VV(7) 2

[John Bailey]

>From: "David Morris" <fqmorris at hotmail.com>
>Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 11:25:22 -0600
>
>"Sartre's thesis that we are all impersonating an identity" is very close 
>to
>Jung's thesis that we all put on "personas" as the interface between
>ourselves and the world.  These (not "an" identity, but many) are not 
>really
>"ourselves" but masks, idealizations and impersonations of whom we wish
>others (or ourselves) to believe we are.  In this regard Pig would be a
>character who either rejects the need for such masks and therefore just 
>lets
>it all hang out, or he's adopted the neandrethal mask.  I'd vote for the
>former, which would make him the most well adjusted (to himself) character
>in V.  The difference between Jung and Sartre might (I don't know the
>details of Sartre's thesis) be that Sartre does not believe there is a 
>"real
>self" to be found beneath the impersonation.
>

That sounds about right, which is also a way of saying that 'mask' is 
probably not the best term to apply to Sartre's system (though it is very 
appropriate to Jung). Sartre suggests that we ARE our impersonations, and 
there is nothing inauthentic or self-deceiving in this. The self-deceit 
comes from denying our active role in "performing" ourselves - which is in 
direct opposition to Jung, who suggests that we have a (kind of) true self 
to which we should try to be true. Personally, I've always rooted for for 
Jean-Paul. I'm glad someone pointed this little tid-bit out as I'd never 
really paid much attention to it but there are ample resonances through V. 
to show P's interest in, if not Sartre's work itself, at least the same 
concerns tackled therein.

Of course, there's always been the vexing topic of what it would mean to a 
person whose 'impersonations' increasingly faltered, and they lost control 
of their identity. Playing this thought out to its logical conclusion would 
mean that their very personality would disperse, become a crossroads....hey, 
waidaminit!
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