A deadly fascination: heterology and fascism in the writings of George Bataille, Yukio Mishima, and Henry Miller

Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos. 11 • 2 ( 1193) , pp.19-38 A DEADLY FASCINATION: HETEROLOGY AND FASCISM IN THE WRITINGS OF GEORGES BATAILLE, YUKIO MISHIMA, AND HENRY MILLER Why Ba aille? CAROLINE BLINDER King's College, London In 1929 And é B e on could ha e had se e a! easons o being ang y a Geo ges Ba aille. While B e on had p oclaimed his own sup e me leade ship o he F ench Su ealis mo emen , Ba aille wasjus one o he «o iginal» membe s who was ai ead y beginning o mo e away om B e on in sea ch o a less dogma ic app oach o he su ealis c edo. In 1928 B e on had ejec ed Ba aille on he g ou nd s o espousing a e ol so ex eme ha e en he Su ealis s we e igh ened a he p ospec and Ba aille was dismis se d as a p ope e olu iona y philosophe in Su ealis e ms. Mo e speci ically B e on, in «The Second Su ealis Mani es o,» condemned Ba aille 's emb ace o he he e ogeneous. B e on had acu ely obse ed ha a ce ain glo i ica ion an d dei ica ion o he he e ogeneous was a he co e o Ba aille's philo so phical hesis. M. Ba aille 's mis o une is o eason: admi edly, he easons like someone who «has a l y on his nose,» which allies him mo e clo se ly wi h he dead han wi h h e li ing, bu he does eason. He is ying wi h he help o he iny mechanism in him which is no comple ely ou o o de , o sha e his obsessions: his e y ac p o es ha he canno claim, no ma e wha he ma y say, o be opposed o any sys em, Iike an un hinking b u e. (p. 184 B e on, Mani es oes o Su ea ism, U. o Michigan P ess 1969.) 20 Ca oline Blinde B e on 's conclusion, ha he a emp o eason abou wha is simply un easonable, seemed o him in su ealis e ms o be in alid. As he Su ealis s emba ked upon he s udy o Au oma ism, he no ion ha he un-conscious can be cap u ed in i s o Ii e- a i ming inspi ed w i ing wi hou he necessa y use o eason, B e on necessa ily had o disag ee wi h Ba aille's conclusion ha dea h and pe e sion ine i ably o med he come s ones o humani y. The e y id ea o dea h asan in insic heme, una oidable o he a is ic mind howe e much i ied o ee i sel om an exis ing social ne wo k, was o he Su ealis s a sign o mo al degene acy. The p oblem is ha Ba aille 's app oach is ne e as simple as B e on claimed. Ba aille ne e claimed, as he Su ealis s did, o be agains sys ems pe se. Jus as Au oma ic, spon aneous inspi a ion in su ealis e ms was no mean o eplace God, nei he was deg ada ion and il h a eplacemen o Ba aille. As a sociologis and an h opologis , Ba aille wan ed o p o e among o he hings ha he no ion o he he e ogeneous and he homogeneous was insepa able om poli ics as well as he a s and he se ou o p o e ha one sphe e was insepa able om he o he . This connec ion be ween li e a u e and ansg ession -as exempli ied by Ba aille ía his de ini ion o he he e ogeneous-can be used as a lead in o an analysis o he connec ions be ween ic ion and heo y in mo e gene al e ns as well. Whe he i be o e ly poli i ca l o o a mo e hidden and sac ed na u e his is a majo ocal poin in he wo ks o Hen y Mille , Yukio Mishima, and o cou se Geo ges Ba aille. In my analysis o Mille l hope o show how he, simila y o Ba aille, esponded o he su ealis no ions o 'a u oma ic w i ing' o he 1930's and inco po a ed his in o his au obiog aphical w i ings. The in ense and o en highly sexualized au obiog aphical s ance is one ha e-occu s in Mishima bu wi h en i ely di e en consequences. Since ali o hese w i e s deal wi h he exul a ion o iolence and sexuali y and i s poli ical implica ions 1 ha e chosen as a s a ing poin Ba aille's polí ica! c i ique o Fascism. Ba aill e's a icle «T he Psychological S uc u e o Fascism» om 1933 is impo an o wo easons. One is ha i nea ly summa izes mos o he main philosophical poin s behind Ba aille' s wo k bo h as a heo is and a ic ion w i e . The second eason is ha he a icle con ains, i no a ull explana ion, hen a leas help ul clues o an unde s anding o Hen y Mille 's ea ly obsession wi h apocalyp ic image y and his la e and much di e en iews on mili a ism, and Mishima Yukio 's deadly ascina ion wi h dea h and o ali a ianism. Toge he , hese h ee au ho s om h ee con inen s may seem ex emely di e en , bu a compa ison o hemes show a dis inc a ini y owa ds, in Ba aille and Mishima' s case a glo i ica ion o he he e ogeneous, and in Mille ' s a need o deal wi h he iss ue s ha sp ing om he same. 1 shall y o show how aken o he ex eme his a ini y canno simply be cons ued as indica ing eal ascis endencies, bu mus be seen in he ligh o a mo e sophis ica ed iew o wha he no ion o he he e ogeneous en ails in i s a ious o ms. Thus while bo h Mishima and Mille we e in luenced by Ba aille's no ion o he he e ogeneous asan essen ial pa o e olu iona y w i ing, 1 A D ead ly Fascina ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 21 sha ll also y o s how ha while Mishima became inc ea singly nihili s ic, absol ing him sel in he end om h