The stone knocker

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The work Die Steinklopfer is a novella by Ferdinand von Saar , which appeared in 1874 . The author describes the hard work on the Semmering Railway and the love between two “outcasts” of society and their problems.

content

Die Steinklopfer is a novella that takes place against the historical background of the construction of the Semmering Railway . It is about the love between the retired soldier Georg and the stone knocker Tertschka.

Georg Huber has to retire from the military for health reasons, but finds work again as a stone knocker on the Semmering Railway. In the course of the story he falls in love with Tertschka, the supervisor's stepdaughter; he affectionately calls her Resi. The work of the whole group is under the tyrannical and brutal regime of the overseer. When he learns of the love between them, he is furious. He forbids Terschka to interact with Georg. One day there is an argument between Georg and the overseer, during which Georg hits the overseer with a hammer on the chest out of self-defense and kills him. Georg is arrested and put in the military prison ( Stockhaus ). The auditor takes the case off. Tertschka is so in love that she calls on a colonel to prove his innocence in the death of the overseer.

The colonel is touched by the inseparable love of the two, although even at a young age he was betrayed by his beloved and had lost faith in love. He urges the auditor to make a fair judgment. This is one year in hard prison, but pre- trial detention makes up for it. The lovers get a job including a trainman's house with a small field where they can live happily ever after until the end of their days.

interpretation

With his novella, the author wants to draw attention to the poor situation of the working class, especially the quarry workers. However, he does not write generally about the group of stone breakers, but rather reports specifically on the fate of the overseer, Georg, Tertschkas and the colonel.

language

The language is deliberately chosen by the author. The author often uses adjectives as attributes; this makes it easier for the reader to get an idea of ​​the environment and the people involved.

Despite frequent nested sentences, the novella is easy to read. The author has avoided complicated words.

shape

“This story is a shorter prose tale about an event that either actually happened or could have happened. There is only one exciting narrative thread. The novella focuses on a single event. The narrator is omniscient . ”The author slips into the person of the storyteller. "[...], I now want to tell a little story."

The 46 page long novella was written in four chapters.

introduction
  • The history of the Semmering Railway is briefly discussed and presented as a marvel of mankind. Then the getting to know and love Georg and Tertschka and the controversies with the supervisor are described in great detail.
Unheard of incident
  • The overseer discovered the love between Georg and Tertschka and subsequently had a dispute between Georg and the overseer, in the course of which Georg killed the overseer in self-defense.
Tension and crisis
  • There are three exciting moments in the novella:
    • Appearance to the overseer
    • Arrest of Georg
    • Tertschka's fear of being able to prove Georg's innocence
Turning point
  • Tertschka's visit to the Colonel leads to the release of Georg.
Enough
  • The author lets the novel end with a happy ending. The life situation of Georg and Tertschka 15 years after working in the quarry is described.

literature

  • Ferdinand von Saar: The stone knocker . Tambi. Two novellas from Austria . Afterword by Heinz Rieder. Reclam, Stuttgart, 2001, pp. 1-46.
  • Gerald Rainer, Norbert Kern, Eva Rainer: Keyword literature . 3. Edition. Veritas-Verlag, 2002, pp. 250-251.

Web links