Chapman, Lennon, and Caulfield: Mimetic Theory in Real Life -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 15:00:40 01/24/08 Thu
Author: Janelle
Subject: Chapman, Lennon, and Caulfield: Mimetic Theory in Real Life

It has been discussed in class that when an individual models themself after another, that individual often becomes involved in an imagined or real battle with their model. This often leads to violence or murder in literature and, sadly, the results are no different when the situation plays out in real life. A prime example would be Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon. As a young man, Chapman idolized the Beatles and they became his world. This idolization, however, came to an end when John Lennon's controversial claim that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus spread across Britain and the United States infuriating a large portion of the public, including Chapman. Although it would have made sense for Chapman to disregard the band and Lennon after making such a claim, it did not. He continued to follow Lennon's career and wavered between admiring and despising Lennon. He, like Lennon, married a Japanese woman and preached about making the world a better place; at the same time, he argued that Lennon was a phony and didn't actually work to achieve any of the goals he sang about (imagine the world as one, give peace a chance, etc.). Chapman, on the other hand, volunteered with agencies resettling Vietnamese refugees and worked for and with children. He was, in short, achieving all that Lennon had claimed to want to do. He was in competition with Lennon and, in his mind, he was winning. He "won" in the end, by shooting Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980...only a few hours after getting his autograph.
It was, however, not just Lennon who served as a model for Chapman, the character Holden Caulfield from "The Catcher in the Rye" also garnered Chapman's respect. When Lennon disappointed Chapman he sought a new model and was able to use his new model to express his anger towards Lennon. He readily embraced Holden's critical views of society which is full of hypocrites, all falsely sincere and all plastic. In fact, when Chapman found himself in New York (where he killed Lennon) he had made the trip to reenact some of the events that take place in "The Catcher in the Rye". He channeled Holden's contempt for phonies into his contempt for Lennon (the biggest phony in his eyes) and, as he waited for the police to arrive and arrest him following the murder, he sat silently reading his copy of "The Catcher in the Rye".
It should be mentioned that Chapman was hospitalized for mental illness, but this does not take away from the danger of perverse imitation.

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Replies:

Re: Chapman, Lennon, and Caulfield: Mimetic Theory in Real Life -- CS Holden, 10:20:52 01/25/08 Fri