e sphe e o ic ion w i ing a l og e he , Mille e used o l e his ascina ion o h e he e ogeneous um him away om he conce p o w i ing as an essen ial li e-a i ming ac i i y. T opic o Ca n ce wa s published in Pa ís en 1934 a nd al hough I don ' know o any di ec e e enc es o Mille ha ing ead Ba aille, he a mosph e e o le is poli ics and Su ealism in which he ound himsel can be s een in essays on he Su ealis mo emen such as: «An Open Le e o Su ealis s E e ywhe e,» and in his analysis o Buñuel L' Age D' O . I is also in e es ing o no e Mille 's la e ascina ion wi h Yukio Mishima mo s no iceably e iden in his 1972 a icle «Re lec ions on he Dea h o Mishima,» which 1 shall look a mo e closely in he sec ion on Mille . Simila ly, Mishima w o e an a icle called «Geo ges Ba aille an d Di inus Deus» which was published in a co ll ec ion o his li e a yessays en i led Wha is he No el ? sho ly be o e his dea h in 1970. Mishi ma 's essay on Ba aille was e-published asan in oduc ion o Ba aille's wo s o ies Madame Edwa d a and My Mo he which appea ed in Di inus Deus , a collec ion which was s ill incomple e a he ime o Ba ai ll e's dea h and which ap pea ed in 1966 in i s incomple e o m in F ench. l is likely ha Mishima ea d hese s o ies ansla ed in o Japanese a ound 1968. Likewise, Ba aille w o e in de en ce o Hen y Mille du ing an obsceni y i a! in F ance in 1946. Two a icles: « La Mo ale de Mille » and «L' in culpa ion d'Hen y Mille » we e bo h published in he li e a y magazine C i iqu e. Thu s a com pa ison o hese h ee au ho s is alida ed by he in c cs lh cy quilc oh iou-;ly sho wc cl in cach olhc 's wo k. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF FASCISM A C i ica! View F om a his o ical pe spec i e, he in-de-si ecle a i udes which bo h Ba aille and B e on had g own up abso bing, oge he wi h he pos -wa /p e-wa hec ic I 920s, p omp ed hem o belie e ha he wo ld needed e-imagining. The sense o wo king asa n a is in an age o apocalyp ic image y, was acu ely sha ed by bo h Ba aille and he Su ealis s. By he la e wen ies and ea ly hi ies, bo h B e on and Ba aille had disa owed ali u u is ideas o machine y as powe and eedom, he so lu ion o his o ical cons ain . While he Su ealis s p oclaimed h a eali y was insubs an ial and ha nonsen se e se, au oma ism, iole n con on a ion, and i ony wen hand in hand as an o e all objec i e o e olu ion, Ba ai llle had mo ed in an al oge he di e en di ec ion. A ound he ime o B e on 's a ack on Ba ai lle in he Sec ond Su ealis Mani es10, Ba aille s a ed his own g oup o coun e balance he Su ealis s. The g oup: «Ce cle Communis Demo c a ique» publis hed i s own jou n al - D ocumen s . I was he e p ima ily ha Ba aille de eloped he conce p o « he he e ogeneous.» «The he e ogeneous» was o be a ca ch ph ase o hose elemen s which esis assimila ion 22 Ca oline Blinde in o he homogeneous -in Ba aill e's e ms- o he bou geoisie, he uling class. Thus he e ogeneous o ces we e, acco ding o Ba aille, hosc p ocesses ha lag an ly iola ed he a ional p incipies o acommodi y and consump ion d i en socie y. In his sense, he Su ealis s in ac belonged o he he e ogeneous since hei p ima y aim was o shock and p omo e he ecs a ic o ces o d eam-li e, he ins inc , and he impulsi e as se agains he o ces o nonnali y and con en ional beha iou . Ba aille also applied he concep o ali ma ginalized social g oups, including e olu iona ies and poe s, wo g oups o which he conside ed himsel a membe . Ba aille also posi ed impo an ly ha i was possible o hose wi hin he homogeneous o in e ac wi h hehe e ogeneous in momen s o ex eme shock, o example ia iolence o sexual ecs asy, so mu ch ha Ba aille ac ually concludes in «The Psychological S uc u e o Fascism» ha : «He e ogeneous eali y is ha o a o ce o a shock>> (p. 143. in Visions o Excess). The no ion o he he e ogeneous is hus simul aneously an aes he ic concep as well as a poli ical one since i includes bo h ma ginalized poli ical g oups as well as poe s who wo k in a sub e si e con ex . This no ion may no be in i sel su icien o explain why Ba aille asc ibed o ascis leade s a he e ogeneous exis ence, which is his main poin in «The Psychological S uc u e o Fascism.» Was Fascism hen he e ogeneous in Ba aille's e ms simply because i oo wan ed o dis u b con en ional modes ó pe cep ion and expe ience o did he in ac see Fascism as a easible solu ion o he poli ical and social ills o socie y? I he la e is indeed a easible solu ion i poses ce ain p oblems om an ideological pe spec i e. I is in i sel pa adoxical ha a ascis / he e ogeneous s a e wi h he employmen o exal ed iolence should be able o simul aneously unc ion as a so o di ine o de o cohesion, capable o e adica ing social ills. Unde he heading «Examples o He e ogeneous Elemen s» Ba aille w i es: The ascis leade s a e incon es ably pa o he e ogeneous exis ence. Opposed o democ a ic poli icians, who ep esen! in di e en coun ies he pla i ude inhe en o homogeneous socie y, Mussolini and Hi le immedia ely s and ou