Alfred Döblin by Wolfgang KortReview by: Uwe K. FaulhaberThe German Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 3 (May, 1976), pp. 358-360Published by: Wiley on behalf of the American Association of Teachers of GermanStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/404496 .

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358 THE GERMAN QUARTERLY

as occupying much of Keyserling's art, and he finds characteristics of these two worlds reflected in a variety of symbols. William W. Pusey III looks into the treatment of interpersonal relationships with Keyserling, who, "blending compassion and irony ... has delineated credible men and women, their interactions and their human problems with ... skill and authority." Finally, in a comparative study, E. Allen McCormick expresses reservations about the view of Keyserling as decadent or as an outsider and states that he is one of the most gifted of the writers at fin de siecle, whose "art of fiction shows how far realism and impressionism ... can be successfully carried." University of Illinois H. G. HAILE

*Professor A. Wayne Wonderley passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 1975.

KORT, WOLFGANG, Alfred Doblin. (Twayne's World Authors Series, 290.) New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. (1974). 165 pp. $6.95

Alfred Dbblin's oeuvre is virtually unknown in the United States, and, if mentioned, his name is inextricably linked to Berlin Alexanderplatz. Aside from this novel, only Pardon wird nicht gegeben (Men Without Mercy) has been translated into English; it is a minor novel, written in exile, and is certainly not conducive to further reading of the author. Wolfgang Kort deserves credit for having written the first English monograph on Alfred Ddblin, not only because he seeks "to awaken general interest in the author" despite the dirth of English translations, but also because he succeeds admirably in rectifying the image of an author whose literary fortunes have rested far too long on a single best seller.

At the outset Kort has made a few well-reasoned concessions to his subject matter. He concentrates almost exclusively on the major novels and mentions plays and short stories only as echoes of certain themes and concerns of the author. In evaluating Doblin's work, Kort rightly stresses the value of the novels produced before 1933, but he is not apologetic about the lesser works written in exile. He shows, in fact very convincingly, that these works form an integral part of Dbblin's development and cannot be brushed aside for lack of artistic quality.

Kort opens by placing the author into his time. This attempt at combining biography with the intellectual currents of the day is not always successful. The intimate biography especially is a bit too lurid. Although the battle of the sexes may indeed be a major theme from the first to the last novel, Kort leaves these biographical details largely unrelated to the novels. On the other hand, Kort demonstrates that Ddblin's early political thinking contains the basic themes of his later

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BOOK REVIEWS 359

novels. The dilemma created by his apolitical position, his steadfast refusal to subscribe to any political program, is reflected in the all- pervasive theme of activity versus submission. In "Literary Beginnings" Kort relates Doblin to Expressionism and shows that despite the lack of an individual style the author was already at that time groping to go his own way. What Kort fails to point out, however, is the vehemence with which Doblin later repudiated that movement.

Of utmost importance to an understanding of D6blin, and perhaps also a partial explanation of his lack of success abroad, is his "Theory of the Epic and Philosophy of Nature." Kort solves the problems of presentation admirably by reducing the extremely complex, often contradictory material to a few principles. He stresses the triad of beliefs which form Ddblin's concept of the novel: I. that language is suprapersonal; 2. that the work of art is not designed to imitate life, but to create its won form of reality; 3. that the author should not portray an isolated event but a totality by deciphering events in terms of the wealth of relationships.

The discussion of each novel is accompanied by a thorough and accurate plot summary. The reader who is not familiar with any novel will have little difficulty following Kort's interpretation. In the chapter "Imagination and Reality-China and Berlin" Kort juxtaposes the novels Die drei Spriinge des Wang-lun und Wadzeks Kampf mit der Dampfturbine. Despite their divergent characteristics Kort proves their complementary nature. The antithesis of submission or rebellion in the face of an overpowering fate is the basis of both novels; however, the latter reiterates the theme in an inverted ironic fashion. Kort uses the same technique with Wallenstein and Berge, Meere und Giganten. They are paired as "History and Science Fiction," and Kort shows the uniformity of Dbblin's view of the past and future. Equally engaging and methodologically even more intriguing is the unifying approach in "Mythology and Modern Existence," the examination of Manas and Berlin Alexanderplatz. Kort points to the "totality" portrayed in both works which differ so radically in genre and subject matter. The suprareality of both works is uniquely the same, whether it be the quest of the Indian prince Manas or of his counterpart Franz Biberkopf. This is a refreshing departure from the usual interpretations of Berlin A lexan derplatz.

The novels of exile, treated in the chapter "Why Write, and for Whom?", lack the explicit treatment afforded the others; Kort abandons his method of synthesizing themes for a linear, chronological approach and unfortunately examines each novel rather too briefly. Dbblin's final, all embracing statement, albeit in Christian terms, is presented carefully and lucidly through an interpretation of Hamlet oder die lange Nacht nimmt ein Ende. The appended conclusion sums up once more.

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360 THE GERMAN QUARTERLY

Some minor adjustments have to be made in the "Chronological Table" where the novel Babylonische Wandrung has been omitted. The

monograph is eminently readable; the translations of Doblin's often

capricious use of language have been ably handled by Dennis P. Krueger. Alfred Doblin represents an excellent attempt at unifying D6blin's rather diffuse work and deserves careful reading. Wayne State University UWE K. FAULHABER

LOCKEMANN, WOLFGANG, Lyrik, Epik, Dramatik oder die totgesagte Trinitdt. Meisenheim/Glan: Verlag Anton Hain (1973). viii, 374 pp. DM 49

Wolfgang Lockemann has written a number of excellent articles on

genre theory and narrative technique, and yet he has produced a rather

undistinguished and even problematic book on such a topic. The book is, first of all, frustrating to read. His "introduction" simply omits the most

problematic side of genre criticism (namely the historical dimension), the "conclusion" is largely a polemic against Wolfgang Iser (and Iser's interest in the reader), and the main body of the text tends to rehearse a number of well-known theories and opinions about genre, including those advanced by Lockemann himself in recent articles. In short, one searches in vain for a fresh insight or a new angle on things.

Lockemann's goal is to resurrect the three Platonic categories of literature (epic, drama, and lyric) for the benefit of modern literary criticism. Most modern critics, of course-critics as different as Wellek and Hermand, Szondi and Todorov-have considered the sublime trinity to be "dead" and have urged instead the study of actual historical kinds

("Arten"), such as those of science fiction, fantasy literature, documentary drama, or whatever. Lockemann, however, insists that the trio of Urformen is alive and well. That this trio ultimately derives from an Idealist aesthetics is also readily admitted by Lockemann, who informs us that the book (which contains few concrete examples as it is) would have been better if it had contained no examples at all, but merely theory!

The claim that his restaurative definition of the three archetypes is somehow "new," however, is difficult to follow. Essentially, he preaches a New Criticism tinged with phenomenology ia la Kite Hamburger. Hence the unfortunate emphasis on such aspects as the absolute "Kunst-Sein der

Dichtung," as well as such information as that literary texts are "autonomous" constructs and not real, but merely "Schein," etc. Lockemann adds, however, that he is not reacting to the newer social and

political trends in literary criticism, but merely "correcting" certain views.

I cannot reconstruct Lockemann's argument here in detail. Much of the book, as he himself admits in the foreword, is a detailed polemic

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