Focus 2001.tif


96 Foots an Germa1l Studie5 

Anmcrh.-ungen 

1 Preece 177-9-L 
~ Als Beispiele fi.ihn Preece hier u. a. die seiner ~1einung n2ch gr?Ber~ 

Meruchlichkeit von Gic:shiibler und Roswitha, den Idemitaten"-"echsel der T oppell! 
und den \'V'iderspruch zwischen Afras Namen und mrer Personlichkeit an. 

1 Davon muB nun bei ciner rcmen Neubewerrung def einzelnen K ategorien, 
die Fontane laut Preece vormrrum, po 2usgehen. 

I Du Ausclruck .t},pisch sbndinavisch~ nell[ im Text ebenfalls in 
Anfiihrungsuichen. 

S Damit bildet Italicn cine wlchtige und unbequeme Ausnahme, was 
wahrscheinlich :luch clef Grund dafur ist, daB Preece dar.mf nicht oilier eingehl. 

, Gute Beispiele hierfiir sind def Berliner Reichstag und das Brandenburger 
Tor. 

1 Preece beziehl sich hier speziell auf die Sune, to def InrlSteuen PreuBen 
mit Afrika vergleichl. 

Lileraturverzeichnis 

Einem, Herbert von. Anme rkungen des Hcrausgebers. ltalu:nisdJe Reise. Johann 
\X'blfgang von Goethe. Miinehen: Beck, 1978. 559-701. 

Fomane, Theodor. E/fi Boot. Miltlf(uf!l1;.llen Stuugan: Kielt, 1999. 
.... nAn Oara Ki.ihnast.~ E/fi 8oot. Mit Malerz:lie/z Stuttga.rt: Kleu, 1999 . 346. 
. _ -. "An Josef Viktor \'(Iidmann." E/fi Bliest. Afll MaU'It.1!el1 Stuugan: Klett, 1999 . 

347. 
Preece,Julian. "Fear of lhe foreigner: <J\mese, Poles and other non-Prussians in 

Theodor Fontane's E/fi BrU!St." CelmmSuoo at theMilJenniJlJn Ed. Neil 
Thomas. Durham: U of Durha.m, 1999. 173-95. 

Sehafarschik, Walter. Erldlllenp'if!!'/inri DckllnJ?l1!e: 71JttX1or Footm'£ Effi Bnesl. 
Stuttgart: ~c1am, 1999. 

Sehmid[, Jochen. Gcslx:s FaJl5l. erster Jud z'1J£iLer Ted: Gn()r:lla~ werk- \t'Inklu~. 
Miinchen: Beck, 1999. 

Melancholia, Masturbation, and Lesesucht in 
A ntonReiser 

Tom Stewart 

1741 arl Philipp Moniz created in 1785 a character that has come to be 
Il3 classified as one of the most prominent melancholies in German 
liter.Hurc (w.\gner-Egelhaaf 349). Written in four palU: Moritz's ps~ho­
logical novel II II1.CIT Rruer recounts Anton's tlials and tribulations from his 
binh in 1756 to the ~ar 1778. Although Moritz lumself described the 
novel as "ps~hological ," he admits that the work could be considered 
biographical and that the obse rvations m.1.de in it, for the most pan, were 
t.l.ken "aus clem Wirklichcn Leben" (6). Readers and critics of the book 
have 1 ypicallyvicwed it as autobiographical and have identified Anton Reiser 
as Moritz's aher ego: "Reiser ist als Emhlender Patient und Analytiker 
zugleich, das Buch iSldie Couch, auf die sich Karl Philipp Moniz als Amon 
Reiser legt" (D)'I::k 178). Anton Reiser suffers from melancholia and the 
symptoms of the sickness Are fOWld throughout the novel. More specifi. 
cally, Anton suffers from acedia, a panicular\ydebilitating form of melan­
cholia, the symptoms of which, ACCOrding to Sch rimpf, call be recognized 
"an ihrem Protagonisten liberall" (52). Moritz does not simply describe 
the symptoms of the disease, but anempts to find its rOOt came in the 
novel He therefore describes in detail Anton's homelife and his e,,:peri­
ences at boarding school. Anton's innermost thoughts and feelings are 
revealed to the reader, and Moritz, the narrator, makes positive or negative 
judgrttms aboUlthem Using this detailed information concerning Anton's 
mental state and his environment, critics also have attempted to discover 
the causes of Anton's melancholia. In fact, the search for the cause of the 
sickness is one of the primary f ascinauons of the book: "Die Faszi.nation 
des A ntCRI Rl!lSl!Is beruht nicht zuletzt auf der insistierenden Suche nach 
den Ursachen der Melancholie" (Schings 2-12). Boulbyattributes Anton's 
melancholia to an "infe liorirycomplex" (11), \Xlagner-E gelhaaf to "nicht 
mehr die schwarle Galle [ ... J sondcrn die Unterdriickung" (349), and 

