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Norman Mailer's Stabbing of Adele Morales: Difference between revisions
Norman Mailer's Stabbing of Adele Morales (view source)
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Norman Mailer would often abuse many types of drugs and alcohol. Mailer also had a short temper and would happily engage in Head-butting, arm-wrestling, and random punch throwing. For much of the '50s, he drifted, frequently drunk or stoned or both. * McGrath, Charles (2007). "Norman Mailer, Towering Writer with Matching Ego, Dies at 84". The Mailers had been married six years. Norman was waiting on a hearing of a charge of disorderly conduct. He had gotten into a hassle over a tab of $7.60 a week before at Birdland. Adele told the arresting detectives the night of November 20 that he had been displaying "homicidal tendencies". Their family had been attempting to get him to see a psychiatrist. | Norman Mailer would often abuse many types of drugs and alcohol. Mailer also had a short temper and would happily engage in Head-butting, arm-wrestling, and random punch throwing. For much of the '50s, he drifted, frequently drunk or stoned or both. * McGrath, Charles (2007). "Norman Mailer, Towering Writer with Matching Ego, Dies at 84". The Mailers had been married six years. Norman was waiting on a hearing of a charge of disorderly conduct. He had gotten into a hassle over a tab of $7.60 a week before at Birdland. Adele told the arresting detectives the night of November 20 that he had been displaying "homicidal tendencies". Their family had been attempting to get him to see a psychiatrist. | ||
==The Incident== | ==The Incident== | ||
Mailer had decided to run for Mayor of New York. On November 19th, 1960, in an effort to boost the campaign a party was hosted. The attendee's of this event however would be a clear insight on Mailer's mental status at the time, as it was reported that alongside the formal guests, there were many individuals who had come straight from the streets. As the hours passed, many of the guests including Mailer had become heavily intoxicated, and quarrels broke out. An argument between Mailer and his sister regarding the campaign came up, resulting in him started hitting her, following with the Mailer couple themselves getting into an argument when Adele tried to defend her. Mailer had begun physically fighting off his guests, and had then left to fight those who were not involved with the party. When he had returned at around 4:30 a.m., witnesses say that Adele taunted his masculinity and literary talents during their tiff. Angered, he stabbed her by the heart in her upper abdomen, and in the back, both by a penknife. As she lay there, hemorrhaging, a man at the party came to assist her and Mailer snapped, saying "Get away from her. Let the bitch die." | Mailer had decided to run for Mayor of New York. On November 19th, 1960, in an effort to boost the campaign a party was hosted. The attendee's of this event however would be a clear insight on Mailer's mental status at the time, as it was reported that alongside the formal guests, there were many individuals who had come straight from the streets. As the hours passed, many of the guests including Mailer had become heavily intoxicated, and quarrels broke out. An argument between Mailer and his sister regarding the campaign came up, resulting in him started hitting her, following with the Mailer couple themselves getting into an argument when Adele tried to defend her. Mailer had begun physically fighting off his guests, and had then left to fight those who were not involved with the party. When he had returned at around 4:30 a.m., witnesses say that Adele taunted his masculinity and literary talents during their tiff. Angered, he stabbed her by the heart in her upper abdomen, and in the back, both by a penknife. As she lay there, hemorrhaging, a man at the party came to assist her and Mailer snapped, saying "Get away from her. Let the bitch die."{{sfn|Hari|2007|loc=[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-do-we-ignore-the-abuse-of-women-400397.html]}} She was not taken to the hospital until three hours after he hurt her. When arrived at the hospital, she said that she was at a party and fell onto glass, though doctors were skeptical. She told the police after that "He didn't say anything. He just looked at me. He didn't say a word. He just stabbed me". Morales never made a full recovery. She developed pleurisy and found herself coughing up black phlegm several times throughout the day. Several years later, she fell into poverty and became an alcoholic. | ||
== The Aftermath== | == The Aftermath== | ||
Mailer was arrested at the hospital around 10 pm. Initially, Mailer pleaded “not guilty,” but later changed his plea to “guilty” to avoid harmful publicity for his family.{{sfn|Lennon|2013|p=269}} | Mailer was arrested at the hospital around 10 pm. Initially, Mailer pleaded “not guilty,” but later changed his plea to “guilty” to avoid harmful publicity for his family.{{sfn|Lennon|2013|p=269}} | ||
