Some Advice For Young People From William Burroughs:
- Never interfere in a boy-and-girl fight.
- Beware of whores who say they don't want money.
- If you're doing business with a religious son-of-a-bitch, get it in writing.
- Avoid fuck-ups.
- Do not offer sympathy to the mentally ill.
Even in his late seventies, Burroughs disregards the boundaries of morality, perhaps more than ever. Unconcerned with being politically correct, Burroughs continues to make remarks that make most Americans cringe. As learned through his works, his philosophy is to key into desire, eliminating values, fear, emotional ties, or any social construct that stands in the way of that desire. This perspective is evidently opposed to institutionalization, government intervention, religious influence, traditional family values, and general concern for others. Although one could argue that Burroughs' beliefs, if being held true to the majority of a population, would likely demolish all benefits from societal ties, I can see why Burroughs would choose this lifestyle in the context of American society.

In Burroughs' short story, "The Twilight's Last Gleaming", the morality of America is questioned considerably. Each character represents the struggle of the survival of the fittest, and the fittest are those who are the most vile and manipulative. Those on the sinking S.S. America, are American citizens who have concealed their desires in order to reach them. Their indifference for one another has possibly lead to the sinking of the ship. Because this parallels with Burroughs' view of America as it is formed by societal construction, it is imperative to take note that all of the characters are represented as being innately self-concerned, rather than momentarily. One could argue that Burroughs contradicts himself once again in that the ship is sinking, and so, perhaps we should be honest with each other and ourselves in order to keep it afloat.

Roxanne:
ReplyDeletegood thoughts here but one thing I am curious about: do you find Burroughs humorous? That is a big thing for me--while I certainly see the amorphous quality of a personal philosophy, remember, for him EVERYTHING IS A CON. So I would take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt. If challenged, I bet he would accept his contradictions (while trying to con you into a deal).