FoolS 011 Germa l/ SlItdies Volume 8 (200 \) 



98 FoolS on German Studies 

Schings to "Religionsschwarmerel (228) or to the atmosphere of hate 
and fear in Anton's early life at home (229). Wagner-Egelhaaf goes on to 

cite Anton's excessive reading (Lese;umt) as a cause of his melancholia: 
"Amon Reiser.:; Melancholie ist von Anfang an als eine Melancholie des 
Lesen ausgezeichnet" (Wagner-Egelhaaf 356). 

The intent of this paper is to further explore the causes of Anton's 
melancholia, in parricular his oppression by the comrol StnlClures devel­
oped and used during the Enlightenmem. These snucrures were instituted 
as counter measures to the developmg sexuality of children, namely to 

discourage masturbation. These struCUlres were a factor in Anton's mel­
ancholia. He developed defense mechanisms to cope with the oppressive 
envirorunent in which he lived. He physically removed himseU irom [he 
zone of surveillance through walking, and through reading, he escaped 
mentally. As a result of his coping strategies, Anton was labeled by his 
peers and by himself as an outcast or omsider. Reading in excess, for ex­
ample, according to the wisdom of the dJ.y, could in itself lead to melan­
cholia and inunoderate sexual behavior. Allhough theater also plaY1':d a 
significant role in Anton's coping strateg)j it will not be considered in tills 
paper due to size limitations. The paper will deal with Pans I and II of 
A nEon Reiser, from Anton's early childhood up to the age of twenty 

Prior to the eighteenth cenwI)j masturbation was considered a 
moraliryproblem and nOt a health risk. By 1800, however, " [he belief that 
masturbation caused serious physical ilhless was accepted by many doc­
tors. Problems as unrelated as epilepsy, and premature ejaculation were 
ascribed to it" (1\feuman 5). Semen was considered to be a vital fluid and 
most medical writers of the eighteenth century considered its loss '"'as a 
serious threat to mental and phYSICal health" (Neuman 2). In addition, 
masturbation was thought IO cause insanity. "[ ... ] <;I,,jth the confinement 
of those defined as insane to institutions, eighteenth cemurydOCtofS actu­
ally saw the insane masturbating, and drew a false causal connection be­
tween masturbation and insanity" (Neuman 3). :Masturbation was thought 
to be especiaUy harmful to young boy;, who \\--ere stiU in the early phases 
of their development. The sex of the schoolboy, therefore, "became in 
the COur3e of the eighteenth century- and quite apart from that of ado­
lescents in general- a public problem" (Foucault, Hisrary 28). Schools 
·were w playa significant role in protecting the schoolboyagainsl this harm­
ful vice and the schoolhouse was to "be a mechanism for training" (Fou~ 
cault, Disciplire 172). Continuous surveillance became "integrated inw the 

Melancholia, Masturbation, and Lesesu(ht in A nlon Reiser 99 

teaching relationship" (Foucault, Disciplin:? 175). Even though sex was hardly 
mentioned in the school environment, according to Foucault "one only 
has to glance over the architecturalla)Qut, the rules of disciplille, and their 
whole internal organization: the question of sex was a constanl preoccu­
pation" (Histmy 27). The goa! was to keep the students occupied and su­
pervised throughout the school day. Moritz describes a typical day at school 
in Hanover: 

Die Lehrstunden nahmen illren Anfang: der KonrektOr lehne die 
Theologie, die Geschichte, den lateinischen Stil und das griechische 
Neue Testament.- Der Kantor den Kalechismus, die G eographie 
und die lateinische Grammatik. Des Morgens urn s iebe n Uhr 
Engen die Stunden an und dauenen bis zehn, und des Nachminags 
um ein Uhr fingen sie wieder an und dauerten bis urn vier Uhr.­
Hiermu&e mm also Reiser nebst z.wanzig bis dreiBig andem jungen 
Lemen einen groBen Teil seines damaligen Lebens zubringen. Es 
war also gewill kein unwiduiger Umsrand, wie diese LebrSlllllden 
eingerichtet waren . (151) 

Not only were the students organized according to tune, they were also 
located in space. The location of the student in the space indicated his 
status in the school. As students begin arriving, Mori tz comments on their 
seating arrangements: 

