Flucht
in di
Finsternis
36 AcanMens.
AA 1
New Republie
Nov 18-31
tion, he came to realize the limitations of his city’s
Arthur Schnitzler
Lebensstil, the emptiness and hypocrisy of its social pat¬
terns. Yet he rests satisfied with a mere statement of his
Flight into Darkness, by Arthur Schnitzler. Neu York:
doubts regarding the value of the moment, and is content
Simon and Schuster. Se.
with simply registering his perplexities as to the distinction
A RTHUR SCHNITZLER’S permanent contribution
between the real and the illusory (“Paracelsus''). His
4A to German literature lies in what might be called
sadness is caused by a surface consideration of life’s imper¬
his French manner. To the turbid and difficult stylistic
manence. His weariness and sense of futility are not pre¬
tradition in German writing, Schnitzler brought a light
ceded by a courageous search for enduring goods. His
and clear idiom, carried along with taste, charm and wit.
heroes, too, are passive creatures; they leave the arena be¬
Even on those occasions when he turned toward close and
fore the gong is sounded.
minute psychological analyses, when Schnitzler the physi¬
Schnitzler’s difficulties have sometimes been termed pre¬
cian applied the microscope to the human soul (as in
war problems. Yet even that seems an overstatement. Are#
Fräulein Else,“Lieutenant Gustl,'“Daybreak''), his
his themes characteristic of the pre-war world as sketched
language preserves its freshness and lucidity.
in The World’s Illusion'’ or“ The Magic Mountain'?
Schmitzler's terrain is limited almost exclusively to Ger¬
Is there anywhere in Schnitzler’s work a consideration
man Austria, It is, morcover, the historic background and
of social inequalities, as in Wassermann’s novel! Are
the unique character of Austria and Vienna that determine
Schnitzler’s characters aware of such problems as trouble
the nature of Schnitzler’s persistent questions. Austria's
the Settembrinis and the Naphtas? The profound up¬
religious orthodoxy and conservative politics had long been
heavals since 1014 secm to have brought about no inner
instrumental in discouraging a free and vigorous intellec¬
disturbances, no shift of interests. The World War was
tual life. They forced Grillparzer into a continuous series
not, to Schnitzler, what it was to most writers, a Rubicon
of diffident compromises, and perhaps account in part for
to be crossed. Even the revolutionary social changes that
the fact that for many years after his death not a single
visited Vienna failed to ruffle the surface of Schnitzler’s
outstanding writer arose in Austria. The way to active
literary individualism. From Fräulein Else' to“ The¬
politics was barred and the spirit of free speculation was
rese, from“ Light-o’-Love'' to“ The Wide Land,' we
hampered. Indeed, there were tempting compensations:
have but nuances—subtle, delicate, entertaining—of one
there was the dreamy, playful music of Schubert and of
inconsequential theme. While Thomas Mann was out¬
Johann Strauss; there were the rich art museums and the
growing his flirtations with the Tonio Krögers and the#
baroque architecture, inviting flights of fantasy; and there
Hanno Buddenbrooks, turning his powers toward The
was Liebelei. The naturalistic revolution came, steering
Demands of the Day'’; while Alfred Doeblin and even
an esthetic tradition into a realistic social direction. But
Hugo von Hofmannsthal were growing critical of their
the Viennese writers continued in their old manner. The
esthetic individualism, Schnitzler was concerned with
mellow air of Vienna kept out problems of dire poverty,
* Therese'': the problem of a governess who is too weak to
of scientific determination, of economic maladjustments.
say Uno'’ because the men of her particular milieu do not
—There appeared no“ Germinal' and no Weavers.' The
expect it ofher. It is significant that at the time of his
sole mark that naturalism left on Austrian literature was
death Schnitzler was revising“ The Call of Life,' a play
the problem of das rüsse Mädel—of the naive suburban
in which a colonel sends a whole regiment of dragoons to
girl who enters the circle of the Viennese bohemia expect¬
certain death, simply because he does not know just which
ing love and becoming a light-o’-love instead. This theme
one of the officers has been carrying on with his wife—a
almost exhausts the extent to which the Austrian writers
play which ends with a little girl running out to pluck
were awakened to social consciousness.
flowers in a field.
