Luischen

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Luischen is a short story by Thomas Mann , which was first published in 1900 in the literary journal Die Gesellschaft and in 1903 in the Tristan collection of short stories .

content

The 40-year-old lawyer Christian Jacoby is “more than obese”, a “real colossus of a man” with legs like an “elephant” and a back like a “bear”, plus a small head with a “tiny mouth” and “ watery eyes, drooping cheeks ”. His 30-year-old wife Amra, on the other hand, is "young and beautiful, a woman of unusual charms" and Mediterranean opulence. But she only has a “sparrow brain” and sometimes has a “lustful, devious look”. The wealthy, childless couple live side by side. Amra cheats on her Christian with the young and bold composer Alfred Läutner. The whole town knows about it, except the horned husband doesn't. Sometimes he kneels at night in front of the bed of his falling asleep Amra and declares his love for her. The sensual, malicious woman, however, has only one look of contempt for the submissive husband. Like a dog, she consoled him with the words: “Yes! - Yes! - You good animal -! "

One spring, Amra had the idea of ​​holding a big party for more than 150 people in a garden restaurant. Christian reluctantly gives his consent. In addition to the married couple, a singer, a painter, a poet and an actor, the preparatory committee also includes the composer Läutner. When the committee meets, Amra amazes everyone with the suggestion that Christian - as a “highlight” and main attraction, as it were - should appear in “red silk baby clothes” and sing and dance to the company. Christian rejects the unheard-of impertinence several times. Läutner, on the other hand, is enthusiastic because he should compose something suitable for the landlord and accompany him on the piano together with Amra.

When Christian affirmed his love for the falling asleep Amra on the same evening and flashed her again, he finally gave his consent to his appearance, contrite. Läutner composes the ridiculous couplet "Luischen". The party rises and the atmosphere is great - until Christian's big moment comes. When he is shapeless and ugly like a clumsy dancing bear with helpless movements the pink Luischen and is accompanied by the adulterous couple Amra and Alfred, the "horror" is in all eyes and the "scandal" is perfect. Luischen's gaze wanders back and forth between the breathless audience and the couple at the piano. It is as if the dancer, aroused by the change in a different key, which Alfred Läutner strikes surprisingly, has come to a “realization”. Suddenly his eyes open. All of this is too much for the ponderous bear. He collapses dead on the stage.

review

  • In the “ Neue Zürcher Zeitung ” on December 5, 1903 , Hesse paid tribute to Mann's work to date, but explicitly excludes “Luischen” from his blanket praise because it touches the “burlesque” too closely.

literature

expenditure
  • Thomas Mann: Novellas . 2 volumes. Fischer, Berlin 1922. First to tenth edition. 373 pages. Collected Works . Volume 1: Little Mr. Friedemann - Disappointment - The Bajazzo - Tobias Mindernickel - Luischen - The way to the cemetery - The hungry - The wardrobe - Gladius Dei - One luck - With the prophet
  • Thomas Mann: All the stories. Volume 1, Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt 1987, ISBN 3-10-348115-2 , pp. 147-165.
reading
  • Thomas Mann: Little Mr. Friedemann / Luischen. 2 cassettes, 108 minutes. Speaker: Gert Westphal . Litraton publishing house, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-89469-166-2 .
Secondary literature
  • Volker Michels (Ed.): Hermann Hesse. The world in book I. Reviews and essays from the years 1900–1910. (= Hermann Hesse. All works in 20 volumes. Volume 16). Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2002, ISBN 3-518-41116-0 .
  • Hans R. Vaget in: Helmut Koopmann (Ed.): Thomas-Mann-Handbuch. Kröner, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-520-82803-0 , p. 561 f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michels, p. 56, 19. Zvo