Nllll kam in Prima au&rordentlich viel auf den Platz an, wo man 
saK hohere Phitze kOlUlten nur durch langen fongesetzten FleiB 
erlangt werden. Gemeiniglich ruckte man aile halbe Jahre nur eine 
Bank in die Hohe.- Die erst en vier Banke machten den untern 
und die lelztern drei den obern COtus aus.- \X'er nun bei den 
halbjahrigen Versetzungen zurUckblieb, fur den war dies eine der 
grossten Erniedrigungen_ (192-93) 

Besides the physical discipline that was imposed on the students, Lhere 
was also a subtle system of reward and plllllshmem through [he ranking 
of the students in the class room Students who were unable to keep pace 
were separated from the rest. Foucault comments that this d istlibution 
according to rank fulfills a double role: it nOt 



100 FootS en German Studies 

only marks the gaps, hierarchizes qualities, skills and aptitudes; 
but it also punishes and rewards. It is the penal ftmctioning of 
setting in order and (he ordinal character of judging. Discipline 
rewards simply by the playef awards, thus making it poss ible to 
arum higher ranks and places; it punishes by re .... ersing the pro­
cess. (D.aplur 181) 

Anton was initially attracted to this s~(emof reward and punishment. His 
rim encounter with the schoolroom was a positive one; "er glauht [ ... ] in 
der Schule immer mehr Gerechtigkeit, als bei seinen Ellern zu finden" 
(43). \'<'hen he was forced lO leave his first school, he even look advantage 
of the s~tem to impose a fonn of punishment upon himself. He inten­
tionally performed poorly so thal his ranking would be lowered, until fi­
nally he achieved "den untersten PlatZ" (48) . Allhaugh initiallythliving at 
his new school in Hanover. Anton began to suffer under the constam 
supervision. Even facial e;..,"pressions \ .... ere to be controlled during the cuss 

time. As one studem WiiS reading a pra}er, another IIldde d commem to 
Anton th.n caused him to smile. The director, noting Anton's change in 
expression, stared at him wllh a look of "Zorn" and "Veraduwlg" (193). 

The teacher played a very significant role in the exercise of sur­
veillance. The student was to consider the teacher as an E Isaa-falher. TIle 
student's insecure and immature ps}~hological State was t .. ken advantage 
of. "Away from the house, the teacher became the cemr.u authority figure; 
separ.l.led from the family, the child WdS m unfamiliar circumstances and 
as • result psychologically vulnerJ.ble. Under these conditions the child 
WdS more likely to bond to the te.cher" (Sumser 463). The te.cher for 
Amon \Vas almost godl..ike. He is surprised and disappointed when he later 
finds out that they are human, JUSt like evef}One else: "Der Nimbus lUll 

we Kopfe versdnvand allmahlich. und er sahe an ihnen Will ersten Male 
Menschen, wie andre Menschen sind" {191}. How Anton felt concerning 
the school environment is probably best sunmtarized by his commc ms 
upon seemg the tower neJ.f the school: 

fnsbesondere wJ.r ihm der hohe, eckige und oben nur mit einer 
k1einen Spitze versehene Marktturm, da er ihn jew wieder sahe, 
ein fiirchterliche Anblick- dicht neben diesem war die Schule­

das Sporten, Grinsen und Auszischen seiner ~GlSchUler stand mil 
diesem T urm auf einmal wieder vor seiner Seele da- d4S gro~ 

Melancholia, Masturbation, and LeseSll:iJl in A 111(»1 ReISer 101 

ZiIferbLm an diesem Turm Win er gewohnt, zum Augenmerk zo. 
nelunen sooft er die Schule besuclue, um 2.U sehen, ob er auch z.u . 
sp" kame. (2 17) 

Even be)oOnd the confines of the school properY4nd environment, An.lOn 

continued 10 suffer the effects of constant sun:eill.mce and correction. 

His father had arranged for Anton IO live with a colleague In Hanover, and 

in addition to his stipend for his studies, and a series of free Il"leals 'were 
also organized. The o riginal intent o f the free meals WJ.S to save Amon 
mo ney. The result, however, was that he had to endure even more intense 

o bservation: 

Denn alles beeifene sich zwar, auf die Weise ihm Wohltaten zu 
erLeigen , aber jeder ghubte auch dadurch ein Red1t erworben ZlI 

haben, iiber seine Auffiihrung ZlI wJchen und ihm in Ansehung 
seines BetrdOens full zu eneilen, der dJ.JUl inuner gJ.nl. blindlings 

sollte ange;ommen 'tverden, u-enn er seme \X!ohhater niehl 

erLiirnen \\/QUte. (133) 

