Focus Fall 1997.tif 160 Focus on Literatur AujklaTUlIg: PhiJosophische Fragmentl!. Frankfurt am M~in: Fi~cher, 1988" Jones, Ann Rosalind. "City Women and Their A~dlences; Louise Labe and Veronica Franco" Rewriting the Renal5Sance. The DIscourses o(~IUl.I Difference ill Early Modem EHTope. Eds. Ferguson,. Margaret, QUlllJgan, Maureen, Vickers, and Nancy J. Chicago; UP of Chlcag~, \986.299-316. Jordan, Constance. "Feminism and [he Humanists: The C~e for Sir Thomas ElyoI's Defense of Good Women," Rewriting me RenaISsance: The Discourses 0/ Sexual Difference in Early Modern Europe: Eds. Ferguso~, Margaret, QuiHigan. Maureen, Vickers, and Nancy J. Chicago: U of Chi- cago p. 1986.242-258. . Kbnneker, Barbara. "Faust Konzeption und Teufelspakt 1m Volksbuch von 1587.~ Festschrift Gou/Tied Weber. Eds. H .O .Burger and K.vSee. Bad Homburg: Gehlen, 1967. 59~213. Maihofer, Andrea. Geschlecht als Existenzweise: Macht, Moral, Recht lind Geschlechterrilfferenz. Frankfurt am Main: H eimer,. 1995. .. . .. Miiller, Maria E. ~Der andere Faust. Melanchohe und lndlvldualltal in der Historia von D. Johann Fausten." DVjs 60 {1986}: 572·608. Peters, Edward. Torture . New York: Basil Blackwell, 1985. Praetorius, Anton. Gruendlieher Bericht"VOn Zauberey vnd Zauberern: ... Lich: 1602. [Exemplar STUB Goningen] . Reemtsma, Jan Phillip, ed. Folter: Ana/yse ewes Hemcha{tsinstruments. Hamburg: Junius, 1991. Sawr, Abraham. Fascicuius de Poenis / vlIlgo StraJ! Bll ch . .. Frank­ furt am Main: 1593. Scarry, Elaine. The Body in Pam: The Makmg and Unmaking of the World. New York: Oxford UP, 1985. Weier, Johann. De Praestigiis Daemonllm. Von TeuJlelsgespenst Zauberemvnd Giffibereytero .... Franckfurt am Mayn: Nicolaus Basseus, 1586. [Exemplar STUB·Gottingen, Sig. Phys. l2it] ". • West Candace and Don H. Zimmerman. DOlOg Gender. The Social Comtr~ctjon of Gender. Eds. Judith Lorber and Susan A. Farrell. Newbury Park: Sage, 1991. 13·35. . Wunder, Heide. "Wie wird man ein Mann? Befunde am Beglnn der Neuzeit (15 .. 17. Jahrhundert)." Was sind Frallen? Was s.jn~ Man.ned Ge5ChlechterkonstTllktionen im historischen Wandel. Eds. ChrIStIane Eifert, Angelika Epple, Martina Kessel, et .al. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1996. 122·155. WtmdtA runey / oder A rtzney Spiege/l des hocherfa.hre~en vn.d If/ellbemehmbten Heron Ambrosil Parei. ... Frankfurt am M,lIn: Zachana Paltenio and Peter Fischer, 1601. [Exemplar SUB Goningen: Med. chir. 11 mOO] THE CONSTANCY of CHANGE: The Role of the Paternoster in Grass's Ein weites Feld David Prickett .!.j in weites Feld is Grass's examination of German reuni fi cali on I.:iI wi! hin the context of Germany's turbulent history. By analyz­ ing histo rical parallels 10 the history·making events of 1989· 199 1, Grass demonstrates that Germany's fu ture is nOt ein weices Feld. Events are not fated to repeat themselves time and again. O f course, ro find a new path, "den Drinen Weg" (409), one should approach the re-un.ifi­ catio n with a strong dose of Grass's doubt. To this end, Grass rein­ ventS the literary icon Theodore Fomane and translates Fonrane's Griinderzeil ambivalence to the person of present-day historian T hea Wuttke. Wunke, called "Fonty" by all, has a career that spans from the Third Reich and serves above all as a model of Wiederkehr in recent hi story: "Fonty, den das Tausendjahrige Reich immer noch krankte, blieb schroff: ' H iell nur zwoif Jahre, wirft abereinen kolossal langen Schauen'" (67). Th is "shadow" cloaks the ca reers o f Fonty and hi s TagltYldnadmchatien H oftaller. Central to Grass's theme o f perpe­ tuit y is the image of the Paternoster which is h o used in the Reichslufifahrtministen·um. Fro m the twelve years o f the Reich to fony years o f the DDR to the p resent-day Treuhand, Fonty and H oftaller consider the buildi ng a second home. As Fom y ma intai ns, "Mir gibl das ne gewisse Festigkeit. WeiR jedesmal, wenn ich hier anlrabe, wohin ieh gehore ..... (67). On a large scale, th e Paternoster symbolizes the machinery o f ti me t hat will not stand still. For protagonists Fo m y and H o fi.aller, the Paternoster squarely symbolizes a sense o f personal survival within the system, regardless of the powe rs that be. The reader is first introduced to th e Paiernosier in the fourth chapter, entitled "Viele Varerunser lang": Sogleich riic kt ein T ransportmittel ins Blick feld, das seit Anbegin ll in Betrieb