Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a white blaze of heat, a panorama of naked idiots stretches to the horizon. Complete silence - their speech centres are destroyed - except for the crackle of sparks and the popping of singed flesh as they apply electrodes up and down the spine. White smoke of burning flesh hangs in the motionless air. A group of children have tied an idiot to a post with barbed wire and built a fire between his legs and stand watching with bestial curiosity as the flames lick his thighs. His flesh jerks in the fire with insect agony.
by William S. Burroughs
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The scene depicted is one of horrifying desolation, where people, referred to as "naked idiots," exist in a warped and brutal reality. They are surrounded by remnants of decay and violence, with a deep silence indicating that their capacity for communication has been obliterated. The imagery evokes a sense of suffering as they undergo cruel electrical treatments, with the atmosphere filled with the sickening smell of burning flesh.

In this grim tableau, young children exhibit a chilling detachment as they torment one of the afflicted figures bound by barbed wire. The flames that engulf him serve as a grotesque spectacle, highlighting the cruel curiosity of onlookers. This passage forcibly reveals the depths of human cruelty and the stark reality of pain, showcasing Burroughs’ critique of society and its dehumanizing forces.

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