Amon was unable to escdpe scnttinyeven while eating. FrJ.lI Filter, the 
v.~fe of his father's coUeague, chided him for over·e.llUlg (1-1-1), while.1t 
other ho mes the talk centered around the shOlt.lge o f food. It WJ.S at the 
sexton's house where his first breakdown occurred. During his free meal 
at the sexton's house, the sexton's wife nude repeated comments about 
lhe hard winter, the shortage of wood and their own meager food supply. 
While listening to her complaints, Anton accidentally dropped a pi~e of 

bread and WJ.S unable to hold back his teArs. llus unleashed 3 tirade lrom 
the wife which made it clear that he WJS no longer \\'Ckome J.t her t .. ble 

( 164-65). 
111e surveillance of Anton extended into his sleeping area as well. 

TIle Filters did not have a separdte room fo r Amon, requiring thal he 
sleep in the living room TillS arrangement disturbed the otherwise or­
derly Pilte r household, and Anton WJ.S sensitive to this Llct: 

Anton merkte dies bald, wld der Gedanke, lastig zu sein, war ihm 
so angstigend und peinlich, daB er sich oft kaum zu husten 
gemuete, \\'etm er an den Blickfn seiner \,('ohltater sahe, daB er 

ihnen irn Grunde zur Last war. (136) 



102 FOOlS Cll German Studies 

At a ~ in his sexual developrnent when it was especially necessary, Amon 
could flOd no peace or personal space in his new home. Anton undoubt­
edly ~ beginning to experience the early stages of pubeny. and aldlOuoh 
Mo rt12 does not explicitly discuss it, Wol.S probably undergoing a period ~f 
sexual awakening. Frau Filter may have been aware of this · after all Anton 
slept in the open living room, and perhaps due to his beh~vior, de~ided to 

warn him against his dangerous new feelings: 

Die Frau Filter hielt ihm an dem Tage, da er zum Abendmahl 
?ing~ eine lange Predigt tiber die bosen Liiste und Begierden, die 
10 dlcsern Ailer zu erwachen pflegten, und wogegen er mm 

kampfen miisse. Zum Gluck verstand Re iser nichl, was sie 
eigentlich damit meime, wld wagte es auch niChl, sich genauer 
darnach 2U erkundigen, sondem nahm sich nur fest vor, V.<e lill 

bOse Liiste in ihm erwachen sollten, sie m6chten auch sein Vall 
welcher An sie "MJllten, nnerlich dagegen anzukampfen. (149) 

Although the teenager l\Iuon Reiser apparently did not know what Frau 
Filter was talking about, Moritz mentions a few lines later the "Laster der 
Selbstbeflech.llflg" (149), the code words for masrurbation. Another indi­
cation . t~~t Anton is stmggling with oncoming puben y is his decision, 
after V1SItUlg the old Greis, to change his life and to become a bener per­
son. He resolves "sich ganz wieder zu Gatt zu wenden, das hiel~ bei illlll, 
unaufhorlich an G oa zu denken" (179). Anton's namesake Sl. A.ntoruus 
used exactly the same strategy when confronted by "filthy thOllOllls" o r 
when confronted by "lust" (Nre,.er 22). D 

. AIl~on ~iser finds h.imseil, therefo re, in a most unpleasant and 
confl~smg sl~uon .. He comes froOl a home where he received very lillie 
~motJonal or fl~anCial sup~n. Considerin·g their difficult rel,uionship, it 
15 extremelyunlike.lytha~ Ius fathe r explained human sexual development. 
Also, the manner III wilich sex \V".lS described in the school W"J.S so meta­
phorical and abstract, that he undoubtedly had no idea whal sex was~ 
~tho~gh he n~ longer believed that the sto rk brought children (149). He 
lived ~ an enV1J"Onnlent where he "Was under constant supervision by the 
surveillance structures which were set in place to prevent or comrol his 
sexual drives, drives which he did not and could not understand. It is 
small wonder, therefore, that he preferred the isolation o f a dungeon to 

Melancholia, Masturbation, and LesesJOx in A ntal Rezse'f 10J 

his current situation, "[ ... ] die Schule, das OlOr, das Haus des Reh.-t ors~ 

m diesen Kreisen, "WOvon ilm immer einer noch mehr wie cler andre einengte 
und aIle seine Strebekraft hemmte, sollte er sich von nW1 an wieder drehen­
me gem hane er in diesem Augenblick seinen ganzcn AufenthJ.It in 
Hannovergegen den dunkelstCIl Ke rker vertauscht" (2 IS). Neum.;l. l1's com­
ments concerning adolescems describe Anton's subsequent behavior quite 

