Do you know Camille Desmoulins?" he asked. "Have you seen him? He's one of these law-school boys. Never used anything more dangerous than a paper knife." He shook his head wonderingly."Where do they come from, these people? They're virgins. They've never been to war. They've never been on the huntingfield. They've never killed an animal, let alone a man. But they're such enthusiasts for murder.
by Hilary Mantel (0 Reviews)
In Hilary Mantel's "A Place of Greater Safety," a discussion unfolds regarding the character Camille Desmoulins, who represents an intellectual class that is detached from the realities of violence and conflict. The speaker reflects on Desmoulins as a product of law school education, noting that his experiences have been limited to academic pursuits rather than real-life confrontations. This disconnect raises questions about the motivations and backgrounds of those who advocate for war without having firsthand experience of its brutality.
The speaker expresses amazement at how these individuals, often described as naive and inexperienced, hold fervent beliefs about violence and revolution. Their lack of exposure to the savage aspects of life, such as hunting or warfare, makes their enthusiasm for radical change seem both bewildering and contradictory. This paradox highlights the tension between intellectual idealism and the harsh realities of human conflict, underscoring a theme that resonates throughout the novel as it explores the nature of revolutionary fervor and its consequences.
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