"The only greatness for a man is immortality"

James Dean is one of my favorite actors of all time. Talented, sexy, and with a Hermes-like quality in his bad ass attitude, he lived the life of a tragic hero. Creating three movies all in the space of a year, his career was skyrocketing until, right at the peak of his driving success, a Ford smooshed his life right out of him. Just like Achilles, just like Hector, just like Heath Ledger, James Dean didn't achieve his full potential-- instead, he went beyond it.
Steiner talks about the conflict between the young and old, and I thought it meant just a fight/misunderstanding between the child and the elder, but now I see it differently. On page 243, Steiner quotes from Oedipus at Colonus, "it is best to have never been born at all, next best to die young, and that old age is the worst to befall man." This makes me think the conflict is internal. When we fight old age or youth, we're really fighting within ourselves, especially as we age. He seems to say glory will die out when one gets older, because one can only talk about what they used to be able to do while, someone young and strong is surpassing the records and making greater achievements. It will also be easier to fall into disgrace as one ages because of deteriorating disease in the mind: Alzheimers, dementia, etc. They will be the ones to be pitied, because they will live long enough to see their fame and strength fade. Old age is fighting within to be young but at the same is fighting against the young because of jealousy or pride. Or it could be reversed. The young long to be old to gain the respect and distinction that comes with age.
In the cases of the men I mentioned above, I think its the former; I think they were fighting the aging process and because of that, I think James Dean and all of those others had to die young; each one of them put everything they had into what they did to achieve glory and fame. They all wanted to be remembered forever and though I'm not saying they wanted to die when they did, by dying young, they have reached a state of immortality. They will never age; their talents will never diminish. James Dean will always be the hot, young, sexy rebel whom I can only dream about.