German Romanticism - Essay Example

Running Head: THE MARQUISE OF O The Marquise of O Name Course Institution Date The Marquise of O The rape scene In the rape scene in the Marquise of O, Giulietta is initially separated from her mother by a grenade explosion which “throws everything into confusion”. This happens just after her mother insists that she, Giulietta and the children must stay together while the Russian troops storm the castle and try to relinquish it from Giulietta's father, Commandant G. As a result of the grenade explosion, Giulietta finds herself and her two children on the outer precincts of the castle described as “where the fierce fighting was already in progress and shots flashed through the darkness. The language of war can be seen from the build up to the rape scene. The Commandant is described as having answered the Russians demand that he surrender with grenades and bullets (Helbling, 1975).This statement is used to describe opening fire on the enemy both by use of guns and explosives. In response the Russians “shelled” the citadel. The code of war is used as a narrative tool and creates the setting for the rape scene and the rest of the story- siege, surrender, conquest and pistols. The code of war is captured in the narrative sequence in which surrender only comes after a siege and subsequent battle. The Russians lay siege upon the citadel of Commandant G, implore him to surrender which he refuses. Then a battle ensues in which both sides use the armaments at their disposal to try and force the enemy to surrender (Helbling, 1975). The author also describes how the Russians go about the business of storming the citadel. They are covered by heavy artillery fire, a military maneuver in which heavy artillery guns are used to keep the defensive forces occupied while infantry or soldiers on foot try to breach the lines of defense of the citadel with hand held arms such as swords and pistols. The Russians also set ablaze the left wing of the Commandants' residence. This shows another strategy employed to further weaken the defensive forces by scattering them as the women and children are forced to flee. The grenade is also used to great effect as it causes confusion and separates Giulietta and her two children from her mother. The narrative captures the effectiveness of the use of the grenade as it is employed just after Giulietta's mother insists that they stay together and it has the exact opposite effect of separating them. Once on the outside of the citadel, Giulietta is alone and vulnerable where “fierce fighting is in progress and shots flashed through the darkness” (Von Kleist, 1978). As Giulietta, “panic stricken and with no idea where to turn” tries to escape through the back door, she is unfortunate to encounter a troop of enemy riflemen. The rifle-mens' reaction is described as “who soon as they saw her suddenly fell silent, slung their guns over their shoulders and with obscene gestures, seized her and carried her off. The language of war used by the author also captures the behavior of soldiers in the midst of battle. By falling silent and slinging their guns over their shoulders, the rifle-men are taking advantage of the lawlessness, chaos and confusion caused by the storming of the citadel to indulge themselves in the pleasure of a woman. Suddenly falling silent indicates realization of an opportunity to do that which otherwise not have been approved or violation of the code of war. It also reflects acknowledgment that what they intend is not legitimate. They signal their intentions by making obscene gestures to each other to communicate their desire to each other and obtain consent within themselves or unity of purpose to commit their crime in haste (Von Kleist, 1978). This is typical of war situations where soldiers are known to take advantage of the chaos to commit such crimes. Giulietta realizes what is about to befall her and her reaction is to scream for help from her “terrified” women. The women, however, are all fleeing towards the gate. This captures the roles of gender in war in which the men are involved in the fighting, such as Commandant G, while the women are vulnerable and even allowed to escape. The rifle-men apparently take no note of the fleeing women as is consistent with their mission to storm the citadel and relieve Commandant G and his troops of control. The women are “terrified” and apparently cannot come to their Marquise’s-Giulietta's-aid. The rifle-men are further described as a “dreadful rabble” which “tugged her hither and tether fighting among themselves”. This further captures the lawlessness of war situations. The rifle-men are fighting among themselves to be the first to take advantage of Giulietta or to rape her. This demonstrates the haste and disorderliness of deviant soldiers and also shows their lust and greed. It further reiterates the illegitimacy of their actions as they are in a hurry to get it over with. Their description as a dreadful rabble is an attempt by the author to portray the rifle-men as the greedy, lustful, dishonorable and corrupt soldiers who are to be found in every army. The soldiers drag Giulietta into the innermost courtyard, away from the outer precincts where the fierce fighting is, to rape her. The author narrates that they began to assault her “in the most shameful way”- an apparent reference to the act of rape. The authors' description