October 16, 2007: Musil’s Young Törleß

Location of School:symbolic

East & South Stereotypes in Turn-of-the-Century Austrian Literature: 

School at W. as a Microcosm of Austro-Hungarian Society:

•      Teachers: 

•      Parents:  

•      Chaplain: 

•      Young Prince H.: 

•      Beineberg: 

•      Reiting: 

•      Törleß: 

•      Basini: 

•      Stationmaster: 

•      Bozena: 

•     Slav peasants in village: 

In-Class Writing Assignment: How did you react to the scenes of homosexuality, brutality, and sadism in the novel?  What function do they have in Toerless’s overall development?  Does the end justify the means in this case?

Lecture:  Musil’s Young Toerless

Musil & the Crisis of Values:  Disintegration of the Rationally Ordered World

Failure of Language: 

Toerless’ Development:

Slide Presentation:  Violence & Sexuality in Turn-of-the-Century Art

•      Klimt:  Judith I (1905) + Judith II (1909);

•      Schiele:  self-portrait nude (1910) + self-portrait masturbating (1911) + self-portrait castrated + self-portrait as prisoner (1912)

•      Kokoschka:  series of sketches for Murderer, Hope of Women (1909-10):  for Der Sturm + self-portrait/poster (1912)