as some hing o he . Wha e e emo ions hei ac ual exis ence as poli ical agen s o e olu ion p o okes, i is impossible o igno e hejo ce ha si ua es hem abo e men, pa ies, and e en laws: a o ce ha dis up s he eg ula cou se o hings, he peace ul bu as idious homogenei y powe less o main ain i sel ( he ac ha laws a e b oken is only he mos ob ious sign o he anscenden , he e ogeneous na u e o ascis ac ion). (p. 143. Visions o Excess) A numbe o easons may explain why he psychological phenomenon o he ascis mo emen in pa icula ascina ed Ba aille, and mo e impo an ly, why he e seems o be a alue judgemen placed upon he wo ca ego ies. Wi h such wo ds as pla i ude o desc ibe homogeneous socie y, and he exp ession «agen s o e olu ion» o desc ibe he ascis leade s, Ba aille seems clea ly o indica e ha ascis n spells A Deadly Fascina ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 23 p og ession while homogenei y is as idious, slow mo ing, and abo e ali, weak as opposed o ascism which is o ce ul and capable o anscending he s a us quo, ( he i alics on he wo d o ce a e Ba aille's). In o de o unde s and why Ba aille makes his alue judgmen i is necessa y o cmem be no only he his o ical poin in ime, he a icle was w i en in 1933, bu he ac ha Ba aille is building a case s udy o his heo ies on human na u e in gene al: Fo one hing, Ba aille used he ascis phenomenon o p o e his poin ha people in gene al ha ean excess o ene gy, a need o «unp oduc i e expendi u e»1 which is s i led in ci ilized socie y. (Fo a mo e in dep h explana ion o Ba aille's no ion o expendi u e and economy, La Pa Maudi e om 1967 elabo a es on he no ion o su plus expendi u e asan ac i e p incipie o he consume socie y, and one which ensu es he powe o he soc ial body). Al hough «unp oduc i e expendi u e» mani es s i sel in was e (pa o ou physiological s uc u e- we canno abso b ali ha we ea o example) i can also on a men al le e) mani es i sel in a s ha ha e no di ec comme cial alue o in sub e si e beha iou . In his con ex he e o ic impulse is seen as p ima ily des uc i e and he e ogenous by na u e because i eeds on sexually pe e se p ac ices whe e he aim is non- ep oduc i e. Non- ep oduc i e sex whe e he sea ch is o pleasu e a he han a e-a i ma ion o he amily s uc u e is hus indi ec ly seen as a nega ion o Bou geois socie y. In p imi i e cul u es (The Tea s o E os by Ba aille con ains his an h opological analysis o his phenomenon) socie y acknowledg ed his desi e by es ablishing cul i uals based on sac i ice -ano he wo d which o Ba aille means he ac i e iddance o excess- which o en included iolen and hypno ic elemen s. The iolen and hypno ic elemen s as well as he cul and sac ilegious mass- i uals a e p ecisely wha Fascism uniquely exploi ed, acco ding o Ba aille. The o he impo an ac o is he human u ge o powe o comple e human so e eign y, which Ba aille saw as impossible wi hin adi ional democ a ic s uc u es. Fascism enables he masses o acqui e a sense o powe and glo i ica ion by idealizing and p ojec ing hemsel es on o he leade objec , so much so ha i c ea es a: «common consciousness o inc easingly iolen and excessi e ene gies and powe s ha accumula e in he pe son o he leade and h ough him become widely a ailable» (p 143. Visions o Excess). I is impo an! ha Ba aille s esses he a ailabili y o iolen and excessi e ene gies o he masses o his is essen ially he beginning o e olu ion. I a classless socie y is o be achie ed he bounda ies be ween he homogeneous and he he e ogeneous can, acco ding o Ba aille, only be pene a ed by iolen! excess. Ba aille's p emise is hus based on he belie ha he dialec ic o enligh enmen is eally in ain and ha since he homogeneous is always dependen! upon he o ces i excludes, he Bou geoisie can only su i e in ac i i e ains a ma ginalized p ole a ia . In his se nse, he a gumen o Fascism has in a ound-abou manne alida ed i s own populis appeal in he name o socialism, explaining among o he hings such a e m as Na ional Socialism. The o e iding ques ions mus be whe he his is a a lid de ense o Fascism. I Fascism 's s eng h Jies in he p omise o 24 Ca oline Blinde indi idual so e eign y, can i hen also o ma socie y ha econciles social equali y wi h indi idual so e eign y? Ju gen Habe mas a emp s o answe his ques ion in an a icle called «Be ween E o icism and Gene al Economics: Ba aille.» Fo he sake o discussio n, Habe mas seems o gi e Ba aille he bene i o he doub in he ques ion o iolence as he anscending o ce be ween he he e ogeneous and he homo ge neous. Ba aille may claim ha Fascism is no mo e: « han an acu e eac i a ion o he la en so e eign agency» (p. 149 in Vis ion o Ex cess), bu Habe mas ne e hele ss wonde s i he e may no be o he ways o eac i a e so e eign y o he han ía he iolence o Fascism. Habe mas' conclusion poin s o he nea impossibili y o Ba aille o do so. Wi hou such a iolence- anscending poin o e e ence, Ba aille un s in o di icul y making plausible he dis inc ion ha emains so impo an o him -namely, ha be ween he