Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2000. [Vol. 6.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)

Studies - Tibor Tóth: The Golden Cradle: Philip Roth's Revision of the Golden Bough Tradition

since every failure fosters the disintegration of the misinterpreted definition of his status. Thus, authority over the other comes to be assumed more in the name of pity and disgust, and leads to exasperated sexual lust instead of balanced intellectual and sensual congress. Aesthetic ideals are shaken to pieces by a total lack of beauty, and are banished abruptly by brutality brought on by both false choice and a self-deprecating sense of superiority. The women he chooses do not conform to his fictional model of the female 'overgratifying' the male: Maureen and Susan surrender and expose a total lack of defensive capabilities and vulnerability that these aspects kill sex and implicitly destroy their relationship with Tarnopol. Yet Maureen in accepting Tarnopol's authority over her sexuality vindicates authority over Tarnopol developing a counter-desire for punishment, assuming the stature of a threatening mother. She invents a status that could fit Spielvogel's interpretation of Tarnopol's needs, but is against Peter Tarnopol's understanding of erotic desire. Tarnopol incorporates this element in his search for freedom rendering him unable to ignore Maureen's threats. It is but natural that he cannot understand his own needs either, since he hesitates between total narcissistic exhibitionism and his need for authority over the secrets of his existence. When he complains to Susan about Spielvogel's article, he responds most vociferously to what he considers a violation of truth and authority. Just read on. Read the whole hollow pretentious meaningless thing, right on down to the footnotes from Goethe and Baudleaire [...] Oh, Jesus, what this man thinks of as evidence

! "As Sophocles has written," - and that constitutes evidence

! (M.L.A.M 246-247) So Tarnopol refuses Spielvogel's fiction-based authority over interpretation of his status, but at the same time he expresses dismay at Maureen's inability to convert the diarist's private musings into public fictions, although she announces her intention to do so. Although he has been 'absorbed' by literature, and mourns being deprived by the freedom granted by creativity, he returns to the same altar, and is ready to sacrifice reality hoping that a fictional revision of the truth can reverse his alienation. The individual, Tarnopol thinks at 124