of rape as the most shameful form of assault shows a remarkably high degree of conservatism as the author feels uneasy about referring to the act directly or describing the scene in particular. The author leaves it up to the reader to conclude through the clues offered in sequence- suddenly falling silent, obscene gestures at each other, seizing the Marquise and dragging her into the innermost courtyard away from the fighting despite her pleas for assistance (Von Kleist, 1978). In the narration, though the rifle-men's actions are not entirely premeditated, they follow a methodical pattern and sequence as happens in situations of war. The rifle-men chance upon their vulnerable prey in the midst of the artillery fire, explosions (from grenades) flames, fleeing women and shooting outside the citadel. They gesture to each other by suddenly falling silent, slinging their rifles over their shoulders and making obscene gestures before carrying her off. Then they seek out the innermost courtyard away from the heart of chaos to complete their most shameful act of rape. This can roughly be paralleled to the authors' depiction of the code of war- siege, conquest and surrender. The rifle-men besiege the Marquise near the back-door, conquer her and drag her into the innermost courtyard while tugging at her and fighting among themselves and commence their assault where she eventually surrenders. The author describes Giulietta's surrender as “and she was just about to sink to the ground” signifying that the rifle-men were about to overcome her before the timely intervention of Count F. The Marquise's desperation and misery is shown by her “piercing screams” which the Count hears (Jacobus, 1995). The entry of Count F depicts the antithesis or an entirely different character of soldiers. His actions are of valor, brave, courage and honor. He is apparently appalled at the actions of the riflemen and with furious blows “drove the dogs from the prey upon which they lusted”. He then smashes the hilt of his sword against the mouth of one of the “murderous brutes, who still had his arms around her slender waist” and offers the Marquise his arm. This is used to emphasize the fact that the Marquise was about to be raped. The actions of the Count show gentlemanliness and to the Marquise he is likened to an angel from heaven. The Count leads Giulietta away from the fighting and instructs her frightened servants to help her before returning to the fighting. The Count displays his attributes-honor, chivalry, valor and bravery as opposed to the greed, lust and debauchery of the rifle-men. However, the reader may be brought to a different conclusion later in the story (Murray, 2004). Marquise’s reconciliation with her father The scene of the Marquise’s reconciliation from her father starts to build up from the moment Giulietta and her mother return from the Giulietta's country estate. As soon as the Marquise arrives, her mother restores her to the comfort of her rooms and sets about to confront the Commandant for his actions towards Giulietta. This is an action no doubt targeted at an eventual apology and reconciliation with his daughter from the commandant. Giulietta's mother then returns and explains the outcome of her endeavors to a clearly disturbed Giulietta. Just before the reconciliation, her mother describes to Giulietta how she was bale to move the Commandant to tears. This is apparently after she admonishes him for his actions on the discovery that Giulietta is pregnant. The Commandant had reacted with hostility and contempt towards Giulietta and even had a letter dictated to her that she should not subject him to the displeasure of her company ever again. She had even attempted to seek his forgiveness by charging into his room but he had pulled out a pistol and fired at the roof in a vivid demonstration that he did not wish to consider her request. The Commandant ,through Giulietta's brother the forester, had also ordered Giulietta to vacate the citadel and leave her children behind, which Giulietta had adamantly refused and proceeded to escape with her children to her country estate. It is these actions which Giulietta's mother admonishes the Commandant for by asking rhetorically, “Why did he dictate that letter to me?”. Giulietta is apparently uneasy after being informed that the Commandant had been moved to tears and tries to plea with her mother to allow her to go to her father but her mother is insistent and even rejoinders “I’ll not give way! Why did he reach for that pistol?” She adds with finality “You shall not go to him....and if he does not come by this evening, I shall leave the house with you tomorrow”. She finally prevails on Giulietta to wait for her apologetic fathers' remonstrations and remorse (Jacobus, 1995). Giulietta then senses that someone is at the door, “convulsed with _?”