""ll, 

Faced with the prospect of a lengthy period o f sexual repression 
and with parents who regarded masturbation by their offsp ring as 
pathological, it is not surprisi.ng that some adolescents actually 
manifested bizarre behavior in an attempt to maintain some mo­
dicum of personal autonomy or to e~cape personal dilenunas. 
(20) 

Anton, unlike his namesake, cannOt retreat into the de~ert to resolve his 
persollli dilemmas. He does employt"wo defense mechanisms to maintJm 
some modicum of personal aUlo llomy. Both reading and walking involve 
an esc.lpe from the constant surveillance. The former provides mentJl or 
spiritu;\l relief, the IJtter physical relief. It is during these times of walking 
or reading that Anton WJS the happiest. 

Instead of feeling disappoimed at losing his free meal at thl! sexton's 
house, Amon is relieved. In fact, he is happy, because it gives him the 
opponunity to take an unsupervised walk around the city ",ralls: "wie 
glucH ch fiihlLe er sich, da er am ersten Sonmage, nachdem er den Tisch 
bei dem Gamisonhiister verloren und es zu Hause noch nieln hane saoen 
wollen, ein Dreierbrot verzehne lind dabei einen Spaziergang urn den \%11 
Iluelne" (165). This is not the first tinte that Anton e},:pclienced pleas ure 
in wJ.lking. Moritz mentions the joy of walking when the eight ye,lr o ld 
Anton vis ited Herr Fleischbeill in ])yrmont with his father (27-28), du ring 
his time i.n Braunschweig (93), and later in the novel when as an OutcaSt he 
"\\landers the streets of Hanover (2 14). In describing the experience o f 
walking, he \\TItes: "es war ibm, als ob er aus dem engen Kreise seines 
Daseins einen Sprung gewagt hatte; die alllaglichen Ideen vcrloren sich, 
und gro~ angenehme Aussichten, Labyrintheder Zuh."l.lllft eroffneten sich 
vor ihm" (93). During his walks, Anton is no longer under the watchful 
e~s o f his benefactors and is released from the constf"aints that they place 
on his space and time. Reading is also used as an escape from the ever-



~--

1(}! Foot> al German Sllldies 

present scrutiny. Through reading Amon forgets nOt only himseU but 
also the 'WOrld. As Amon loses himseU in a book, he loses as well the 
internalized boundaries that control him 

~ading and ilS role in Anton's melancholia have been discussed 
and commented on by several critics (d. Poister, Schings, Wagner-Egelhaaf. 
\,(~ber). Most lend to agree that Anton's excessive reading Wd.S a cause of 
his melancholia, often quoting MorilZ.'s description of reading as drug: 
"wie es den Morgenlandem das Opium sein mag, v.udurch sie we Sinne 
in eine angenehme BetaublUlg bringen" (qtd. in Weber 58, Kreuzer 67). 
Amim Polster believes that Anton's reading was beneficial, and that "'Anton 
develops through ius own reading experience, an ability to distinguish good 
from bad" (475). Moritz himself describes the hours spent reading as "die 
glucklichsten. ",dehe er gleichsam aus clem Gewirre def iibligen herJ.usrill-:­
seme Denkkraft WJr vollkommen wie berauscht- er verga6 sich und dIe 
Welt" (202). Opinions regarding reading in the eighteenth century were 
mixed. Reading was recognized 3S a lOoi for the development and the 
educ,nion of children. Al the same time, however, there was a lendencYlo 
regilrd reading as 3 dangerous addiction. According lO Polster, the fear of 
child sexuality was "f requently projected by me eighteenth century peda­
gogues OntO an eroticized interpretation of children's reading" (471~. The 
novel was a particular source of concern, because as it developed U1 the 
course of the eighteenth celllu~ "it enabled its readers, particularly the 
newly liter.ue, to discover olher models for sexual behavior than those 
prescribed by OuistiJn theology (price 174). It is no surprise then, mal 
nunyof me negative consequences attributed to Lesesl/chl were the same 
as those anributed to masturbation: 

The "Vielleserei" resulted in "grosse Empfindlichkeit, leichte 
Erkiillung, Kopfschmerzen, schwache Augen, J:-Ijtz.blauem, Po­
dagr.l, G icht, Himorrhoiden, Engbriistigkeit, Sch lagflusse, 
Lungenknolen, geschwacine Ve rdauu ng, Ve rstopfung d~r 
Einge-weide, Nervenschwache, Migriine, Epileps ie. Hypochondne, 
Melancholie." (qtd. in Kreuzer 64) 

The results of Selhthf/er:klU,€ were described as follows: 