socialis e olu ion and he ascis akeo e o powe , which me ely seems like he o me . Wha Benjamin a i ms o he en e p ise o su ealism as a whole - ha i wan ed « o win he ene gies o in oxica ion o he e olu ion» -Ba aille also has in mind; i is he d eam o he aes he icized, poe ic poli ics pu i ied o all mo al elemen s. Indeed his is wha ascina es him abou ascism: «The example o ascism, which oday calls in o ques ion e en he exis ence o he labou mo emen , su ices o demons a e wha we migh expec om a a ou able ecou se o enewed e ec i e o ces.» Bu hen he ques ion a ises as o how he sub e si ely spon aneous exp ession o hese o ces and he ascis canalizing o hem eally di e . The ques ion becomes uncom o able i , wi h Ba aille, one p oceeds om he assump ion ha he di e ence should be iden i ied al eady in he o ms and pa ems o poli ics and no me ely in hei conc e e ma e ial consequences. (p. 220-22 l, The Philosophical Discou se o Mode ni y) Ba aille 's undaun ed emb ace o iolence o he expulsion o excess ene gy, o pu i in sa e e ms, is p obably he mos di icul and leas com o able poin o accep wi hin his h eo e ical sys em. Howe e , pu ing his aside, Habe mas has ealized ha his in i sel does no cons i u e he basic aul in Ba aille 's heo y. In his eage ness o see he e u n o « enewed e ec i e o ces,» o o p ima y and pu e en e g y, Ba aille seems eady o accep a canalizing in ascis e ms a he han s agna ion in soc ial e ms. Wi h he bene i o hindsigh , we o cou se, can poin o he isks in ol ed in such ac ion and i is di icul oday o see how anyone could conside Fascism as pa o a «d eam o an aes he icized poe ic poli ics» e en hough i nay be «pu i ied o ali mo al ele nen s.» Howe e wise we nay be in e ospec , he ac emains ha man y in ellec ual and c ea i e w i e s om Law ence o he mo e ob ious case o Pound we e a ac ed by Fascis ideology. The «d eam o an aes he icized poe ic poli ics» is among o he hings he desi e o a poli ical agenda which akes in o accoun he A Deadly Fascina/ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 25 spi i ual and c ea i e u ges o he populace a he han simply ocusing on he indus ial and economic s uc u es o socie y. In a de o jus i y such a clause, Ba aille mus once again e u n o he undamen al p emise o his heo y -namely he science o he sac ed. Wi h su ch a wo d pu i y and he concep o anscendence in poli ics, poli ical ac ion becomes almos a cleansing p ocess, a mys ical i e o o ce, and one ha is based on a ac ha canno be p o ed; ha man seeks a ali cos s ul ima e so e eign y, e en i «i equi es he bloody ep ession o wha is con a y o i » (p. 148 in Vision o Excess). Thus said, he e canno be any science o he sac ed, simply because he no ion o sac ed excess ene gy is a me aphysical ape a he han a his o ically, p o able ac . I is he no ion o so e eign y and he absolu e impo ance which Ba aille gi es i which will show he connec ion be ween he poli ics o expendi u e and how his mani es s i sel in he c ea i e ac o w i ing as well. Ba aille de ines so e eign y as abo e ali he desi e o powe and sel -asse ion. While his desi e may mani es i sel in poli ical ac ion and in he agg essi e na u e o he e ogeneous social g oups, i also mani es s i sel in he p ocess o w i ing. In pai ing so e eign y wi h he need o expendi u e, w i ing becomes in o he wo ds c ea ion by means o loss, which mimics acco ding o Ba aille he i ual o sac i ice as well. Ba aille epea edly poin s o his by s essing he simila i y be ween he un e e ed mo emen o he e ogeneous o ces and li e a y c ea ion. In he p e ace o Li e a u e and E il (1957) - a collec ion o li e a y c i icism, Ba aille pa ly explains his el ose ela ionship o such au ho s as Sade, Ka ka and Gen e in hese e ms: I belong o a u bulen gene a ion, bo n o li e a y li e in he umul o su ealism. In he yea s a e he G ea Wa he e was a eeling which was abou o o e low. Li e a u e was s i ling wi hin i s limi a ions and seemed p egnan wi h e olu ion. (Li e a u e and E il, The P e ace). Two issues appea he e o be i al o Ba aille 's ou look on li e a u e; i s o ali he posi ions himsel as a pos wa w i e , hea ily in luenced by he su ealis heo ies o he l 920s, and secondly Ba aille s esses he u gency o iewing li e a u e in e ms o e olu ion and umul - wo wo ds which a e commonly associa ed wi h iolence and poli ics. Tex in o he wo ds can en ail eal emancipa o y ene gy bu i ca n al so be e il , acco ding o Ba aille, becau se uly e olu iona y w i ings end o en ail excess, so e eign y (wan ing o mas e he c ea ed s o y which in um becomes an allego y o mas e ing one's own li e), and sac i ice - h ee key elemen s in Fascism. In an ea lie essay om 1930, «Sac i icial Mu ila ion and he Se e ed Ea o Vincen Van Gogh,» Ba aille de ines sac i ice in c ea i e e ms as: « he necessi y o h owing onesel o so m e hing o onese l ou o onesel » (p 67 in Visions o Excess) and again as: « he up u e o pe sonal homogenei y and he p oje c ion ou side he se/ o a pa o onesel » (p. 68 in Vi sions o Excess). In