war. Wir stellen uns den Aktenboten FOCUJ on Literarllr Vol. ~,No. 2 (l997) 162 Focus on Lilerdtur Thea Wuttke in einem nach vorne offenen Aufzug vor, der in zwei Fahrtrichtungen aus einer Vielzahl von Kabinen gereiht ist und unablassig, das heiEt tiber die Wendepunkte im Keller- und DachgeschoB hinweg, auf und ab fahrt, ohne Halt, leicht klappernd, nicht ohne verhaltenes Gestohne und Seufzen, aber doch zuverlassig, sagen wir ruh ig "gebetsmiihlenhaft"; weshalb man dies en altmodischen, inzwischen - trotZ aller wohlmeinenden Proteste - fast iiberall ausgemusterten Personenaufzug "Paternoster« genannt hat. (75-76) Grass goes beyond the obvious metaphor of the Paternoster's ascen­ sion and descent to the meaning behind the lift's Latin name: Our Father. That the Paternoster was installed during the Nazi regime implies the search for repentance and forgiveness: an endless chanting of the The Lord's Prayer, "Our father who art in heaven .. .forgive us our trespasses ... " Fonty must on some level repent for the war crimes of the Nazis. It is also in the Paternoster that Grass offers a detailed view of Fonty: Er stieg aus der Tiefe auf, wurde in halber, dann in ganzer Person sichtbar, verschwand nach oben gek6pft, halbiert, zeigte nu r noch die hohen Schniirschuhe vor, war wie entschwunden, bestand aber darauf, ein Stockwerk hoher in gleichbleibender Gestalt, weiGhaarig, mit fuselndem Schnauz, sodann als Brustbild, schliemich nach halber in ganzer Figur einen Augenblick lang da zu sein. , .. (76) At first, the image seems comical, even ridiculous . Yet Fonty is quite clearly a part of the machinery, a fixture of the former Reichsluftfahrtministerium. Stepping easily in and out of the Paternoster, Fonty's career has been a continual ride from political Stockwerk Zli Stockwerk: " ... oie hat jemand gesehen, daB Fonty beim Ein- oder Aussteig gestolpert oder gefallen ware" (77). In contrast, Hoftaller lacks Fonty's finesse. Whereas Fonty normally requires Hoftaller's direction, Grass offers an interesting twist in the co-dependent relationship. Fonty's rampant individualism must be contained by the state in the body of the Mephistophelian I I I The Constancy of Change 163 Hoftaller: "Wir konnen doch anders" (539). Conversely, Hoftaller needs an artist-type like Fomy as a means of escape from affairs of state. Hoftaller needs Fonty to hold his hand. Grass may be suggesting that a person of the state such as Hoftaller, however cunning, lacks the freedom or flexibility of an artist type such as Fonty. Despite Fonty's easy comings and goings i.n the Paternoster, Fonty is reduced ro a gear in the machinery of the state when riding with Hoftaller. It is in the Paternoster where HoftaUer exercises his special rights and looks through Fonty's files. The notion of Vaterunser is clouded here. Instead of seeking repentance from the shadow of Nazism, Grass suggests that the GDR continues to oppress, reducing people to Apparatschiks: Man nickte sich zu . Man harte ein Wort fiireinandcr. Man ahnre, was man nicht wuflte. Und viele, die mil ihm im Paternoster auf und ab fuhren, nannten ihn Fonty: "Nimmt kein Ende mit den Akten, was, Fomy?" "Was gibr's denn Neues, Fonty?" -"Inuner schwer zu tragen, was, Fonty?" (84) The passage indicates the "quiet knowing~ of the government workers and their shared confines within an oppressive system. The state validates Thea \'ifutrke's identity as Fonty and, in the form of HoftaUer, confines him to the role of the UnSlerbLichen. However, Fonty is hardly Theodore Fontanej his Unsterblichkeit is nothing more than his endless job of Aktenbote. The Patemoster reaches throughout the building, whether "in den Untergeschot1" (87) or "z-um Labyrinth des Dachbodens" (103). It is in the basement where Fomy and HoftaUer dispose of Stasi files by stuffing them in an old sofa. Shortly thereafter lhe sofa mysteriously ends up in the attic. Most probably it was the Patemosterthat facilitated this move. Despite the surrounding political intrigue of rhe powers that be, the Paternoster remains Fonty's refuge . Fonty and HonaUer ride together in the lift befo re Fonty's first nervous breakdown. True to its name, the Paternoster serves as a quasi confessional, where Hoftaller "begnugte sich als Zuhorer" (192). This human itarian compassion stands in direct contrast to Hoftaller's typical treatment of Fomy, i.e. using Fonty to get at confidential files