Phil.-Hist. Fakultät - Universität Augsburg
Transcrição
Phil.-Hist. Fakultät - Universität Augsburg
Universität Augsburg Ringvorlesung Amerikanistik Timo Müller, M.A. Romantik und Amerikanische Renaissance II: Poe und die Anfänge der Kurzgeschichte Edgar Allan Poe, „Review of Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne“ Were we called upon however to designate that class of composition which, next to such a poem as we have suggested, should best fulfil the demands of high genius — should offer it the most advantageous field of exertion — we should unhesitatingly speak of the prose tale, as Mr. Hawthorne has here exemplified it. We allude to the short prose narrative, requiring from a half-hour to one or two hours in its perusal. The ordinary novel is objectionable, from its length, for reasons already stated in substance. As it cannot be read at one sitting, it deprives itself, of course, of the immense force derivable from totality. Worldly interests intervening during the pauses of perusal, modify, annul, or counteract, in a greater or less degree, the impressions of the book. But simple cessation in reading would, of itself, be sufficient to destroy the true unity. In the brief tale, however, the author is enabled to carry out the fulness of his intention, be it what it may. During the hour of perusal the soul of the reader is at the writer's control. There are no external or extrinsic influences — resulting from weariness or interruption. A skilful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with deliberate care, a certain unique or single effect to be wrought out, he then invents such incidents — he then combines such events as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived effect. If his very initial sentence tend not to the outbringing of this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design. And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction. The idea of the tale has been presented unblemished, because undisturbed; and this is an end unattainable by the novel. Undue brevity is just as exceptionable here as in the poem; but undue length is yet more to be avoided. Arbeitsdefinition „Kurzgeschichte“ Die short story, wie sie sich im frühen 19. Jahrhundert in den USA herausbildet, ist eine symbolisch verdichtete Kurzform narrativer Prosa, die mündliche und schriftliche Erzähltraditionen verbindet und aus der Diskrepanz zwischen modernem Reflexionsbewußtsein und traumähnlichen Strukturen des Unbewußten Grenzerfahrungen kultureller Normalität inszeniert, die die Krise oder den Bruch eines bestehenden Welt- oder Selbstbilds bewirken. Washington Irving, „Rip van Winkle“ He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the village inn—but it too was gone. A large rickety wooden building stood in its place, with great gaping windows, some of them broken and mended with old hats and petticoats, and over the door was painted, “the Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle.” Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of stars and stripes—all this was strange and incomprehensible. He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL WASHINGTON. Washington Irving, „The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“ In this by-place of nature, there abode, in a remote period of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy wight of the name of Ichabod Crane; who sojourned, or, as he expressed it, “tarried,” in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity. He was a native of Connecticut; a State which supplies the Union with pioneers for the mind as well as for the forest, and sends forth yearly its legions of frontier woodsmen and country schoolmasters. Edgar Allan Poe, „The Fall of the House of Usher“ DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium—the bitter lapse into every-day life—the hideous dropping of the veil. Nathaniel Hawthorne, „The Maypole of Merry Mount“ BRIGHT WERE the days at Merry Mount, when the Maypole was the banner staff of that gay colony! They who reared it, should their banner be triumphant, were to pour sunshine over New England's rugged hills, and scatter flower seeds throughout the soil. Jollity and gloom were contending for an empire. Midsummer eve had come, bringing deep verdure to the forest, and roses in her lap, of a more vivid hue than the tender buds of Spring. But May, or her mirthful spirit, dwelt all the year round at Merry Mount, sporting with the Summer months, and revelling with Autumn, and basking in the glow of Winter's fireside. Through a world of toil and care she flitted with a dreamlike smile, and came hither to find a home among the lightsome hearts of Merry Mount. Unfortunately, there were men in the new world of a sterner faith than these Maypole worshippers. Not far from Merry Mount was a settlement of Puritans, most dismal wretches, who said their prayers before daylight, and then wrought in the forest or the corn-field till evening made it prayer time again. Their weapons were always at hand to shoot down the straggling savage. When they met in conclave, it was never to keep up the old English mirth, but to hear sermons three hours long, or to proclaim bounties on the heads of wolves and the scalps of Indians. Their festivals were fast days, and their chief pastime the singing of psalms. Wo to the youth or maiden who did but dream of a dance! The selectman nodded to the constable; and there sat the light-heeled reprobate in the stocks; or if he danced, it was round the whipping-post, which might be termed the Puritan Maypole. Literaturhinweise Current-García, Eugene. The American Short Story Before 1850. Boston: Twayne, 1985. Feeney, Joseph J. „The Structure of Ambiguity in Hawthorne’s ‚The Maypole of Merry Mount.‘“ Studies in American Fiction 3 (1975): 211-216. Hedges, William L. Washington Irving: An American Study, 1802-1832. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood P, 1965. May, Charles E. Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Pattee, Fred Lewis. The Development of the American Short Story: An Historical Survey. New York: Biblo and Tannen, repr. 1970. Zapf, Hubert, Hg. Amerikanische Literaturgeschichte. 2. Aufl. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2004. (Kapitel „Die Literatur der frühen Republik“ und „Romantik und ‚American Renaissance‘“). ---. „Subversive Ästhetik: Struktur, Chaos und Selbstreferenz in Edgar Allan Poes Erzählungen.“ Subversive Romantik. Hgg. Klaus Lubbers und Patricia Plummer. Berlin: Duncker und Humblodt, 2004. 79-89.