Marat found an outlet for his paranoia and rage in his publication "L'Ami du Peuple." Besides the violence he promoted and the vileness he spewed, some of his writings may have revealed part of what made him tick. It wasn't patriotism. Marat had been a scientist specializing in optics and electricity and physician. He, however, wasn't respected as much as he felt he deserved and suffered several rejections, including a painful one by the Academy of Royal Sciences. He became increasingly bitter and began to deteriorate mentally and physically. As the Revolution gathered speed, and he found his place as the author of the inflammatory, and effective, newspaper, he "began to breath in the hope of seeing humanity avenged and myself installed in the place which I deserved." He wrote that "from his earliest years, I was consumed with a love of glory." At one point, he had been a physician to the Comte d'Artois' guard. During this period, ending in 1785, he referred to himself as "the Chevalier Marat," and attempted to get an official confirmation of his nobility. He later described, in L'Ami du Peuple, the carriages lined in front of his house, the Kings that sought him out. It's almost enough to make one feel sorry for him.
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