10. Leutnant
Gustl
box 1/12
„
Schnitzler and the Military Censership
246
Schnitzler kann doch das nur sagen,
Was er selber glaubt und fühlt,
Anders denken, anders schreiben,
Könnt’ er nur, wenn er’s wo stiehlt.
Finally the Figaro (July 13, roor) derives some humor from the
fact that Schnitzler’s demotion was motivated partly by his
failure to challenge the author of rhe denunciatory article in the
Reichswehr to a duel:
Wenn ich jemals erkranke, lasse ich mich durch den Dr. A.
Schnitzler behandeln; dem kann man das Honorar schuldig
bleiben, denn wie ehrenrätlich festgestellt ist, fordert er nicht.
In writing Leutnant Gurt. Schnitzler simply exercised his
sovereign prerogative as a creative artist to portray a human
character, and in judging it tile only admissible criteria are
whether he has succeeded in making this character plausible and
convincing to his readers. This principle is so generally accepted
by intelligent critics that nothing further remains to be said
on this score. Moreover, Schnitzler does not imply that all
Austrian officers are er were like that, but merely describes a
specific individual as he saw him. Besides, the lieutenant’s
fundamental emotions and reactions are universally human, they
are only modified to fit the particular character in time and
place. If this were not so, the rest of us would be unable to
appreciate the work. That the military powers saw fit to
discipline Schnitzler was an abuse of their authority, that they
partly based their action on his failure to challenge a newspaper
critic, is ridiculous. Ifevery author were to react in that manner
to hostile attacks in the press, he would have to stop writing.
Coruupia UNIvERSITY
Gustl
box 1/12
„
Schnitzler and the Military Censership
246
Schnitzler kann doch das nur sagen,
Was er selber glaubt und fühlt,
Anders denken, anders schreiben,
Könnt’ er nur, wenn er’s wo stiehlt.
Finally the Figaro (July 13, roor) derives some humor from the
fact that Schnitzler’s demotion was motivated partly by his
failure to challenge the author of rhe denunciatory article in the
Reichswehr to a duel:
Wenn ich jemals erkranke, lasse ich mich durch den Dr. A.
Schnitzler behandeln; dem kann man das Honorar schuldig
bleiben, denn wie ehrenrätlich festgestellt ist, fordert er nicht.
In writing Leutnant Gurt. Schnitzler simply exercised his
sovereign prerogative as a creative artist to portray a human
character, and in judging it tile only admissible criteria are
whether he has succeeded in making this character plausible and
convincing to his readers. This principle is so generally accepted
by intelligent critics that nothing further remains to be said
on this score. Moreover, Schnitzler does not imply that all
Austrian officers are er were like that, but merely describes a
specific individual as he saw him. Besides, the lieutenant’s
fundamental emotions and reactions are universally human, they
are only modified to fit the particular character in time and
place. If this were not so, the rest of us would be unable to
appreciate the work. That the military powers saw fit to
discipline Schnitzler was an abuse of their authority, that they
partly based their action on his failure to challenge a newspaper
critic, is ridiculous. Ifevery author were to react in that manner
to hostile attacks in the press, he would have to stop writing.
Coruupia UNIvERSITY