hese e ms i is clea ha he b eak be w een he e ogenei y 26 Ca oline Blinde and homogenei y is necessa y no simply o poli ical change bu o he en i e p ocess o c ea i i y and hus he polí ica! scene becomes analogous o he mind se o he a is . While « The Psychological S uc u e o Fascism» se s ou o inco po a e he na u al desi e o excess in social o ganisms ou side li e a u e, i also cons an ly e e s back o he poli ics o expendi u e wi hin he ac o w i ing i sel , and Ba aille <loes no wan o sepa a e one om he o he . Thus o exempli y he complici y be ween Ii e a u e and ansg ession becomes one o h e main goals o Ba aille as well as o Mille and Mishima. Howe e , a p eca ious balance is s uck once he w i e ies o ope a e wi hin his amewo k, and wi h Mi shima I hope o s how he pe ils i nhe en in he ques o , in Habe mas' e ms, he d eam o an aes he icized poe ic poli ics. Fo Ba aille w i ing equi es desi e, consciousness o he desi e (and he e he b eaks undamen ally wi h he Su ealis no ion o Au oma ism), us a ion, and he sense o onesel being on he e ge o excess. The p ope balance is i s s uck once he w i e has leam no o le his o he consciousness ce nsu e o s i le he desi e while simu l aneously no gi ing in o i . MISHIMA He oic Na cissism Con essions o a Mask (Kamen no Kokuhaku), Mishima's second ull-leng h no el, appea ed in 1949. Only ou yea s a e he end o he wa , he no el b eaks wi h he pos wa adi ion in li e a u e by p esen ing a adical depa u e in he accep ed a i ude owa ds he wa . Al hough he main cha ac e 's o e homo sexual endencies shocked as a li e a y subjec in i sel , i was h e a i ude o he wa , diame ically opposed o he humanis ic c i icism o he imes, which seemed o exp ess an unp eceden ed and shocking new empe amen in li e a u e. W i en in he i s pe son, Con essions o a Mask seems o a la ge ex en o be au obiog aphical since he main p o a gonis 's biog aphical da a a e nea ly iden ical o he au ho 's. How e e , Mishima s essed ha Con essions o a Mask should no be aken as a necessa ily au hen ic accoun o his own p í a e li e. W i en when he was in his ea ly wen ies, Mishima 's main goal was no au hen ici y bu he use o his own expe i ences as a se ing o an ex posé o he « eal» ace o he p o agonis , so h a he e en s na a ed become p ops in a sense, placed o acili a e he emo al o he social masks and ges u es which hind e he p o agonis om ealizing and analysing his inne se l . The symbol o he mask is hen bo h sel - e ela ion anda meaos o ic ionalizing an inne d ama. Upon a close eading o Mishima, he des i e o sel - e ela ion seems o s em om o he easons han me cly e hical o a is ic. Al hough he i s pe son mode o ell-a li p o ides he s uc u e and he ma e ials o bo h Mille and Mishima o a la ge cx en , i is o cmos an a emp o cons uc a ic ional wo ld qui e di e en om ha o c c yday li e. The csul is uno hodox in he sense ha i deals wi h he e ela ion A Deadly Fascina ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 27 o an unusual psyche a he an a emp a showing he eade how his psyche was o med. In common wi h Mille in he T opics, Mishima will a ely ques ion he mind se o his na a o bu ins ead chaJlenges he eade o accep him as a being who canno and will no change. Psychological clues a e se in o de o d aw he eade in o he dep hs o he p o agoni s 's wo ld, while he s ylis ic s uc u e o he no el simul aneously a emp s o d aw he eade 's a en ion o he no el as ano he «mask,» a pic u e p esen ed o he ou side wo ld. In es sen ce he mask enables he w i e o su i e in ac . Wi hin he cons uc ed na a i e o sel - e ela ion he g i e s us jus enough o iden i y him as a man who li es in social li e, bu a he same ime he wi hholds jus enough in o ma ion o su i e as a w i e , o e ain he posi ion o a c ea o in con ol, o as a so e eign pe son who e ains he sensa ions o being on he e ge o excess. The ac ha in echnical e ms Mishima could o ches a e a o al emo al o he mask, is i illa ing as well as psychologically impossible. The use o his balancing ac in ic ion w i ing is an essen ial ing edien o he success o bo h Mishima and Mill e 's no e Is. Wha co nnec s he wo so dis inc ly o Ba aille is he o e iding heme o beau y and b illiance as being dependen on i s impending annihila ion. Again and again he sensa ional su ge el wi hin he p oximi y o he e ogeneous o ces, whe he i be iolence o madness, is e o ic, exci ing o bo h Mille and Mishima. Bu Mishima akes i one s ep u he . Pene a ion o he homogeneous is ne e qui e enough and i is as i Mishima mus die in o de o b eak h ough. As Mishima mo es owa ds an inc easingly iolen end, in he sea ch o a u h ha will inally a i y bis sense o se l -hood, he ealizes ha his is he e y end which will annihila e him as well. Mishima 's homosexuali y wi h i s accen ua ion on sado-masochis ic p ac ices becomes an example o bis «o he ness» as well as bis dcsi e o elease him sel om adi ional emo ional and social bonds. In p ac ice hi s means ha an e e mo e iolen s imulus is equi ed o he a is