Arthur Schnitzler represents perhaps the maturest ex¬
Attempts have been made to show that there are un¬
pression of such light leanings. Courting and sex are the
known depths in Schnitzler; the trite and obvious Sprüche
most dominant of his perplexities. This fact, by itself,
und Bedenken'’ ought to serve as a warning. Attention is
hardly justifies an easy dismissal of the author: not the
also called to his tinge of pessimism. A temper of despair
subject matter but its direction is decisive. For Strindberg
deserves our admiration if it is reached through an earnest
and D. H. Lawrence, for Goethe and Richard Dehmel,
meeting with primary issues; Schnitzler’s discontent arises
sex also presents the most baffling material—but only be¬
out of the fact that lovers are generally not true to each
cause it is, to them, the tempest ground of tle blindly ir¬
other and that old age reduces man to impotence. It is
rational and unappeasable. They are concerned with sex
Schnitzler who has woven that glamorous tale about
because ultimately they are concerned with the cosmos.
Vienns's soft and caressing woods, its graceful and yield¬
Schnitzler’s arraignment of the transitoriness and uncer¬
ing women, its inviting carefree Gemütlichkeit. It is
tainty of life (The Green Cockatoo,' “Paracelsus')
Schnitzler who has created the enticing Vienna myth that
arises fundamentally out of his difficulty in solving the sex
lives on in the movies, His work is the final charming
issue; he questions the cosmos primarily because he is in
embodiment of a culture, sweet, feminine and tired; it is
doubt about scx. His situations continually revolve about
the tactful expression of an age that is not unmourned.
artist life in Vienna—bachelor apartments, cafés, soft
There is valus in a closing chapter, well told.
lights and hushed voiccs. To be sure, Schnitzler’s Anatol
Flight into Darkness,“ the latest of Schnitzler’s novels
is not merely “light-minded'; he is also “melancholic.' A
to be translated, has the same characteristics as his earlier
note of Meltschmerz (or is it Ichschmerz?) runs through
works, the faultless construction, the skillful analysis. Once
the greater part of Austrian literature. It is a nervous
more we are in Vienna; once more there is Liebelei; there
sensitiveness induced partly by the uncertain political fate
are even sad melodies “hauntingly reminiscent of Chopin.“
of a country composed of differing nationalities, a coun¬
The story concerns an incorrigible hypochondriac suffering
try that was thus in constant, imminent danger of dis¬
from persecution mania. In dealing with this individual,
solution. There is in Schnitzler, too, a sad undercurrent
the author’s purpose is not to shed light on the abnormality
(Dying, Beatrice, Thercse'). With mature reflec- in question; it is rather to suggest the darkness, baffling all
box 6/3
in di
Finsternis
36 AcanMens.
AA 1
New Republie
Nov 18-31
tion, he came to realize the limitations of his city’s
Arthur Schnitzler
Lebensstil, the emptiness and hypocrisy of its social pat¬
terns. Yet he rests satisfied with a mere statement of his
Flight into Darkness, by Arthur Schnitzler. Neu York:
doubts regarding the value of the moment, and is content
Simon and Schuster. Se.
with simply registering his perplexities as to the distinction
A RTHUR SCHNITZLER’S permanent contribution
between the real and the illusory (“Paracelsus''). His
4A to German literature lies in what might be called
sadness is caused by a surface consideration of life’s imper¬
his French manner. To the turbid and difficult stylistic
manence. His weariness and sense of futility are not pre¬
tradition in German writing, Schnitzler brought a light
ceded by a courageous search for enduring goods. His
and clear idiom, carried along with taste, charm and wit.
heroes, too, are passive creatures; they leave the arena be¬
Even on those occasions when he turned toward close and
fore the gong is sounded.
minute psychological analyses, when Schnitzler the physi¬
Schnitzler’s difficulties have sometimes been termed pre¬
cian applied the microscope to the human soul (as in
war problems. Yet even that seems an overstatement. Are#
Fräulein Else,“Lieutenant Gustl,'“Daybreak''), his
his themes characteristic of the pre-war world as sketched
language preserves its freshness and lucidity.
in The World’s Illusion'’ or“ The Magic Mountain'?
