Norman Mailer and Rank's Theory of the Creative Self

Abstract

The present article investigates Mailer's fiction and non-fiction in relation to Rank's views on creativity. Both Rank and Mailer are interpreted as examples of artists who invent themselves, the former as an intuitive therapist, the latter as the creator of a public and private persona. In Mailer's case, projections of the persona are traced to his fictional alter egos. Special attention is given to analyzing the significance of Mailer's creation of fictional protagonists who act out antisocial, anarchic impulses in a seemingly conflict-free way. This tendency, which characterizes Mailer's work as a whole, is interpreted in non-oedipal terms. Instead, I suggest a theoretical formulation, applicable to many contemporary writers besides Mailer, based on the assumption that patriarchal authority is in the process of disintegration. The reasons for this assumption lie outside the scope of this article but are to be found in rapid social changes reflecting the decline of tradition, including traditional family structure, religion and other patriarchal institutions.