Are we real-life Gustls?
I think Gustl is very relatable. I, too, often have internal monologues. When I was a little girl, as the only child in the family, I was always kind of lonely. I would talk to my toys but as I grew older, I realised that that is actually very very strange. So I brought those […]
Reading the beginning & end of Lt. Gustl
In Arts One this week we discussed two German short stories: Heinrich von Kleist’s “The Earthquake in Chile” (I just discovered that there’s a 1970s film version) Arthur Schnitzler’s “Lieutenant Gustl” (the translation linked to here is different than the one we read; this is the one we read, and the one I’m citing […]
The Lieutenant Cannot Have A Good Time—Not With That Attitude
I’m pretty sure most of the people in our seminar agree that the protagonist of Lieutenant Gustl is terrible dude in general—he’s sexist, anti-Semitic, and frankly just plain rude. It’s as if he’s got some kind of superiority complex masking an inferiority complex, all masked by unnecessary aggression, especially if you note top of page…
“Most People are either stupid or evil, or both”
“Most people are either stupid or evil, or both.” -Mabon Foo Using Mabon’s statement as my guideline, I would like to explore the question: to what extent do the characters behave like “normal” people? In […]