The first part of the poem Howl is about who the best minds of Ginsberg’s generation are. The second part is about what destroyed them. This tremendous entity powerful enough to cripple a generation is Moloch, a false god referenced in biblical text. In traditional text, Moloch was a pagan god that demanded a ritual sacrifice of children through the purification of fire. As a more recent connotation of the word, Moloch is used as an allegory in literature, like John Milton’s Paradise Lost, as a costly sacrifice or savage practices. Ginsberg describes the modern Moloch as a monster “whose mind is pure machinery...whose soul is electricity and banks…whose fingers are ten armies…” etc. (Ginsberg, Line 83). In Ginsberg’s Howl Moloch is the modern city and society, its goal is war and sorrow, and its device is capitalism and rising industry. Moloch is thoroughly integrated into the American Dream, which promotes capitalism in the pursuit of happiness, which is defined by materialistic gain and prowess. This probably correlates with Ginsberg’s Marxist views, as he sees Moloch paving over the “Heaven which exists and is everywhere about us!” (Ginsberg, Line 89).
This deep understanding and recognition of Moloch most likely stems from Ginsberg’s upbringing, it is in his religious education that he would have encountered the word. Ginsberg also mentions how Moloch had “entered [his] soul early” and “frightened [him] out of [his] natural ecstasy”, which could be an allusion to how Ginsberg may have felt ashamed of his natural sexual orientation as a youth (Ginsberg, Line 87). Once touched by Moloch, Ginsberg expresses that its mark is inescapable, that it still continues to define him: “Moloch whose name is the Mind! Moloch in whom I sit lonely! Moloch in whom I dream Angels! Crazy in Moloch! Cocksucker in Moloch! Lacklove and manless in Moloch” (Ginsberg, Line 85-86).
At the end the section Ginsberg reveals the fate of those who give themselves over to Moloch, “They bade farewell! They jumped off the roof! to solitude! waving! carrying flowers! Down to the river! into the streets!” (Ginsberg, Line 93). Happily carrying themselves over the edge, this end seems their mad desire as they carry flowers to their own deaths/funerals. This is the end of the “greatest minds”.
What do you think today’s modern Moloch is?
Do you think that Moloch has affected you? How has it changed or molded you?
I suggested that Ginsberg uses the word Moloch because of its roots in his religious background, what other word could be used? Or what other word would you use?
This section can be characterized by its intense use of punctuation, what do you think was Ginsberg’s thought process or mental state during the writing of this specific part?
Molach is self loathing in the way that Allen uses it. Its that quiet voice that tells you you're not good enough. Molach is that voice in the media telling you how your body isn't good enough. Too thin, too thick. It's all Molach. Molach was the hand that poured gasoline down Jessica Chambers throat after seeing her and her lover. Then molach threw a flame onto her and her car and saw them burn.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I think molach is. If you take it back to Biblical sense, it states in Revalation how God will destroy the earth in a cleansing fire from all hate and evil contaminating the world. Revelation 20:14 "Then death and Hades were thrown in a lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death". The devil wants people in confusion, and particularly, we like confusion, ignorance. If I did not see it then it did'nt happen. Or how we constantly need to prove or disprove something that may not be. For example it could be someone who makes up things in their head how their spouse is cheating or accusing them or nagging them about te unecessary and therefore over time burning that bond between the two souls.