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Experiments in Convalescence
"Well,"Amoryconsidered,"I’mnotsurethatthewaritselfhadanygreateffectoneitheryouorme—butitcertainlyruinedtheoldbackgrounds,sortofkilledindividualismoutofourgeneration."
Tomlookedupinsurprise.
"Yesitdid,"insistedAmory."I’mnotsureitdidn’tkillitoutofthewholeworld.Oh,Lord,whatapleasureitusedtobetodreamImightbeareallygreatdictatororwriterorreligiousorpoliticalleader—andnowevenaLeonardodaVinciorLorenzodeMedicicouldn’tbearealold-fashionedboltintheworld.Lifeistoohugeandcomplex.Theworldissoovergrownthatitcan’tliftitsownfingers,andIwasplanningtobesuchanimportantfinger—"
"Idon’tagreewithyou,"Tominterrupted."Thereneverweremenplacedinsuchegotisticpositionssince—oh,sincetheFrenchRevolution."
Amorydisagreedviolently.
"You’remistakingthisperiodwheneverynutisanindividualistforaperiodofindividualism.Wilsonhasonlybeenpowerfulwhenhehasrepresented;he’shadtocompromiseoverandoveragain.JustassoonasTrotskyandLenintakeadefinite,consistentstandthey’llbecomemerelytwo-minutefigureslikeKerensky.EvenFochhasn’thalfthesignificanceofStonewallJackson.Warusedtobethemostindividualisticpursuitofman,andyetthepopularheroesofthewarhadneitherauthoritynorresponsibility:GuynemerandSergeantYork.HowcouldaschoolboymakeaheroofPershing?Abigmanhasnotimereallytodoanythingbutjustsitandbebig."