o eally eel. In Mishima's case, he e is no doub ha he el lo s and h ea ened in he pos - wa e a o peace, simply because he h ea o immedia e dea h, ha ing been d as ically di used, also dep i ed his w i ing o i s unde lying me aphysics. In an uncom o able way, he d ama o wa appea s o exempli y he sense o esolu ion which Mishima canno ind wi hin himsel . Mishima ies o sol e his by c ea ing and desc ibing new p edicamen s, p edicamen s which al hough no deadly in an adi ional sense, a e ne e heless capable o lending an au a o «ending» o he na a i e. Such o cou se a e Mille 's ex eme apocalypses, and one may a gue, Ba aille's nihilis ic heo y o he human condi ion. Looking h ough he lens o Ba aille's heo y on he e o ic and bis ex eme ascina ion wi h he acs he ics o iolence and dea h, Mishima seems o ha e sha ed his ou look e en a he ea ly age when he comple ed C on essions o a M ask. In Mishima' s «Üeo ge Ba aille and Di inus Di us,» he p ais es Ba aille's wo k becau se in i « h e e can be ound a i id, ha sh, shocking and immedia e connec ion be ween me a ph ysics and he human lesh ha o ms a di ec link be ween he eig h een h and wen ie h 34 Ca oline Blinde he cul u al and ch onological gap, hey a e e y simila hema ically. Bo h au ho s ocus on he exploi s o amale cha ac e who lea ns by de aul and ies o emain in ac in a wo ld o inc easing s i e and con usion. Al hough Mishima imposes an ex emely calcula ed one o oice o his i s pe son na a o and Mille ' s is o e e dig essing, ne e heless h oughou he na a i e he analy ic commen s connec he episodes and in bo h cases lead o a concen a ion on he main cha ac e s' sexual impulses. Fo bo h Mishima and Mille he calcula ed au a o exposu e is mean o de la e any suspicion o dishones y. They a e bo h essen ially de e mined o show he da k side o hei sexuali y in o de o dismiss possible cha ges o decep ion and hypoc isy. While Mishima's i s pe son na a o s uggles o keep his homosexual esponses ee o ambigui ies, he combina ion o pa anoia and a ec ion which he eels owa ds his belo ed closely echoes Mille 's muddled beha iou owa ds Mona/Ma a - his main lo e objec in he T opics. Bo h w i e s deny on a basic le el he need o emo ional and social bonding bu Mille , con a y o Mishima, ealizes in he cou se o his amo ous pu sui s ha he e o ic ie canno exis only o i sel , and his as i u ns ou ends up dis inguishing he wo au ho s p o oundly om each o he . Like Mille in Bla ck Sp ing, Mishima in he cou se o Con essions o a Mask is ne e simply a eco d o a close homosexual, jus as he T opics a e no he memoi s o a womanize , ins ead, bo h au ho s a e consciously using e o icism as discou se. In he same way ha Ba aille desc ibes wen ie h cen u y poli ics as in insically connec ed o sexual/ins inc ual poli ics, Mishima and Mille use hei sexuali y as he s a ing poin and he pi o a! poin o ali e en s o impo ance. This is he backg ound o Mille 's sense o soul connec ion be ween himsel and Mishima, and he eason simul aneously why Mille lamen s he ac ha Mishima did no ealize wha Mille sees him as ha ing been capable o -namely he u ili y inhe en in mili a y powe . Wha Mille s ongly hin s a is Mishima's endency o aes he icizc poli ics o he sake o exempli ying his own pe sonal obsessions. In e es ingly, Mille 's disdain o poli ical ele ance, which is mo e ap pa en in his ea ly wo k, seems o ha e shi ed by he ea ly 1970 s and Mille is clea ly in luen ced bo h by his own g owing in e es in Bhuddism and he « mak e !o e no wa » a i ude o he ime s. A sma ll anecdo e in he essay illus a es Mille 's way o con ne c ing himsel wi h his subjec : The shock I expe ienced on l ea ning o Mishima' s d ama ic and g uesome dea h was ei n o c ed by he ecoll ec ion o a s ange inciden whi ch happened o me in Pa is abou hi y- i e yea s ago. One day, I happened o picku p a magazine, in which he e we e pho os o he decapi a ed heads o Mishima and his com ade on he loo . Two hings s uck me a once: one, he heads we e no lying on hei sides bu s anding up igh ; wo, one o he h eads bo e a s iking esemblan ce o my ow n which I had once seen lying on he loo , bu in pieces. A Dead y Fascina ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 35 Whe h e eal o imagina y he esemblance be ween Mishima's head and my own was i gh ening ... (p. 41 in Sex e ) Mille con inues o ell o how a young a is iend o hi s had sculp ed a head o him in 1936 which he acciden ally knocked o e , ca using i o be i epa able. A pic u e o he head aken be o e he acciden is on he co e o Mille 'sSun da y A/ e The Wa (a collec ion o among o he hings paci is essays!) and is as Mille himse l poin ed ou «a e y ue l i.ke ness, which has always haun ed me» (p. 42 in Sex e ). A u he e e ence poin can be made o Ba aille 's image o he Acephale, he headless God who ep esen s among o he hings he ideal s a e o he body poli ic in i s mos he e ogeneous onn, namely eed om in e ll ec ual and easoned ule. This image i s appea s in 1936 in an essay en i led app