After the stabbing, Mailer was committed to Bellevue hospital. "I was very upset, because me feeling was I committed a crime." His criminal lawyer had suggested he go into the hospital. "He was thinking like a criminal lawyer" Mailer spoke. They used the mental hospital as a way to save him if his wife did end up dying from the injuries inflicted upon her. Mailer hated this, he felt he would go crazy if he'd be there any longer. {{sfn|Legs|2020| | After the stabbing, Mailer was committed to Bellevue hospital. "I was very upset, because me feeling was I committed a crime." His criminal lawyer had suggested he go into the hospital. "He was thinking like a criminal lawyer" Mailer spoke. They used the mental hospital as a way to save him if his wife did end up dying from the injuries inflicted upon her. Mailer hated this, he felt he would go crazy if he'd be there any longer. {{sfn|Legs|2020|p=51}} | ||
Morales, despite her wounds being superficial, pressed no charges against Mailer. He was confined to the mental Bellevue Hospital for seventeen days as a result.{{sfn|Merill|1978| | Morales, despite her wounds being superficial, pressed no charges against Mailer. He was confined to the mental Bellevue Hospital for seventeen days as a result.{{sfn|Merill|1978|p=23}} | ||
This incident wasn't well received in the public eye. They weren't amused by Mailer's published poem in 1962 indirectly poking at the stabbing. "So long as you use a knife, there's some love left"{{sfn|Mailer|1962}} | This incident wasn't well received in the public eye. They weren't amused by Mailer's published poem in 1962 indirectly poking at the stabbing. "So long as you use a knife, there's some love left"{{sfn|Mailer|1962}} | ||
== Critical Response== | == Critical Response== | ||
Susan Mailer, when interviewed, spoke briefly about her father. She said that in her memoir, she wrote the chapter "Silent Spaces" which was about the unavoidable angst that the traumatic event caused for their family. Susan studied in psychoanalysis for many years. When she wrote her memoir, it was her "second analysis." She admits she was afraid of him, but she also understood her fears of him. "He had stabbed his wife, my stepmother, Adele."{{sfn|Lennon|2019| | Susan Mailer, when interviewed, spoke briefly about her father. She said that in her memoir, she wrote the chapter "Silent Spaces" which was about the unavoidable angst that the traumatic event caused for their family. Susan studied in psychoanalysis for many years. When she wrote her memoir, it was her "second analysis." She admits she was afraid of him, but she also understood her fears of him. "He had stabbed his wife, my stepmother, Adele." {{sfn|Lennon|2019|p=114}} | ||
==Personal Response== | ==Personal Response== | ||
After being remanded to Bellevue, Mailer confessed to the judge: “I feel I did a lousy, dirty, cowardly thing.”{{sfn|McKinley|2021|p=3}} | After being remanded to Bellevue, Mailer confessed to the judge: “I feel I did a lousy, dirty, cowardly thing.”{{sfn|McKinley|2021|p=3}} | ||
In an interview, Mailer was asked if he drank a lot (he was drunk when he stabbed her). Mailer went on to say the only time he ever drank heavily was when a marriage was breaking up.{{sfn|Legs|2020| | In an interview, Mailer was asked if he drank a lot (he was drunk when he stabbed her). Mailer went on to say the only time he ever drank heavily was when a marriage was breaking up.{{sfn|Legs|2020|p=50}} When asked why Mailer stabbed his second wife, Adele Morales, Mailer opts out of talking about it saying that he'd maybe write about it later. He was then asked if he hated women to which he responds that he doesn't hate them, however, he did get irritated with them differently than he did with men.{{sfn|Legs|2020|p=52}} | ||
In her 1997 memoir titled "The last party", Adele Morales gave a written recollection of the stabbing. She recalled seeing Norman punching people in the street during the night of the stabbing. He apparently was in a delirious state where he couldn't "remember who he was, or what his name was." She vividly remembered Norman Mailer bursting into her apartment, also recalling that she couldn't see the knife in his hand while he was rushing towards her. Morales noted that Mailer had a jarring indifference while she laid on the floor bleeding. {{sfn|LA Times|2015|loc=[https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-adele-morales-mailer-has-died-20151123-story.html]|}} | In her 1997 memoir titled "The last party", Adele Morales gave a written recollection of the stabbing. She recalled seeing Norman punching people in the street during the night of the stabbing. He apparently was in a delirious state where he couldn't "remember who he was, or what his name was." She vividly remembered Norman Mailer bursting into her apartment, also recalling that she couldn't see the knife in his hand while he was rushing towards her. Morales noted that Mailer had a jarring indifference while she laid on the floor bleeding. {{sfn|LA Times|2015|loc=[https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-adele-morales-mailer-has-died-20151123-story.html]|}} | ||