In this blog post, I examine why mysticism fails to resolve the problems of Westerners, focusing on Salinger’s early short stories (1945–1951), particularly the Glass family narrative and “A Good Day for Bananafish.” An Overview of Salinger’s Short Stories and the Glass Family Salinger published 16 short stories between 1945 and 1951; five of them were stories about Holden Caulfield and...
How Did Brecht’s Epic Theater Lead Audiences to “Training in Posture”?
In this blog post, we will examine key issues by tracing the progression from Brecht’s early individualistic works to his didactic and epic theater, linking his dialectical aesthetics, his intention to “train in posture,” and the context of the Hitler era. Brecht and His Theater The works and aesthetics of Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) generally follow a three-stage progression. In line with...
How Are Boto Strauss’s Works Connected to Mythology?
In this blog post, we’ll briefly explore Boto Strauss’s life and his works by period to see how he reinterpreted mythology and expanded upon it to address key concepts such as the Other, language, and emergence. About the Author The leading currents in German-language literature today are generally divided into two generations: those born in the 1920s and those born in the 1940s. The...
How did Balzac’s life and ‘La Comédie humaine’ influence the fictional world of ‘Father Goriot’?
In this blog post, we’ll examine how Balzac’s vast body of work and personal life—including his debts, romantic relationships, and sleeping habits—were reflected in the narrative and character development of ‘Father Goriot’. Balzac and the Scale of His Work Balzac is best known for his massive novel series, ‘La Comédie humaine’; above all, it is the sheer volume of...
Why Does Balzac’s ‘Cousin Pons’ Reveal the Inevitable Nature of Money and Greed?
In this blog post, we examine how Balzac’s ‘Cousin Pons’ constructs the mechanisms of evil through the reappearance of characters and detailed depictions of money within the context of the “human drama.” Balzac’s Grand Project and the Place of ‘Cousin Pons’ ‘Cousin Pons’ (1847) is one of the last completed works among the more than 200 novels and short...
Why was Meursault inevitably destined to become an outsider in society?
In this blog post, we will carefully explore, within the context of his life and the novel, how Meursault in Camus’s The Stranger was misunderstood and excluded in the face of tears, sunlight, and the social institution of the trial. Introduction Albert Camus’s The Stranger is a work that captivates us through the dazzling Mediterranean sunlight and the man—Meursault—who greets that...
If Mary hadn’t murdered her mother, would Charles Lamb’s literature have been different?
In this blog post, we’ll examine how Mary’s mental breakdown and the murder had a decisive impact on Charles Lamb’s life and essays, focusing on his poverty, family history, and literary transformation. When we reflect on the lives of writers or artists, we often find ourselves engaging in hypothetical speculation. We wonder: If Shakespeare hadn’t been driven out of his hometown, or if...
What are the three sources of Marxism, and why was it so threatening?
In this blog post, we will examine how the three components of Marxism—philosophy, economics, and socialism—combined to spark strong opposition from capitalism and the established academic community. Backlash Against Marxism and Its Historical Significance Marxism provoked strong hostility and aversion from bourgeois science, official academia, and liberal scholarship throughout the...
What was the hope for humanity that Luise Rinser spoke of?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how Luise Rinser—who lived through an era of war, loss, and suffering—viewed humanity and life. We’ll examine the faith and humanity embedded in her works, as well as the literary message of her determination to hold onto hope even in the face of despair. Linser, a female author who captivated the postwar younger generation with her so-called “Nina novels,”...
What is Lu Xun’s identity, and how does ‘The True Story of Ah Q’ reflect the reform of the national character?
In this blog post, we will analyze Lu Xun’s complex identity and the issue of national character reform as depicted in ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, while examining the core questions raised by his literature. Introduction Research on Lu Xun (魯迅) and his literature has been consistently conducted by numerous scholars from various perspectives. In particular, efforts to define his...