"Oer Korper wird geschwacht, das Wachstum gehemrnel, und 
manchmal vemnstalleL oas Gesiclll wird bleich, gelblicht, der 

Melancholia, Masturbation, and Lesesudx in A 11l(~J Rezser 105 

ganze Leibe diirre, der M.lgen verdaut schJecht, die Hinde zinem, 
die FUssen verlieren ihre Kraft, die Brust wi.rd beklommen und 
der Athmen schwer, B .. ld konmlen allerlei Beschv...-erden lind 
Schmerzen daw vornehmlich in den Hilften und in dem 
R.tckgrade, bis endlich die Auszehrung dein e1en~en Le~n ein 
End macht. 2. oer VefSland leidet so viel als der Lelb an die Stelle 
des Verstandes Uill Mitzelei, List, Verschlagenheit [ .. J wt!il der 
Verstand durch die allgemeine Schwachungdie Kraft verlien. [ ... ] 
Andre, minderbegabte, werden dun1lll, sch\'\,'erfallig- Versrand. 
Gedachlnis, Einbildungskrah, alles geht verlorell." (qtd. in Sumser 

465) 

Funher complications included "schwarze Melancholie," "hypochondria, 
epilepsy and nervous disorders" (qtd. in $ulllSer 465). 

According to the medical science of the eigluecml: century, lher~­
fore, both excessive reading and masturbat ion could result III severe ph)sl­
cal and mental disorders. When one considers the sexual content in some 
of the novels of the day,' it is not dif{icuh to undersund why Anton's 
father WdS wein abgesagter Feind von allen Rornanen" (J3). Ahh~ugh he 
encourJged Anton to redd religious texts, he threatened to throw uno the 
fire any novels that he might find in the hOllse. Anton's mother and .aunt, 
ho\\'Cver recoonized Anton's love affair with books and allowed him to • 0 

read them in their presence. l11ese hours of reading at home 'were de­
scribed as "'einige der sUssesten Stunden in seinem Leben" (34). AnLO~l 
-was able to combine twO of his greal loves: his love of books and of his 
molher. It is, therefore, no surprise that during his lime of gre.ltest stress 
Amon turned to reading as d Illeans of escape. His life reilched a lowpoint 
wllile living with the rector of his schooL Allhough he \vas initially O\'er' 
jo)Cd at ,he opponuruty to live with the rector and .It the prospect of 
having his own room, Amon almost immediately began to suffer one hu, 
miliation after anOlher. l1le other students referred 10 him as the "Rectors 
Famulus" (192) and his status as, more or less, a servam in the household 
becanle clear when he was required to serve wine to .1 fellow student (204). 
His Lesesudx began after the arrival of the rector's mother wllO sought he r 
son's ·'\Vtrtschah auf das genaueste einzuriclllen" (20 l). Anton's dreams 
of livino o n a desened istmd with the rector (189) were destro)ed, re­
placed by the opium (201) of reading. His appeanlllce during this lime 
deteriorates, "seine Kleidung und Wasche wurden immel' schlechter" (224). 



106 FootS at German Sllldies 

He no longer regularly pam.kes of his free meals. Acedia has set up a 
temple in his soul and "(er] sahe semen Korper eben so gleichguhig wie 
seine Kleider von Tage zu Tage abfallen" (228). Undoubtedl)l a medical 
periOO of the eighteenth ceomryv.-oould attribute Anton's state to LestslOX. 
or Selbstbf/etkUlfS, because he cenainly exhibited many of the symptoms 
of both. TodAY Anton v.rould be considered malnourished. 

Anton, when confronted and overwhelmed by the control struc­
tures in the schools and at bome. resoned to mlking and to reading in 
oroer to escape them He 'W3$ Wldoubtedly experiencing a se:-."Ual awaken­
ing in an environment that anempted to suppress and control eve:ryaspeCl 
of a schoolboy's life. Moritz. himself did not recognize the detrimental 
nature of prolonged surveillance on Anton's development. In fact, Ius 
solution to Amon's problem is increased surveilbnce. The instructor should 
become more involved with the student: 

MOehte dies alle Lehrer wld Padagogen ~ufn'X!rksa~r wld in ihren 
Uneilen uber die Entwicklung der C1J.arah.1.ere junger Leute 

behutsamer machen, dass sie die Einv.-irkullg unzahligerzufalliger 
Umstande mit ill Anschlag briichten und von diesen erst die 
genAueste ErI...-undigung einzuziehen suchten, ehe sie es wAgtcn, 
durch ihr Unei! uberdAs SchicksAl eines Menschen zu entSdlciden, 
bei clem es vielleicht nur cines aufmuntemden Blicks bedurfte, 
urn ihn plotzlich umzuschaffen, weil rucht die Grundbge seines 
OUrAh.1.ers, sondem eine sonderbAre Verketnmg von Umstanden 
an seinem schlecht in die Augen fallenden Betragen schuld WAr. 

