But this poor chap is a dangerous neurotic." Polly laughed. "So you saw that, Father. I never could. He always seemed so normal." "It's the same thing," said her father, putting the groceries away. "All neurotics are petty bourgeois. And vice versa. Madness is too revolutionary for them. They can't go the whole hog. We madmen are the aristocrats of mental illness. You could never marry that fellow, my dear.
In Mary McCarthy's "The Group," a conversation highlights the complex nature of mental health and social class. The characters reflect on an acquaintance, deemed a neurotic, who appears normal on the surface. This prompts a dialogue about the relationship between neuroticism and social status, as Polly's father argues that neurotics represent a middle-class mentality that cannot fully embrace deeper madness. This insight reveals a perspective that equates the constraints of neurotic behavior with a refusal to transcend societal norms.
The father's assertion that "madness is too revolutionary" for neurotics suggests that true mental illness could signify a rejection of conventional values. His claim of madmen as "aristocrats of mental illness" indicates that those who can fully embrace their madness are seen as more liberated and, therefore, distinguished from the neurotics who remain bound by societal expectations. Polly's father's warning against marrying a neurotic underscores the societal implications of mental health issues and the perceived limitations placed on individuals who cannot break free from their bourgeois constraints.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