. The dash is a narrative technique used by the author throughout the narrative sometimes to lead the reader into their own conclusion through their devices and has been argued by other literary critics, to tell a second story running under the story itself. The “someone” at the door is the Commandant apparently convulsed with grief and remorse as indicated by the mothers' account to Giulietta. The Commandant opens the door and comes into the room just as Giulietta attempts to go to him once more despite the adamant resistance of her mother (Von Kleist & Stokes, 2003). In the reconciliation, the language of love is used from the very fist remarks of the mother as the Commandant enters the room, “Giulietta, if you love me stay where you are!” This is a demonstration of the responsibility and obligation expected in love between a mother and her child. In this particular case, the mother's love for Giulietta informs her actions to confront the Commandant and demand that he apologizes to Giulietta. Herein is implied paternal love, which the Commandant should display to Giulietta by seeking her forgiveness and that Giulietta is also expected to forgive her father the Commandant out of love. The emotion that is love is then reiterated by both Giulietta and her mother in their subsequent utterances. Giulietta reaches out to her father while crying “My dearest father!” and the Marquise stretched out her arms towards him but the mother intervenes yet again by telling Giulietta not to budge and even as the Commandant stands in the room racked by tears of guilt and remorse she reiterates that he has to apologize to Giulietta despite the Marquise’s readiness and willingness to forgive her father. She adds that inasmuch as she loves and respects her husband the Commandant, she also loves and respects Giulietta too and she further admonishes his violent temper and obstinacy. What follows is an outpouring of grief due to remorse, regret and a mixture of both as both Giulietta and her father collapse into tears. The Commandant is apparently racked with guilt and remorse for the manner in which he treated Giulietta and Giulietta is overcome by emotion. Giulietta and her father embrace-a sign of affection and the author even notes that she was “ceaselessly caressing” him. This indicates undertones of sexual love (Von Kleist & Stokes, 2003). After Guilietta’s mother leaves the two in the room, an act of love ensues. While Giulietta’s mother ponders the reconciliation, she prepares ‘all the most nourishing and comforting dishes she could devise’ and prepares his bed anticipating “to put him in it” as soon as he reappears with Giulietta. This is an overt expression of her love for the Commandant as she seeks to nourish and comfort him even after confronting him and preparing the bed is an indication that she also plans to get intimate with the Commandant (Jacobus, 1995). The language of love appears to reach a climax in the reconciliation after Giulietta’s mother returns to the room already having laid out dinner. After eavesdropping and catching “the last echo of some softly murmured words”, she peeps through the keyhole to witness Giulietta sitting on the Commandant’s lap. This is devised to stir emotions of love but also leaves the reader mystified as the author states that the Commandant had never before permitted her to sit on his lap. As she enters the room, she sees Giulietta on her father’s lap lying against him with her eyes shut while the Commandant presses avid kisses on her mouth “just like a lover!” The exclamation is meant to emphasize the father’s overt sexual gestures towards his daughter and one cannot help but wonder whether the Commandant is not responsible for Giulietta’s pregnancy. This, however, seems not to disturb the mother and in fact delights her. Love is also demonstrated when the mother hesitates to interrupt what she thinks is a “blissful scene.” The Commandant continues to kiss Giulietta “as if she was the first girl he ever loved.” Even as the mother approaches them, he is still stroking and kissing Giulietta’s mouth and when he sees his wife he makes a cross expression but she “smoothed” out his face with kisses. The words used in this part of the reconciliation capture the love between the family members (Murray, 2004). In the scene of the rape, the author describes the acts of war. These include the strategy, the sequence and the weapons used. He narrates the conditions leading to the rape- how Giulietta was separated from her mother and found herself vulnerable and susceptible to the Russian rifle-men. In the scene of the reconciliation, the author describes the love through the actions of the mother, Giulietta and the commandant. The emotional tears, the embrace and the subsequent family reunion all demonstrate the love between Giulietta, her mother and her father the Commandant. In both scenes, the language captures the sequence and the acts of love and war. The code of war comes out in the siege, battle, surrender and conquest. In the reconciliation, confrontation, realization and remorse come before the forgiveness. However, in the two scenes,, the emotions portrayed are in stark contrast. In the scene of rape, destruction, violence, lawlessness and chaos come out. This is before the Count F enters and portrays courage, virtue, bravery and honor although as it will later turn out, dishonor and deceit as well (Jacobus, 1995). References Helbling, R. (1975). The major works of Heinrich von Kleist. New York: New Directions Publishing. Jacobus, M. (1995). First things: the maternal imaginary in literature, art, and psychoanalysis. London: Routledge. Murray, C. (2004). Encyclopedia of the romantic era, 1760-1850, Volume 2. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn. Von Kleist, H. & Stokes, R. (2003). The Marquise of O-Hesperus Classics. New York: Hesperus. Von Kleist, H. (1978). The Marquise of O and other stories. New York: Penguin Classics. Read More