The bachelor's death
The death of the bachelor is a story by the Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler , which first appeared in 1908 in the Wiener Österreichische Rundschau . In 1912 it was included in the collection of novels, Masks and Miracles , published by S. Fischer , Berlin .
content
The doctor, the merchant and the poet are called to the deathbed of their friend, the 55-year-old bachelor with heart disease. The three gentlemen hurrying up are late, but find a letter that is now nine years old and addressed to them. In it, the bachelor reveals to them that he had a relationship with their wives.
All three react differently, sometimes angry, sometimes concerned, but keep their composure as they review their years of marriage. The poet lost physical interest in his wife, but gained a companion who even tolerated his infidelities. The doctor thinks of his aging, mild, kind wife, of the three grown children he had together, and of his attempt to break out of this marriage fourteen years ago. Finally, the widowed merchant does not see himself in a position to conjure up a clearly defined image of his wife or a deeper, lasting feeling within himself.
The poet and the doctor do not want to tell their wives about the letter. The poet, concerned about his fame, takes on the writing. Should his wife survive him and find the letter in his estate, she should admire him for his generosity: "And with the rare imagination that was his own, he heard her whisper at his grave: You noble ... Great ..."
reception
For Michaela L. Perlmann, the letter appears to be an attempt by the bachelor to make no sense to influence living friends from beyond. For Peter Sprengel, too, the effect that the bachelor had hoped for fizzled out. In the face of death, the husbands who have been betrayed are rather mild-tempered and want to forgive.
Film adaptations
- Las tres perfectas casadas . Spain / Mexico 1973, directed by Benito Alazraki , with Manuel Alexandre , Rafael Alonso , María Elena Arpón , Luis Dávila and Manuel De Blas
- The bachelor's death . Austria 1968, directed by Herbert Fuchs , with Emil Stöhr , Gretl Schörg , Leopold Rudolf , Elisabeth Stemberger and Ernst Meister
expenditure
- Arthur Schnitzler: Masks and Miracles. Novellas. S. Fischer, Berlin 1912, 189 pages. Includes The Shepherd's Flute , The Bachelor's Death , The Murderer , The Dead Gabriel , The Redegonda Diary, and The Triple Warning .
- Arthur Schnitzler: Lieutenant Gustl. Stories 1892–1907. With an afterword by Michael Scheffel . S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1961 (2004 edition), 525 pages, ISBN 3-10-073552-8
literature
- Michaela L. Perlmann: Arthur Schnitzler. Metzler Collection, Vol. 239, Stuttgart 1987, 195 pages, ISBN 3-476-10239-4
- Peter Sprengel: History of German-Language Literature 1900–1918. Munich 2004, 924 pages, ISBN 3-406-52178-9
Web links
- The Bachelor's Death at Zeno.org
Individual evidence
- ↑ Arthur Schnitzler: Lieutenant Gustl. Stories 1892–1907. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1961 (2004 edition), ISBN 3-10-073552-8 , p. 523.
- ↑ Michaela L. Perlmann: Arthur Schnitzler. Metzler Collection, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-476-10239-4 , p. 133.
- ^ Peter Sprengel: History of German-Language Literature 1900–1918. Munich 2004, ISBN 3-406-52178-9 , pp. 171-172.