(205) 

Moritz does lU1derstand, however, how the system of rewJ.rd and punish­
ment worked within the school envlronment. Amon's suffering could have 
been relieved somewhat if the teacher had taken the tUne "ihn bei seinell 
Mitschiilern wieder in Achtung zu senen" (216). 

Anton Reiser was a victim of his inadequate upbringing at home 
and of the structures setup by eighteenth cemurysocieLYlO comrol and 
suppress his emerging sexuality. The S}'31em of reward and punishment 
had a detrirlY:ntal effect upon him Unable to thrive in an environment of 
constant surveillance, Anton became melancholic. Even without the Sl riet 
controls, Anton's se..'-'\.ll.l developrrent 'I.1.'Owd have been difficwl. Tobin 

pointS out the "hints of homoeroticism in Anton's exaggerAted friend-

Melancholia, Masturbation, and Lesesllcix. in A ntOlI ReISer 107 

ships" (250) and Anton's belief thal "he cowd not be loved byany\1.-Qmm" 
(251). He coped with his almost unbearAble situation by reading and exer­
cise. Reading was not a cause of Anton's melancholia, but rather a refuge 
from overzealous control SlructUres: "At fault is not an idle disposition in 
need of discipline, but rather the conditions that reinforce his alierution 
from himself, his self-contempt, Ius inability to identify with himself di­
rectly" (polster 474) . Reading and walking both pla}t!d crucial roles in 

Anton's healing process. 

Unl'l.E!I"Slty if Curznmti 

Notes 

I /1I5eJ FelseJbug has some sU$.gestive scene~. ~ encounter wi~h iI ~autiful 
pagan girl. is recounted as follows: [ ... J so n:mm .,c~ i1m l-hnd und kfustc ~lesel~. 
Dies sehien sic zu verdlieBe; d:lher schlol1lCh Sle In n-.elne Annen uod kiisste SIC 
mehr als hundenmal, wodurch so volhg aufgehelten "''lJrdc. A1s ~h femer auf 
dire BmSl Kilsse ludriicken wagte, ware sic vor EnlZucken fast In Ohnml~ht 
gesunken ( ... r (38). Even in the sanctioned TeWmdJU$ appear se:o.."Ualix- sll£gesuve 
scenes. One example is Telenuchus' affair with the Il}mph Ellchans (t-'enc\on 
80-96). 

Wo,ks O,ed 

Soulb}; Mark. &rI PbilippMma: AI dxFw'tJ!if GeUl/j5. Toronto: U or Toronto P, 
1979. 

D}'Ck, Joachim. "Zur Ps}'Choanal):sc der Me!.mchol,c: K atl P~ilipp Moritz, Anton 
Reiser.- Fr<1lIl!JlSrmu/JtLF"llIlI!Jl LuemlIttt / Fur ,orl\Y/idereJJrr Ps}dxnmljse 
liJem.nsdJeT Wm;. Eds. Inge Stephan and Carl Pietzcker. Tubingen: 
Niemerer, 1986. 176-82. .. . 

Fenelon, FranCOIS de. TeJenud)/l$, Senc/ Uf:,sses. 1705. Ed. and 1 rans. Patnck Riley 
Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1994. 

FOllcault, Michel. Disdplire am PUlIishm:nt.: The Bmh if (he Prisett New York: Vin­
ta~e, 1995. 

___ . 11£ HlSuryif SexltuUy A nJrtrr::rUclot Vol. I. New York: Vintage, 1?90. 
Kreuzer, Helmut. "Gefahrlicne Lesesucht?: Bemerkungen zu pohtlschcr 

Lcktiirekrilik Un ausgehenden 18. Jilirhunden." Lf5eT ,od Lesen U/~ 18. 
J,'Il"IJloriert. O>lloquium der Arbeitsstelle Achtzchntes Jahrhunden. Heidel­
berg: Wmter, 1977.63-75. 

MOI-iu, Karl Philipp. A IWIReist!r: E "' PryixiCf1Sdx:r Ral1U1. 1785. Stuttgart: Redanl, 
1995. 



108 Foots en German Studies 

Neumann, R.P. «Masturbation, Madness, and the Modern Cflncepts of dJild­
hood and Adolescence." jcx(rrd c/ Social J-Jistoty. Spring (1975): 1-28. 

