Crude thoughts and fierce forces are my state. I do not know who I am. Nor what I was. I cannot hear a sound. Pain is near that will be like no pain felt before.
Norman MailerRead
A political convention is after all not a meeting of a corporation's board of directors; it is a fiesta, a carnival, a pig-rooting, horse-snorting, band-playing, voice-screaming medieval get-together of greed, practical lust, compromised idealism, career-advancement, meeting, feud, vendetta, conciliation, of rabble-rousers, fist fights (as it used to be), embraces, drunks (again as it used to be) and collective rivers of animal sweat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A political convention is a chaotic mix of various human emotions and motivations rather than a formal or professional meeting.
Norman Mailer's quote highlights the vibrant and often tumultuous nature of political conventions, contrasting them with the seriousness of corporate board meetings. He portrays these gatherings as a blend of celebration, conflict, and raw human emotion, emphasizing the underlying motives of ambition and personal gain that drive the participants, creating an atmosphere that is both spirited and contentious.
Themes
PoliticsConventionEmotionsChaosHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used to critique the nature of political gatherings during a campaign speech.
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