Academic literature on the topic 'Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre'

This thesis is divided into two main parts. The first, comprising the three initial chapters, looks, in chapter one, at the specifically German origins of the Bildungsroman, its distinctive features, and the difficulties surrounding its transplantation into the literary contexts of other countries. Particular attention is paid to the ethical dimension of the genre, i.e. to the relation between the individual self and the exterior world, and how it affects individual formation. The focus then shifts to American literature, and the term 'narrative of initiation' is recommended as a credible alternative to 'Bildungsroman'. Allowing for similarities between them, it is none the less strongly suggested that the Bildungsroman of German origin and the American narrative of initiation should be seen as being intrinsically different, principally because of the different cultural backgrounds that shaped them. Several features of the theme of initiation are postulated as decisive factors in the discrepancies between the initiatory narrative and the Bildungsroman. Analysis of six texts - three of each literary tradition - follows, to provide support for the theoretical discussion of the terms introduced in chapter one. Three Bildungsromane are considered in the second chapter, namely Goethe's Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, Stifter's Der Nachsommer and Keller's Der grune Heinrich, and three narratives of initiation in chapter three: Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Crane's The Red Badge of Courage and Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. Their relevance to the tradition of German and American fiction as a whole and as precursors of Mann's Der Zauberberg and Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories is considered. A direct comparison between Mann's and Hemingway's texts constitutes the second part of this thesis, wholly contained in chapter four. In addition to a comprehensive critical reading of both narratives, the contemporaneity of Der Zauberberg and The Nick Adams Stories is taken into account, and consequently special consideration is given to the texts' close relation with the cultural and historical realities of the early twentieth century, particularly the impact of the First World War. With the assistance of Jung's theories, an increased awareness of death and of the dark side of the psyche - though dealt with differently in both texts - is put forward as a significant factor in the deviation of Der Zauberberg and The Nick Adams Stories from the traditions of the Bildungsroman and of the narrative of initiation. This departure leads to a re-appraisal of the relation between the protagonists and their society, and to a new ethical attitude that presupposes different, more modem conceptions of what Bildung and initiation represent in the context of the early twentieth century. How and why they changed and if they survived as literary notions are questions this thesis attempts to answer.

Les Lumières allemandes voient l’émergence d’une réflexion anthropologique spécifique qui envisage l’homme dans sa totalité, en dépassant les dualismes entre l’âme et le corps, l’esprit et la sensibilité, la nature et la culture. Le présent travail se propose d’analyser dans cette perspective "Les Années de Voyage de Wilhelm Meister ou les Renonçants" de Johann Wolfgang Goethe, ultime roman de l’auteur qui se situe au début du XIXe siècle en Allemagne. Nous démontrons que ce roman témoigne d’une unité de sens sous-jacente à la multitude apparente au premier regard. En focalisant notre recherche sur l’analyse du chemin initiatique, nous pouvons dépasser les significations communément admises. Nous pouvons montrer que tout un nouvel univers pour la compréhension de cette œuvre hermétique de vieillesse, élaborée en même temps que Faust II, de 1825 à 1829, s’ouvre alors. Goethe observe et dépeint les difficultés existentielles de son époque et propose une solution pour l’individu, celle de tendre vers une indépendance ontologique intérieure face aux incertitudes du monde extérieur. Son projet éducatif consiste à faire l’union entre la quintessence de la philosophie hermétique, tradition millénaire (die alte Wahrheit), inhérente à un accès à la maîtrise initiatique et les besoins de l’époque moderne : la capacité au dépassement de soi, acquise par une individuation réussie et l’unité en soi-même, peut être mise au service du bien commun
The German Enlightenment witnessed the emergence of a particular kind of anthropological reflection considering man in its totality, going beyond the dualisms of soul and body, spirit and sensitivity, nature and culture. This work sets out to analyze Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s ultimate novel taking place in early nineteenth century Germany — Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, or the Renunciants — through that perspective. It demonstrates how a sense of unity underlies the apparent multiplicity of this novel. Focusing my research on the study of the initiatory journey allowed me to transcend commonly accepted interpretations. Indeed, the reader is provided with a new context of understanding for this hermetic novel written in old age, in the same period as Faust II, from 1825 to 1829. Goethe observes and depicts the existential difficulties of his era and offers the following solution to the individual: one should strive towards an inner ontological independence in order to face the uncertainties of the external world. His educational project consists in uniting the quintessence of hermetic philosophy, a millenary tradition (“die alte Wahrheit”) inherent in initiatory masterhood, and the needs of the modern era. Goethe thus reveals how the ability to surpass oneself thanks to a successful individuation and a sense of unity within oneself can be put at the service of the common interest