HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ...
HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ... HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ...
Ewigkeit 1st blofi ein Augenblick, gerade lange genug fur einen Spafi. 21 (SW 4, 96-97) Hesse's 'Humor', as scholars such as Freedman, Ziolkowski, Boulby, and Hollis point out, stems from Romantic irony and serves the purpose of bridging the gap between the ideal and reality, this coming to the fore in works such as Die Nurnberger Reise, Kurgast (1925), and Der Steppenwolf. In the close of the chapter (section 6.6), Hesse's narrative irony will be under scrutiny and its limitations underlined as a hindrance to the attainment of that immortal status for which Hesse, along with most of his characters, express a fervent longing. While drawing on the interrelation of the abovementioned themes (music, memory, metamorphosis, eternity, and humour), as well as their connections with time within Hesse's work, this thesis investigates a further feauture of temporality, namely dialectics, which informs Hesse's thought at various levels. The antithetical nature of time, which is both a creator and a destroyer, resonates powerfully with the dialectics underpinning Hesse's theoretical framework (see Chapter I). 22 As noted above, the interplay of the ideal and reality is the blueprint of Romantic irony as well as the backbone of virtually all works by Hesse, whose dialectics unfolds through the dynamic confrontation of polar opposites and the attempt to reconcile them, in an ideal synthesis. Hesse's artistry draws on the pendulation between antitheses (light and darkness, mind and matter, separation and unity, life and death) and his dialectical approach extends to music, memory, metamorphosis, and eternity. Hesse's fascination with the sonata form and the fugue can be traced back to the dialectical interaction of themes of the former and the simultaneous interplay of 21 In this context, it should be noted that, although laughter is a distinctive feature of the Immortals, the Tractat vom Steppenwolf identifies 'Humour' as an attribute of time, an intermediate, earthly stage for those individuals who are not yet ready to abandon the contentment of the bourgeoisie ('die Atmosphare der Biirgererde'; SW 4, 57) in order to follow the path to that leads to eternity ('ins Kosmische'; ibid.). Section 6.4 seeks to show that these seemingly contradictory facets of Hesse's 'Humor' are in fact complementary. 22 The dialectial nature of time finds expression in cultures of various epochs and regions. In Greek mythology, time is linked with Kronos and Khronos, often considered as two sides of the same divinity. The former was a titan (father of Zeus) associated with his destructive power since he overthrew his father Ouranos and then, for fear he would suffer the same fate, ate his own offspring. The second, also known as Aeon, was the personification of time and eternity. The figure of Kronos who devours what he generates resonates with the Hindu god Shiva 'India's Lord Shiva is called 'great time' and 'all-devouring time'; he embodies universal energy, both active and destructive. [...] Through his dance Shiva awakens inert matter, animates the inanimate world and brings forth the cycles of time: birth and death, creation and destruction' (Adam, 7). As indicated in section 3.5, 'Whistling and dancing', Shiva is part of Hesse's imagery.
