MURTI-BING
551
exchange, feudal barons, self-deluding artists, and the instigators of
nationalistic wars are figures who lend themselves readily to his
pen. But now he must begin to
approve.
(In official terminology
this is known as a transition from the stage of critical realism to
that of Socialist realism.
It
occurred in the newly established popular
democracies about the year
1950.)
The operation he must perform
on himself is one that some of his friends have already undergone,
more or less painfully. They shake their heads sympathetically, know–
ing the process and its outcome. "I have passed the crisis," they say
serenely. "But how he is suffering. He sits at home
all
day with his
head in his hands."
The hardest thing to conquer is his feeling of
guilt.
No matter
what his convictions, every man in the countries of which I speak
is a part of an ancient civilization. His parents were -attached to
religion, or at least regarded it with respect. In school, much atten–
tion was devoted to his religious upbringing. Some emotional
traces of this early training necessarily remain. In any case, he
be–
lieves that injury to one's fellow man, lies, murder, and the encour–
agement of hatred are evil, even if they serve to accomplish one's
ends. Obviously, too, he studied the history of his country. He read
its former poets and philosophers with pleasure and pride. He was
proud of its century-long battle to defend it.<; frontiers and of its
struggle for independence in the dark periods of foreign occupation.
Consciously or unconsciously, he feels a certain loyalty to this history
of toil and sacrifice on the part of his forefathers. Moreover, from
earliest childhood, he has been taught that his country belongs to
a civilization that has been derived from Rome. He has been imbued
with the concept that his native land is bound to Europe by ties he
should cherish and cultivate. He once parsed Vergil's poetry, learned
the history of Dante's life, and laughed at Rabelais' jokes. He tended
to consider the centers of this ancient tradition-France, England,
Italy-as culturally linked with his own country.
Now, knowing that he must enter a gate through which he can
never return, he feels he is doing
something wrong.
He explains to
himself that he must destroy this irrational and childish feeling.
Only by weeding out the roots of what is irretrievably past, can he
become free. Still the battle wages on. A cruel battle-a battle
between an angel and a demon. True) but which is the angel;
an~
