Heinrich Mann: The development of the 'sociocritical' novel to a 'political' novel in the early work

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: In the beginning of the 20th century numerous changes in the social, economic and political level flow together. In the ambivalent spirit of end time and break-up different trends of literature are unfolded. For the young Heinrich Mann these processes continue in his early work as a writer and qualify for interpretation and the hope to overcome the Fin de siécle trend. The selected novels of this work „Im Schlaraffenland – Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten” (1900), „Professor Unrat oder Das Ende eines Tyrannen” (1904) and „Die Kleine Stadt“ (1909) represent the development of this intention. At first they appear as a satirical criticism of the society and later in the second half of the decade as a draft for a democratic society. In the following the former novels „Im Schlaraffenland” and „Professor Unrat” are mentioned without subheading. This work shall point out the very development phase of Heinrich Mann between 1900 and 1909 until the beginning of his political writing. As a result of biographical and literary effects he takes up a special position and shows a change in his early work. His critical and satirical examination of the society associated with a special style of speech open out in a preachy democratic ideal of the society after the turning year 1905. On the one hand these positions make the career of the man of letters difficult in the German nationalistic empire. On the other hand they make him to become a precursor of a vanguard readership. Before the philosophical influence of Friedrich Nietzsche and the literary effect of predominantly French origin on Heinrich Mann will be dwelled on, this work will give a short overview of the literary understanding. After this the three mentioned novels will be discussed in the chapters 2., 3. and 4. and will be correlated. It will become apparent that there is a strong breach of Heinrich Mann in his satires and his democratic utopia. After the year 1905 Heinrich Mann changes his mind back to the time of reconnaissance, Jean Jacques Rousseau’s ideal of the society and the trilogy imagination of liberty, equality and brotherliness of the French revolution of 1789. His guiding themes of power and spirit, the dualism of the society and the individual and the problems of the artist are therefore at the figure of change in the first decade of the 20th century.Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: HEINRICH MANN: MIRROR AND ANTAGONIST OF HIS TIME1 INTRODUCTION3 1.The Fin [...]

Alexander v. Fenner, born 1971 in Düsseldorf, studied German language and literature at the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf 1999-2007 as master of arts (M.A.). Besides he had an oral examination for history as a part of his exam 2006. He finished his studies in spring 2007 and published this translation at the beginning of 2008.