while in the Paternoster. This contrast further supports this strange symbiosis rhat 164 Focus on Lileratltr exists between the two. By the tenth chapter of the book, the reader can appreciate [he overriding continuity in the lives and careers of Fonry and Hoftaller. Grass leaves the PaternoSler motif to explore the concept of reunification in the second book, and i.n the third book Grass distances Fomy from Hoftaller. Yet once the joy of tbe reunification takes over, Grass revives the machinery of the Paternoster motif. Grass does this, lest people forget tbe past. At this point in the novel, the Treuhand has firmly established itself as "eine Treuband, die zugrifP' (485). In this sense, the oppressive kolossaler Schacten af the Third Reich remains, albeit on a much lesser scale. The Treuhand begins t he process of abwickeln in the East, and it starts with the liquidation of the fo rmer Ministry building. The process of abwickeln can only be accomplished by means of the Paternoster, which again acts as an agent of change. The reader sees the Aktenbote Fancy as an active participant in this event, again adjusting smoothly to a new system that will be housed in the building. Finally, Grass directly links the Treuhand of lhe Nazi regime that seized property of the Jews with the Tretthand of the Federal Republic that is preparing to "seize" property of the former CDR. One is instantly aware of scale and muSt ask if Grass is justified in making such a connection. Can one compare an agency of the Federal Republic to one of Na:z.i Germany? True to the spirit of abwicke/n, the new inhabitants of the building consider replacing the Paternoster with elevators from tbe West. Brochures from the bidding companies "statiStically prove" that a larger working force requires adequate transport. Keeping the Paternoster, while nostalgic, would only lower worker productivity and color the work ethic (504). One must admire how Grass illustrates the seductive power of statistics and jargon commonly found in advertising. Many of the herd mentality are easily taken in, but not the individualistic Fomy, who immediately startS a campaign to save the Paternoster. One asks why Fonty would nOt quietly celebrate the removal of the Paternoster. the last remaining shadow of the Third Reich. To this, Fonty offers a clear answer: "Besser langsam ans Ziel a1s beschleunigt ins Jenseiu beforden!" (505). It is as if Grass summons protagonist Hermann Ott from his book AilS dem Tagebuch einer Schnecke to speak through Fonty, thereby injecting a healthy dose of gray doubt into the Dionysian frenzy surrounding the reunification. The Constancy of Change 165 Thus the Paternoster motif carries another meaning, specifically one of a healthy, rational tempo with relation to reunification. With the help of his co-workers, most notably H oftaller, FOIllY is successful in saving the Paternoster, "at leasluntil further notice" (505). Grass turns the occasion into a typical Western "'phOlO--op." Fonty's co-workers app'iaud him. Allhough Fonty's efforts were purely preservationist, savmg [he Paternoster has secured him - and Hoftaller - a position in the new government (530). The visiting officials from the West have a patronizing view of Fonty. They snu le courteously when Fonty refers to the Palernoster as a "Symbol der ewigen Wiederkehr" (526). Grass patterns the symbol of eternal recurrence from N ietzsche's A/so Sprach Zarathllstra, where the eternal recurrence is an essential realization in the will to power (Wucherpfennig 196). Fonty, like the state, must endure eternal self­ destnlction and self-renewal in the process of self-rea liz.ation. "AbriR gl~ich Aufbau. Alles muBte in Rekordz.eit geschehcn" (554). Question anses: Does Grass paint himself into a corner by introducing this concept of eternal recurrence? Does Grass mean to say that the oppression of the Griinderzeit, realized 10 a much greater extent in Nazi Germany, is destined to befall Germany again? Is H oftaller correct when he maintains thal "'m Prinzip 3nden sich nichts?" (771). In Ein weites Fe/d, as in his earlier works, Grass ju.xtaposes colossal world evenLS to the mundane life eventS of the average person. Thus the reader's perspective of the scale of evems is enhanced. While walking through the empty renovated buildi.ng, Fonty imagines "frischdekorierte Lufthelden" riding up and down in the Patemoster (556). This