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PARTISAN REVIEW
will enable them to benefit by the results of human science and
effort, a social system like that is a threat to culture and decency
and civilization," Art Reynolds said.
"You know, I was reading
Ulysses
the other day," Brooks
said before Sorel replied, "Stephen Daedalus says at one place,
'All history is a nightmare to me'. When you study history, you
slowly grasp the profound truth of that statement. Almost every
conceivable instrument of torture which one human being can
devise to use in torturing another has already been used. History
is a nightmare of suffering and torture."
"That's something, Mort, to put in a letter and send back
to the history department of the University of Chicago. It might
help them in their support of the next war," Reynolds said.
"Men are fools, except for a few noble human beings, art–
ists and noblemen. They are pigs. Your common people l Pigs.
Beasts l What do they always do? Destroy men of superior
ability and talent," Sorel said acidulously.
"Sure, the poor bastards
I"
Reynolds said, sipping wine.
"All they do is destroy virtue and talent by producing the goods
of life that we can all enjoy. Yes, I know the kind of p.igs they
are, working in -coal mines."
"I tell you, you are a sentimentalist," Sorel said, lighting a
French cigarette. Why do you waste your time with this sym–
pathy for those who deserve a whip, not sympathy?"
"They are my people," Reynolds said.
"Say do you people know who came into the library the
other day while I was working?" Alvin asked, bored.
"vVho, Marcel Proust?" asked Phillip Hirschmann, an
American artist who had hitherto been very silent.
Alvin's face broke into a childish pout.
"But I don't believe that there'll be another war," said
Mrs. Soules.
"There is one already between the Japs and China. Only the
J aps have polite manners and consideration for the feelings of
others. So they won't call it a war. They are just blowing the
Chinks into hell-and-gone, and ;:efusing to call it a war," Rey–
nolds said, his mouth twisting in sarcasm.
"There has to be a war. Mussolini has bought new suits
for his army. The Italians have not won a battle in five centu–
ries, but Mussolini has new suits for his soldiers. What can
they do with their new suits, if they don't march off to war in
them," Sorel said, causing laughter.
