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charge[ł]butthatheknowshowtocomporthimselfinanoffice,
knowsevenhowtointroduceanoteoffunctionalelegance.why
doeshethinkmeworththetroubleofthisdisplay?Becausedespite
mysmellyclothesandmywildbeardIamstillfromanoldfamily,
howevercontemptiblydecayedouthereinthebackofbeyond?(82)
Thestrugglewewitnesshereseemstobethestruggleofthe
Empirewithitselfandtheantagonisminsideitisdescribedwith
precision(thoughratherdeprecatingly)bytheMagistratehimself:
KTheroadtothetopmustbehardforyoungmenwithoutmoney,
withoutpatronage,withthebarestofschooling,menwhomight
aseasilygointolivesofcrimeasintotheserviceoftheEmpire”
(84).JollandMandelareseenasrepresentativesofthedominated
classeswhonolongerwanttostaylowandwhomtheossifiedhier-
archyoftheEmpire(theoldfamilies)cannotcontain;thehierarchy
eitherforcesthemintotakingtheroadofKcrime”(thatis,activi-
tiesdirectedagainstthestatusquo)orattemptstocontainthem
byturningthemintothesecuritypolice–tomaintainthesecurity
oftheoldfamiliesagainstKcrime,”yetatthesametimemaking
themKuntouchable,”sincethemeasuresthathavetobetakento
maintainsecurityincludethosethatthelawinprincipledoesnot
allowandwhicharerevoltingtotheliberalconsciousnessofthe
oldfamilies,whowanttoseethemselvesasenlightened,indulgent,
pleasure-lovingpaternalfigures.Hencetheclashwewitness:onthe
onehand,theMagistrate,asaliberalbeautifulsoul,isindignant
atthepracticeshishappysatiatedworldsupposedlydoesnotneed
(Kweareatpeacehere”);ontheother,thesecurityofficersare
trainedtoprotecttheworldoftheoldfamiliesbutdisavowedas
notbelongingtothisworld,orevendangeroustoit,yetnecessary
foritsmaintenance.
Thisconfigurationcanexplainthemysteriouspanicthatisraised
againstthebarbariansonceinageneration:eachgenerationofKun-
touchables”needssuchunresttoovercometheinherentdividewithin
theimperialsocietyanddominate(thatis,forcetheirwayinto)the
oldfamilies.Inotherwords,whatwewitnessinthesupposedwar
againstthebarbariansistheoutsideprojectionoftheantagonism
withintheimperialsociety:thewarwiththerealbutinsignificant
barbariansisaninstrumentusedbythenewKimperial”barbarians
(wholackmoney,patronage,andeducation)togainapositionamong
therulersbydenouncingtheoldaesthetic(Kliberal”)habitsasdan-
geroustotheEmpire–theEmpiretheyrepresentasitsmostfaith-
fulservants.
~17~