op ia ely «The Sac ed Conspi acy» and con inues o be a ocal poin and illus a ion o Ba aille's u he heo ies on he he e ogeneous. Apa om Mille 's sen se o he macab e and he en e ainmen alue and sensa ionalism inhe en in he de ca pi a ion, i is al so a way o p ojec his own p esence in o a si ua ion whe e he ealis ically speaking has no place o be, o one could say in o a s o y which is no his own. While he ac ha he dec api a cd heads we e s anding up igh has no bea ing on he ac ual poin o he anecdo c (Mill e ob iously did no know ha i is a Japanese cus om o aise he heads and close he eyes be a e hey a e shown o he ou side wo ld), he ac ha on e h ea d esembles hi s own is wha Mille inds so ex ao dina ilyuncanny. The o he in e es ing poi n is ha Mille acknowledges ha he esemblance may be a me e p ojec ion, ha he him se l wan s o esemble Mishima in d ea h. The hi d poin o he anecdo e is o cou se ha Mille escapes absolu e e semblance simply because hi s 19 36 sel ha s b ee n sha e ed in an acciden which he himse l caused. l one co mpa es he symbol o he mask wi h h e sha e ed head, an in e es ing dicho omy appea s. While he mask can be wom o aken o al e na i ely, he head is o e e gone, i eplaceable as an objec bu also symbolic o Mill e 's pa s ideals which we e a he disdain ul o poli ical ac ion and which a e now supe seded by a much mo e conce ned and li e-a i ma i e a i ude. I Mill e he e indi ec ly ells he ea de ha he Mishi ma side o him is o he pas , hen he also indica es a belie ha he de si e owa ds dea h, which he sees Mishima is obsessi ely d i en by, can be o e - wo n. Fo Mille h e he e ogeneous elemen s in Mishima see m o be hose o agedy o emos and hus Mishim a's ale, as a as Mille is co nce ned, is ha o a man obses se d be yond edemp ion: You h, beau y, d ea h - hese a e he hemes which in onn Mishima' s w i ing. His obsessions we migh ca ll hem. Typical, one mig h say, o Wes e n poe s, o he oman ic ones a leas . Fo his T ini y he c uci ies himsel (p. 26 in Sex e ), and likewise, 36 Ca oline Blinde Mishima's !o e o you h, beau y, dea h seems o all in o a special ca ego y. And i is ain ed wi h Na cissism. To open mos any one o his books one senses immedia ely he pa em o his li e and ine i able doom. He epea s he h ee mo i s, you h, beau y, dea h, o e and o e again, like a musician. He gi es us he eeling o being an exile he e below. (p. 43 in Sex e ) One should no be mislead howe e in o belie ing, because Mille makes an analogy be ween Ch is and Mishima, ha he conside s Mishima's dea h o ha e a eligious edemp i e alue. Fo as Mille he o ically ph ases i : «He (Mishima) who was endowed wi h high in elligence, <lid he no pe cei e he hop elessness o ying o al e he mind o he masses? So a no one has e e ye been a bl e o accomplish his. No Alexande The G ea , no Napoleon,no The Buddah, no Jesus ... » (p. 35 inSe x e ) Such s a emen s make i sound as i Mille is con inced ha Mishima's agenda was p ima ily poli ical awakening. Bu e en Mille inds his answe o he iddle a bi oo simplis ic. «I ask mysel again and again - <lid Mishima eally hope o change he beha iou o his co un ymen? I mean, <lid he e e se iously con empla e a undamen al change, a genuine emancipa ion?» (p. 34 in Sex e ) I e en Mille is doub ul as o Mishima 's ea nes ness in his poli ical endea ou s, wha hen <loes he posi as he eal mo i e behind his suicide? The h ee obsessions which Mille cons an ly e e s back o a e he c lue s. Mille is ob iously awa e o he deepe psychological mo i s which mus ha e go emed Mishima's obsessions. In spi e o his, Mille seems in capab le o abs ac ing om Mishima' s bla an mili a ism. «Judging om wha I ha e ead o you, my dea Mishima, his subjec o peace <loes no seem o occupy a g ea place in you wo k.» (p. 53 in Sex e ) The e a e se e al mo i es behind Mille 's annoyance wi h Mishima 's po li ic s. In ques ioning he ac ual pu pose o Mishima 's a emp ed coup, Mille seems o ealize ha Mishima 's ac ions a e p omp ed by a i m belie in o ce. As wi h Ba aille 's disillusionmen wi h peace ul so lu ions, Mishima sea ches o a b eak h ough ía iolence a he han nego ia ion. The concep o physical iolence, wi h i s sexual o e ones, as he anscending poin o he b eak h ou gh o he he e ogeneous in o he homogeneous, is he majo poin o di e ence be ween Mille and Mishima. B u he deba e ex ends i sel u he han simply ques ioning he use o ce ain me hods o each a e olu iona y goal. Fo while Mille belie es in he impo ance and e ec i eness o he e ogeneous elemen s, his dis us in he es ablished and mili a iz ed poli ical sphe e in gene al, leads him o exclude ma ginalized poli ical g oups, whe he hey be le is o igh wing, om his concep o he he e ogeneous. In his sense, Mille ' s ocus is almos uniquely on h e sub e si eness o he poe ic ac in i sel , he ac o w i ing ou one' s iolen ce a h e han enac ing i in he « eal» wo ld. Mille ne e wan ed o align himsel wi h any mo emen o poli ical g oups, insis ing upan peace and inne anquili y he cons an ly e umed in his a o he oman ic no ion o he lonely poe who s uggles agains injus ice wi hou allying himsel wi h any pa icula polí ica! g oup. A Deadly Fascina ion. He e ology and Fascism ... 