Polster, Amlin. "On the Use and Abuse at Reading: Karl Philipp Moritz and the 
D ialectic of Pedag?&y in the Late- Enlightenment Germany» lnpure Rru-
500; Dialeaiccf E rngJlenm::!1t in Gemuny. Eds. W. Daniel \I&'ilson and Rob­
ert C Holub. Detroit: Wa}ne Sme UP, 1993.465-8.,. 

Posunao, Neil. 77Je DisdpfX'd.mnx if (J;ildJxxxi. New York Vimage, 1994. 
Saint Athanasius. 77Je Lijec{ Saint A ndxny. Trans. Robert T.E. Mcyer. New York 

Newman, 1978. 
Schings, H.]. Melaw:holie lind A ufkldnmg: Melandxliker Imd ihre Knfiker in 

E ifalmrrtf§seeJenkwrle Ifni L itera{I(Y des 18. }ahbwrierts. Stuttgart: Metzler, 
1977. 

Schrimpf, Hans Joachim. Karl PhilippMorilZ. Stuttgart: Metzler, 1980. 
Sumser, Roben. "E lZid)Jof" me Family, and the Rrgulation of Se:.."Uality in the 

Late German Enlightenment." (;enrnnSu.die;- Rruew15 (1982): 455·74. 
Tobin, Roben. "Healthy Families: MedlCine, Patriarchy, and Heterosexuality in 

Eighteemh·Centmy German Novels" Inpure RalS(YI: Di.~!eaicif EnligJt­
eJU/J!J1l in Genmny. Eds. W Daniel Wilson and Roben C Holub. Detroit 
Wayne State UP, 1993.242-59. 

Wagner-Egelhaaf, Marina. Die Melill/dxiie tier Lilemlur: Diskllng:sd;ld;te lind 
Texcfi?J(fiIrlon StUl[gan:: Metzler, 1997. 

\Xleber, DietriCh. "Lekriire tm A nun Reiser." Leser IO"d Lesen im 18. jahl/J/omt. Col­
loquium der Arbeitssteile Achtzehmes Jahrhunden. Heidelberg: Winter, 
1977.58-61. 

Von Kreisen und Brucken: 
Jeanneue Landers 

E in Somrrer in der Wahe der Itke J( 

Markus Wust 

1741 ritik~r, welche si~h mit .Je~nnette Landers 1;71 e rschien~nel1 
Il,3 Erstl1l1gsroman E mSOII1JIIT mder Wod:eder'/rke K befassten, WIesen 
wiederholt auf die enge Verbi.ndung z.\V1schen Landers Biografie und der 
ihrer Heldin ltke hill: beide ,vuchsen wibrend des z.weiten Weldmeges in 
einem judischen Ehernhaus auf und beider Vater bcsa~en einen 
Lebensminelhandel in einemSchw.m.enviel1el von Adama. Wie Itke erlebte 
Lande. das zu diesem Zeitpunkt noeh meist fnedvolle Zusammenleben 
z.weier von der weill.en Gescllschaft ausgeschlossener Gruppen, llnd es 
"War eben dieses Zusammenleben, das als Ansto~ ftir Em 5(11171)L"" in der 
IVaiX' der fme K dieme. Auf die Frage nach dem Motiv fur ihren Roman 
antwortet sic in einem 1998 gefuhnen Interview: 

I was trying to paint a picture. 1 didn't know anything, and these 
'were all authent ic experiences, the people III the store, and the 
parents, these were all experiences wh.ich actually, as an ulteIior 
motive, I W.1S saving from oblivion for myself. I wanted 10 recre­
ate this \",orld, which T had left, and 'which no longer existed. \,\lhen 
I was writing it i.n 1970, I wanted to save sometlung from this 
world of the laSt ~ars of the second world W,lL This \\-'.1S a com­
pletely different world, a complete turnover of lllteractiolls be­
tween different cultures. A case in pam uere the Je-<..tlS/; inuligrallls y}JO 

Iud dJeir stores In Black Irifi;WrIxxx/s. 77xy dan't fX ist any 101lfF: 77Jey 
are raallmuxi wfXist; ani the Bidcks d:emdu:s dan't WHIL tl::emta \V7:enn> 
ltke paints a piaml! if a tint": 'I1hen the perp!e if differ<."Tl1. atlwre; belped 
('OJ) other am wX!n theyaauaily liko1 ead) other. This is something that 

I e:\.'perienced, but which is fading Oul of my memory. (Krafl134-
35, meine Betonung) 

FoolS on German Sl1ldies Volume 8 (200 1)