanted 2he W!rd, and 2he Image, a$$!rding t! W++,
has "e$!me the v!i$e, the ar"itrat!r !' 2ruth, :eauty and even
9!!dness5im%artially and %i$t!rially dem!nstrating man<s
!rthiness-
As a $!nse?uen$e, W++ surmises that flm is a rev!luti!nary m!ral
'!r$e- In 'a$t, flm is an agent that is $!ntri"uting t! the getting the
"est !' the !ld m!rality- /ilm, he says, sets the m!ral %a$e !' !ur
times- A flm ma#er is a m!ral edu$at!r and flm ill a$$ust!m us t!
a ne ethi$al sense-
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6!t s! !uld have said M!han &uiEinga (187@-19NC), 0ut$h hist!rian,
%r!%!nent !' an aestheti$ a%%r!a$h t! &ist!ry, and "eliever that the
de$line !' the Biddle Ages (The Waning o# the Middle Ages) ;dard
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Arn!ld =u"lishers, *!nd!n, 19@N) as $hara$teriEed "y its %essimism
and de$aden$e and as n!t a "ur"ly sym"!l !' re"irth-
/!r M&, 2he W!rd and 2he Image are diferent aestheti$ 'un$ti!ns yet
have !%erati!ns in $!mm!n- 2he a$$urate imaging !' 'eatures in
literature are m!re difi$ult t! %r!du$e than th!se in %aintings5"ut
they $an "e- A %ainting !n a museum all might "e %reserved '!r all
time- :!th are %!%ularly res%e$ted and regarded and might have
"een '!r $enturies- 2hey !fer us artisti$ e,%erien$es and !ne
ith!ut the !ther !uld n!t "e "enef$ial t! human#ind<s sear$h '!r
itsel'- M& "elieves that 2he Image is ?ualitative hile 2he W!rd is
?uantitative- A%%les and !ranges- 2he artist and the %ainter arrive
at diferent results "!th !' hi$h might "e ameli!rating and
deli$i!usly grati'ying- All art might "e said t! enlighten and delight-
M& argues that 1One !' the 'undamental traits !' the mind !' the
de$lining Biddle Ages is the %red!minan$e !' the sense !' sight, a
%red!minan$e hi$h is $l!sely $!nne$ted ith the atr!%hy !'
th!ught- 2h!ught ta#es the '!rm !' visual images-3 /!r M&, the
s$ru%ul!us realism, that %ersists as a $hie' $hara$teristi$ !' the
de$lining Biddle Ages, is a signaling !' an hist!ri$al slum% and n!t a
greening ri%e ith as%irati!n- 2he Image ta#es the %la$e !' 2he
W!rd "e$ause %e!%le<s minds are e,haustedI and, %erha%s even
m!re im%!rtantly, it is m!re satis'ying, m!re user-'riendly t! vie
than it is t! thin#-
W++ sees 2he Image, the flm, as a rev!luti!nary '!r$e $a%a"le !'
"ringing !ut the g!!d in usI instead, M& "elieves that the
%re%!nderan$e !' 2he Image, at least during the de$line !' the
Biddle Ages, as a sym"!li$ re%resentati!n !' degenera$y and a
$ause !' atr!%hi$ th!ught-
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;,%eriments
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I
.%end tenty-'!ur h!urs al!ne in a r!!m
ith the "!!# !' y!ur $h!i$e-
II
.%end tenty-'!ur h!urs al!ne in a r!!m
ith the flm !' y!ur $h!i$e-
III
.%end tenty-'!ur h!urs al!ne in a r!!m
ith the %ainting !' y!ur $h!i$e-
L L L
Auth!red "y Anth!ny .t- M!hn
A O$t!"er BBPIV
)alenEan!, Italia
-s$ri"d-$!mDthe!rdarri!r
2itter8 Qthe!rdarri!r


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