37 This se nse o indi idualism, which is pe hap s e y Ame ican in na u e as opposed o he J apanese and F ench se nsibi li i es o Mishima and Ba aille espec i ely, ex pl ai ns o a ce ain ex en Mille 's s ess on he impo ence o leade s whe he hey be o a poli ica l o eligious na u e and becomes one o he key po in s in his c i iq ue o Mishima. Ul ima ely. Mille did no belie e in an aes he ic which w as pu i i ed o all mo al elem en s, o use Hab e mas's exp ession. While on he one hand, Mille , like he Su ealis s, wan ed o shock and p omo e he o ces o d eam-li e and use he ene gies o in oxica ion in his w i ing, he means o do his was mos o en ia he aw ene gy o sexuali y as a p o oca ion agains he es ablishmen . The iolence en co un e ed in he T opics o cxample see ms o sp ing om us a ion a he han desi e and nea ly always culmina es in a comical de using o an o he wise po en ially dange ous si ua ion. Al hough Mille co ncu ed wi h he no ion o unp oduc i e expendi u e as ye ano h e e n o he c ea i e p ocess, he added an ex a elemen ha o him was insepa able om c ea i i y as well -namely he concep o !o e. In he ealm o !o e ali hings a e possible. To he de ou lo e no hing is impossible. Fo him o he hc impo an! hi ng is - o !o e. Such indi iduals do no all in lo e, h ey simply !o e. The y do no ask o possess, bu o be possesse d, possessed by !o e. Wh en, as is some imes he case, his Jo e becomes uni e sal, including man, beas , s one, e en e min, one begins o wonde i lo e may no be some hing which we o dina y mo als know bu ain l y. (p. 43 in Sex e ) Wha Mille has done is eac i a e so e eign y no ía ac ion bu ia !o e. He e is suddcnly a possible expendi u e o ene gy which b eaks he sa do/masochis ic mould, which in i s uni e sal and gene ous na u e, does no engage in he necessi y o games o masks. l simply is. While he concep o lo e is no p esen ed as a sol u i on oan in c easingly hos il e and mili a ised wo ld, i is p e se n ed as a easible al e na i e o he deadly ilogy o Mishima, whe e you h, beau y, and dea h a e concep s which ade wi h ime, whe eas Mille ' s «lo e» is e e las ing, almos Godly in p opo ion and he e o e only known by us supe i cia lly. Mille hus ul ima ely has a o ce which exceeds bo h he he e ogeneous and he homogeneous sphe es. In us in g such wo ds as man, beas , s one, and e min, Mille connec s human aspec s wi h inanima e objec s as well as he he e ogencous - e min. This o ce o !o e co nn ec s ali o hese hings ia he basic p emise ha ega dless o poli ical o ien a i on o social s a us so e eign y can be ound once he indi idual Ie a ns o lo e a he han !e ha e p opel p og ession. Re olu ion is he e o e o emos a pe sonal ea li za ion and ul ima ely Fascism, he need in Ba aill e's e ms, o «a ccumula e excessi e iolen! ene gies in he pe son o he Ieade » is no a necessi y o e olu ion in Mille 's e ms. In o d e o p ese e an in insically posi i e and peace ul sense o humani y, Mille mus ques ion Mishim a's 38 Ca o/ine Blinde ac ions and conclude inally ha al hough Mishima's suicide was a he e ogeneous ges u e, i ailed in b inging he he e ogeneous close oge he . Fo Mishima, only dea h could ul ima ely b idge he complex sepa a ions be ween se l and ac i i y and p o ide him wi h a pu pose i no o li ing hen o dying. I is he e ha Mille makcs hi s posi ion qui e clea , i he e is no hing el se ha we can be su e o we mus acknowledge ha he e is some hing g ea e han ou sel es. Nihilism mus no be a he co e o li e a y c ea ion, e en i his means a e um o mo e adi ional concep s o oman ic lo e as uelling he c ea i e p ocess. Ba aille 's model o e olu ion ía iolence and ansg ession is use ul in looking a li e a y impul se om di e en pe spec i es. Bu Mille , howe e obsessed o obscene he appea s o be a imes, is essen ially oo «possessed by lo e» o emo e his w i ings om he hop e ha ex is always e ile and li e-a i ming a he han poin ed owa ds dea h. BIBLIOGRAPHY BATAILLE, GEORGES «The Psychological S uc u e o Fascism,» in Visions o Ex cess. Selec ed W i ings, 1927-1938, ed. by Allan S oekl. Minneapolis: Uni e si y o Minneso a P ess, 1985, pp. 137-160. BAT AILLE, GEORG ES «P e ace,» in Li e a u e and E il, London: Ma ion Boya s, 1985. HABERMAS, JURGEN «Be ween E o icism and Gene al Economics: Ba aille» in The Philosophical Discou se o Mode ni y.Camb idge: Poli y P ess, 1987, pp. 211-237. HEIMONET, JEAN-MICHEL«Recoil in O de o Leap Fo wa d: Two Values o Sade in Ba aille 's Tex ,» in On Ba aille, ed. by Allan S oekl. New Ha en: Yale Uni e si y P ess, 1990, pp. 227-236. MISHIMA, YUKIO «Geo ge Ba aille and Di inus Deus,» in Geo ge Ba aille 's My Mo he , Madame Edwa da, The Dead Man. London: Ma ion Boya s, 1989, pp. 9-21. MILLER, HENRY «Re lec ions on he Dea h o Mishima,» in Sex e . London: John Calde , 1980, pp. 25-55.