passage is fo llowed by an imeresting account of the rise and fall of the many dignitaries who have made their presence fe ll. From Aklenbole to Lufthelden to the highest officials, all have taken their place in the Paternosters ewige Wiederkehr. The head of the Treuhand will soon be counted among them. Exiti ng the Patemoster "~nit si~he rem Schrin" (565), Rohwedder is still on the way up figuratively and literally. This follows with FOIllY's detailed recollection of those who came before Rohwedder. Goering, Ulbrecht, and ultimate ly "Honni" appear one after t he other. Rather than ma~nify their image. Fonty dlinks of them as "ganl ein Feua," the "Spltzban Sachwaher," and "Hanni mit Hi.itchen" (566·68). Grass treats this much like his depiction ofFomy from the first book: here 166 Focm on Literality t he giants of history look rather ridiculous, descending from above piece by piece. It is almost as if they are being picked apart and analyzed by the common man in the form of Fonty. The concept of eternal recurrence clearly comes into play here. The stare is constantly being redefined through "ewige Selbsrzerslorung uod neue Selbsrschopfung" (\'V'ucherpfennig 197). The Wende is therefore just another phase of this process. It is also Gr.tss·s reference to scale that makes this passage so important. With every ascend and descent of the Paternoster, the powers that be seem to decline in importance. Goering, known the world over for his claim that no enemy bombs would ever fall on Berlin, is followed by CDR officials Ulb recht and Hann i. Although importalll in Ge rman history, their names do nOt carry nearly the same weight on an international scale. Grass specifically excludes certain persons from Fonty's "Filmrolle" (567). In an earlier passage, Fomy exclaims: "Nie ... hat der Genosse Mielke den Paternoster benutz.r!" (576). Fonty says this in connection with a passage from Fontane's Wanderungen. Obviously, Fonty shares Fontane's dislike for internal spies. Yet it might have been interesting to include a figure like Mielke in the Paternoster, as the Stasi was clearl y a shadow of oppression from the Third Reich. Grass ends the passage with the appearance of Rohwedder, and Fonty is correct in saying that Rohwedder could never fill the "kolossale Machdlille" (568), given those who have come before the head of the Treuhand. True to life. Rohwedder's murder comes to pass. H anaUer and Fonty share a ride in the Paternoster, where Fonty trusts himself to ask the queStion: \'(fas Hoftaller behind the murder? Ho ftall er maintains that "Diese System erledigt sich selbst," implying that Rohwedder was tOO weak for the job (630). Birgit Breuel, Rohwetter's successor, comes under heavy fire by Grass: "das Volkstum wurde ziigigerund in scharferer Gangan abgewickelt: Was mal Osten gewesen war, ging Stiick fiir Stiick in westlichen Besitz. iiber" (636). Focusing on the quick liquidation of public property, the TwilJand declines Fonty's suggestion to write a history of the building. A lthough the new head of the Trellhand is not directly responsible for this decis ion, linking the Treuhand with the former powers is frowned upon as "bad PR" by the West- Instead of documeming the history of the building, the Treuhand assigns Fonty the job of finding a euphemism for abwickeln. , I j The Constancy of Change 167 All too famil iar with the dangers of euphemisms, Foncy becomes discouraged. "All es Operieren mit Unendlichkeit lind Unsterblichkeit iSl mirzuwider" (653). Fonty again tries to break away to Scotland, the model country of his idol, Fontane; however, his TagundnachlSchauen reigns in Fonty. This is lOO much for Fonty's nerves, and he takes ill. In his delirium he says to Hoh aller: "Uberall kolossale Happigkeit! Und schon wieder iSl es ein Ismus, an den geglaubt werden soil " {697}. C learly Fomy is tiring of the ewlge Wiederkehr. At this point, H orraller's assertion that "in principle, nothing changes" comes ro mind, and the reader becomes anx ious for answers to the questio ns su rrou nding this concept. When Hoftaller arranges a speech for Fonty at the Kulturbrauerei, Grass provides an end in sight to the welle Feld surrou nd ing Germany's fUlure. Th e new Kuftllrbrallerei has been a site for German cultural events, among which include a Turkish children's festival, the Jewish New Year Festival, and a festival celebrating the end of the Islamic Ramadan (745). Clearly, German cuhure is being re-defined, not repeated, and there is a sense o f hope that Germany will overcome the ewige WIederkehr in terms of cultural intolerance. Fonty is immediately well received as he begins his speech. H e holds fast to the script and talks about Neuruppin, Fontane's place of binh, and the Klemeleulemlheu (748). but soon pushes his script to the side, removes his glasses, and speaks off the cuff. Fomy con tinues and the crowd grows restless, telling Fomy to get to the point. Fonry focllses on the Trellhand and delivers a fictitious scenario in which Fontane's characters celeb rate the thousandth Abwicklltng of East Ge rman property in the Tr/!lIhaml. Naturally, the th eme centers around Fontane's Kommerzlenralln: "Frau Jenny T reibelliifh bitten" (751). As head of th e Trellhand in the fictitiolls scenario, Jenny T reibel's false scmimem al iry allows her to combine business and literatu re. Fonry warns that even Corin na Schmidt from Frau jenny Tre/bel will soo n join in the dance, implying a totai bankruptcy of culture (753). The crowd loves the imagery and calls out names of characters who should also appear at this celebration . At tb is point, Fonty introduces the Paternoster. as one by one Fontane's characters enter the crowded cabins. Fonry re[Urns to his speech for a wh ile and discusses fire images from Fomane's novels: {he burning Sehe,me in KindeYJ:1hre and in 168 Focus on Literatur VOT dem Swnn, and the burning of T angermunde in Grele Minde. From this Fonty returns to the Treuhandbuilding where, among o ther events, Botho from iTTllngen, ltrirrungen hums Lene's letters: "das geschah vor den Augen vieler illustrer Gaste in einer cler holzverkleideten Kabinen des unablassigen Paternosters" (757). Soon the public hears sirens, and it appears as if Fonty's rhetoric has set the Treuhand ablaze, lronically, Hofraller announces that there is a fire at (he Treuhand. The thin line between reality and fiction indicates the power of literamre. The interesting contrast of the historic Fontane and the fictive Treibel serves to underscore literature's power. The Paternoster refers to the ewige Wiederkehr of German history, and Fontane's Au/Jahrt is another parallel between Grunderzeit Germany and Germany of the Wende. Fontane is the culmrallegacy who stands in contrast to Jenny T reibel, prototype of the capitalist Grundmanns who appear in Ein weites Feld. The fire in the Treuhand does not consume the building, but does spell the end of the Paternoster. An inspection comminee judges the Paternoster to be highly dangerous, and the Paternoster will be replaced by the elevators from the West. Thus, the tempo of reunificat ion gains momentum. Fomy, like the Paternoster, is a discontinued model, and is dismissed by the Treuhand. With the burning of the Paternoster, the ewige lfIiederkehr is broken and Fonty is freed. With the title of the last chapter, "Mit ein wenig Gluck," Grass implies that H anaUer was incorrect in saying that in principle, nothing changes. Truly, with a little luck, Germany could still stumble upon den Dritten lfIeg. Now freed from his duties at the Treuhand, Fonty and his granddaughter Madeleine escape H o ftaller. True to his epithet, the Tagundnacht5chauen finds them at the Spreepark in Berlin. H oftaller realizes that it is time to part with Fomy, and asks Madeleine if it would be all right if he and Fonty could ride alone in the Ferris wheel. The huge Ferris wheel suggests the same eternal recurrence as the Paternoster. It is on this substitutePalernoster that Fomy and HanaUer have their last private conversation. After the ride is ove r, Fonty hugs Hoftaller (778). The two halves, West and East, have made peace with one another. Grass ends the novel on a highly optimistic note. It is as if the ewige l'(Iiederkehr prescribed to German history went up in flames along with the Paternoster. Now living in F rance with his The Constancy of Change 169 granddaughter, Fonty correclS his idol, saying that Briest was incorrect: "Ich jedenfalls sehe dem Feld ein Ende ab ..... (781). Fonty is taking a new direction, and the reader is leh with a strong sense of optimism that the same will be true fo r the united Germany. University o/Cincinnati Works Cited Grass, Gunter. Ejn weiles Feld. GOllingen: Sleidl, 1995. Wucherpfennig, Wolf. Von den Anfongell his zur Gegenwart. H eilbronn: Gutmann & Co., 1986.