William Burroughs The Pusher And The Pimp

Essay, Research Paper

Yaka Oyo 4/17/2000

Professor Julie Lewis English 1

William Burroughs: The Pusher and The Pimp

Picture if you will, two street corners in a crime-riddled neighborhood. On one corner stands a Pimp with several of his ?employees? parading around. On the other corner stands a Junk dealer selling his product. Both men frown upon each other for the other?s occupation. Little do they know they are doing basically the same thing; both men make a living off of degrading people, only difference is one does it for goods (Junk) and the other does it for services (sex). The reason why I say that pimping and dealing are the same is because of the principles upon which these two businesses operate.

?Junk is the ultimate merchandise, no sales talk necessary?. The junk merchant does not sell his product to the consumer he sells the consumer to his product. He does not improve and simplify his merchandise. He degrades and simplifies the client? Sex is also the Ultimate merchandise, the only sales talk you will hear is ?looking for a good time?? The pimp does not improve his women for your benefit, he plays with your head to make it seem like he?s doing you a favor. The pimp does not sell his women to the horny man he sells the horny man to his women. Although they differ in forms of addictions it is clear that both are addictive, one being a mental addiction and the other being a physical addiction. Both are structured in the form of a pyramid and if you eliminate the lowest level you can eliminate the higher ups, the lowest level and base of the pyramid being the Junkie or the horny man. If you take away the demand the supply will eventually be distinguished.

When my statements are compared to what William Burroughs had to say from his Deposition: Testimony concerning a sickness, the connection and similarities are self-evident. Both men are ?The Pusher? as described in the passage, and there is very little difference in what they are pushing.