Schmitzler's terrain is limited almost exclusively to Ger¬
Is there anywhere in Schnitzler’s work a consideration
man Austria, It is, morcover, the historic background and
of social inequalities, as in Wassermann’s novel! Are
the unique character of Austria and Vienna that determine
Schnitzler’s characters aware of such problems as trouble
the nature of Schnitzler’s persistent questions. Austria's
the Settembrinis and the Naphtas? The profound up¬
religious orthodoxy and conservative politics had long been
heavals since 1014 secm to have brought about no inner
instrumental in discouraging a free and vigorous intellec¬
disturbances, no shift of interests. The World War was
tual life. They forced Grillparzer into a continuous series
not, to Schnitzler, what it was to most writers, a Rubicon
of diffident compromises, and perhaps account in part for
to be crossed. Even the revolutionary social changes that
the fact that for many years after his death not a single
visited Vienna failed to ruffle the surface of Schnitzler’s
outstanding writer arose in Austria. The way to active
literary individualism. From Fräulein Else' to“ The¬
politics was barred and the spirit of free speculation was
rese, from“ Light-o’-Love'' to“ The Wide Land,' we
hampered. Indeed, there were tempting compensations:
have but nuances—subtle, delicate, entertaining—of one
there was the dreamy, playful music of Schubert and of
inconsequential theme. While Thomas Mann was out¬
Johann Strauss; there were the rich art museums and the
growing his flirtations with the Tonio Krögers and the#
baroque architecture, inviting flights of fantasy; and there
Hanno Buddenbrooks, turning his powers toward The
was Liebelei. The naturalistic revolution came, steering
Demands of the Day'’; while Alfred Doeblin and even
an esthetic tradition into a realistic social direction. But
Hugo von Hofmannsthal were growing critical of their
the Viennese writers continued in their old manner. The
esthetic individualism, Schnitzler was concerned with
mellow air of Vienna kept out problems of dire poverty,
* Therese'': the problem of a governess who is too weak to
of scientific determination, of economic maladjustments.
say Uno'’ because the men of her particular milieu do not
—There appeared no“ Germinal' and no Weavers.' The
expect it ofher. It is significant that at the time of his
sole mark that naturalism left on Austrian literature was
death Schnitzler was revising“ The Call of Life,' a play
the problem of das rüsse Mädel—of the naive suburban
in which a colonel sends a whole regiment of dragoons to
girl who enters the circle of the Viennese bohemia expect¬
certain death, simply because he does not know just which
ing love and becoming a light-o’-love instead. This theme
one of the officers has been carrying on with his wife—a
almost exhausts the extent to which the Austrian writers
play which ends with a little girl running out to pluck
were awakened to social consciousness.
flowers in a field.
Arthur Schnitzler represents perhaps the maturest ex¬
Attempts have been made to show that there are un¬
pression of such light leanings. Courting and sex are the
known depths in Schnitzler; the trite and obvious Sprüche
most dominant of his perplexities. This fact, by itself,
und Bedenken'’ ought to serve as a warning. Attention is
hardly justifies an easy dismissal of the author: not the
also called to his tinge of pessimism. A temper of despair
subject matter but its direction is decisive. For Strindberg
deserves our admiration if it is reached through an earnest
and D. H. Lawrence, for Goethe and Richard Dehmel,
meeting with primary issues; Schnitzler’s discontent arises
sex also presents the most baffling material—but only be¬
out of the fact that lovers are generally not true to each
cause it is, to them, the tempest ground of tle blindly ir¬
other and that old age reduces man to impotence. It is
rational and unappeasable. They are concerned with sex
Schnitzler who has woven that glamorous tale about
because ultimately they are concerned with the cosmos.
Vienns's soft and caressing woods, its graceful and yield¬
Schnitzler’s arraignment of the transitoriness and uncer¬
ing women, its inviting carefree Gemütlichkeit. It is
tainty of life (The Green Cockatoo,' “Paracelsus')
Schnitzler who has created the enticing Vienna myth that
arises fundamentally out of his difficulty in solving the sex
lives on in the movies, His work is the final charming
issue; he questions the cosmos primarily because he is in
embodiment of a culture, sweet, feminine and tired; it is
doubt about scx. His situations continually revolve about
the tactful expression of an age that is not unmourned.
artist life in Vienna—bachelor apartments, cafés, soft
There is valus in a closing chapter, well told.
lights and hushed voiccs. To be sure, Schnitzler’s Anatol
Flight into Darkness,“ the latest of Schnitzler’s novels
is not merely “light-minded'; he is also “melancholic.' A
to be translated, has the same characteristics as his earlier
note of Meltschmerz (or is it Ichschmerz?) runs through
works, the faultless construction, the skillful analysis. Once
the greater part of Austrian literature. It is a nervous
more we are in Vienna; once more there is Liebelei; there
sensitiveness induced partly by the uncertain political fate
are even sad melodies “hauntingly reminiscent of Chopin.“
of a country composed of differing nationalities, a coun¬
The story concerns an incorrigible hypochondriac suffering
try that was thus in constant, imminent danger of dis¬
from persecution mania. In dealing with this individual,
solution. There is in Schnitzler, too, a sad undercurrent
the author’s purpose is not to shed light on the abnormality
(Dying, Beatrice, Thercse'). With mature reflec- in question; it is rather to suggest the darkness, baffling all
box 6/3