subject and countersubject in the latter (see 2.4); forgetfulness, or the need to forget, is the necessary complement of remembering in Hesse's discourse on memory; permanence and transience find expression in the idea of metamorphosis; the fleeting is the perfect foil for the eternal. The discussion of these themes will draw on various writers and thinkers whose works have proved relevant to our investigation and, in some cases, on more than one occasion. 23 Among Hesse's predecessors, Saint Augustine has a pivotal role not just because of his speculations on time but also for being the initiator of the genre of autobiography as a literary 'confession' (see Chapter 4). The influence of cornerstones of German literature and thought such as Goethe, Novalis, and Nietzsche permeates Hesse's works to such a degree that it is almost reductive to single out specific aspects of their legacy; however, we will call on Goethe especially in relation to the theme of polarities (see 1.1). Novalis' 'Magischer Idealismus' will be discussed as the blueprint of Hesse's 'Magisches Denken' (1.4). Nietzsche, together with Dostoevsky, will be mentioned for their seminal role in the formation of the Existentialist thought (3.3) and as a source for the concept of eternal recurrence (5.3). Lastly, Bergson's considerations in Matter and memory (Mattere et memoire, 1896) and Laughter (Le rire, 1900) are relevant to the discussion on memory (Chapter 4) and humour (6.1) respectively. 24 Among Hesse's contemporaries, Thomas Mann is certainly the author whose poetics and aesthetics show the closest affinities with Hesse's artistic aims. Mann's reflections on time, as noted above, permeates Der Zauberberg, and his elaboration on music and on the interrelation between ethics and aesthetics in Doktor Faustus (1947) parallels Hesse's concern with music and the role of art in Das Glasperlenspiel (1943).25 T. S. Eliot praised Hesse's Blick ins Chaos (1920), to which he explicitly refers in The 23 With regard to memory, humour, and music, literary material has been supplemented with texts from other fields of knowledge, from especially neuroscience (Schmidt and Lee, Cohen, Basden), linguistics (Raskin), music theory (Nielsen) and musicology (Rosen, Grout). 24 Bergson appears along with several other authors and thinkers in Hesse's ' Vom Biicherlesen' (1920; GS VII, 248). 25 As Bishop notes: '[The] similarities [between Doktor Faustus and Das Glasperlenspiel] include 'a complex time-horizon; [...] a coming-to-terms with cultural history; [...] the thematic concern with the relation between ethics and aesthetics' (228). For further elements of comparison between the two novels, see Chapter 3, especially note 29. 10
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subject and countersubject in the latter (see 2.4); forgetfulness, or the need to forget, is<br />
the necessary complement of remembering in Hesse's discourse on memory;<br />
permanence and transience find expression in the idea of metamorphosis; the<br />
fleeting is the perfect foil for the eternal.<br />
The discussion of these themes will draw on various writers and thinkers<br />
whose works have proved relevant to our investigation and, in some cases, on more<br />
than one occasion. 23 Among Hesse's predecessors, Saint Augustine has a pivotal role<br />
not just because of his speculations on time but also for being the initiator of the<br />
genre of autobiography as a literary 'confession' (see Chapter 4). The influence of<br />
cornerstones of German literature and thought such as Goethe, Novalis, and<br />
Nietzsche permeates Hesse's works to such a degree that it is almost reductive to<br />
single out specific aspects of their legacy; however, we will call on Goethe especially<br />
in relation to the theme of polarities (see 1.1). Novalis' 'Magischer Idealismus' will be<br />
discussed as the blueprint of Hesse's 'Magisches Denken' (1.4). Nietzsche, together<br />
with Dostoevsky, will be mentioned for their seminal role in the formation of the<br />
Existentialist thought (3.3) and as a source for the concept of eternal recurrence (5.3).<br />
Lastly, Bergson's considerations in Matter and memory (Mattere et memoire, 1896) and<br />
Laughter (Le rire, 1900) are relevant to the discussion on memory (Chapter 4) and<br />
humour (6.1) respectively. 24<br />
Among Hesse's contemporaries, Thomas Mann is certainly the author whose<br />
poetics and aesthetics show the closest affinities with Hesse's artistic aims. Mann's<br />
reflections on time, as noted above, permeates Der Zauberberg, and his elaboration on<br />
music and on the interrelation between ethics and aesthetics in Doktor Faustus (1947)<br />
parallels Hesse's concern with music and the role of art in Das Glasperlenspiel (1943).25<br />
T. S. Eliot praised Hesse's Blick ins Chaos (1920), to which he explicitly refers in The<br />
23 With regard to memory, humour, and music, literary material has been supplemented with texts from other<br />
fields of knowledge, from especially neuroscience (Schmidt and Lee, Cohen, Basden), linguistics (Raskin),<br />
music theory (Nielsen) and musicology (Rosen, Grout).<br />
24 Bergson appears along with several other authors and thinkers in Hesse's ' Vom Biicherlesen' (1920; GS VII,<br />
248).<br />
25 As Bishop notes: '[The] similarities [between Doktor Faustus and Das Glasperlenspiel] include 'a complex<br />
time-horizon; [...] a coming-to-terms with cultural history; [...] the thematic concern with the relation between<br />
ethics and aesthetics' (228). For further elements of comparison between the two novels, see Chapter 3,<br />
especially note 29.<br />
10
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