Focus 2003.tif Mastery, Secrecy, and Money in ff7ilhe!m Meisters LehJjahre Sean Wilson M oney and a secre t society hold sway over Goethe's protagonist in Wilhelm MeiJterJ Lehrjahre. Their imerplay is fascinating be<.:ause \'(lilhelm is largely ignorant of how each influences d,e course of his journey. Central for my analysis is the revelation near the end of the novel that W'ilhdm has been the object of continuous surveillance by the Tur1l1geselluhq/t. T his brotherhood transcribes and shapes every detail o f his [jfe, yet the depiction o f its clandestine intrigues does not substantiate its alleged position of omniscience. 1 will demonswlte that the implicit role of money in the text conuibutes to fu lfilling Lhe function credited to the secret society; for wh ile Wilhelm i~ the object of covert observation and designs, he i~ also objectified and manipulated in the market framework. These parallels lhen serve as the foundation for my argument tha r money i s a key factor in determining Wilhelm's ultimate relationship to the TIII7!'lmlluhaft. Wilhelm is comm odified at the outset by his lover Mariane, who weighs the vahle of her love for him against the material advantages offered by her other suitor, Norberg. \X/ilhdm soon resolves to set off and build a [jfe based on his passion fo r the theater and Mariane, but he launches his quest under the aegis of trade and money. Since his family and friends want him co panicipate in the market economy, they arrange for him to take a business trip, during the cour~e o f which \'\filhc!m intends to create an existence apart from lheir world. However, his mission of personal and artistic fulfiUment is governed by the definitive financial framework in which he operates. The narrator repon s, "ec erkannte den \'\fink cines Ici tcndcn Schicksals an diescn zusammentceffenden Umstiinden" (4 1; Book I, Ch. It), but instead of the Schul::geiJt that Wilhelm envisions, the manipulative fo rces of money and [he Tllm'lmllschaJt shape the course of his journey. 2 Foals on Gtrman Slllllies Some of Wilhelm's greatest joy occurs at the beginning of Book n, when he finds hunself among others who share his interest in thea ter. The desperate tone of his love affair in Book I gives way to an atmosphere of carefree Rinarioo, but, much like the secret sociery, lhe specter of money is prescnt even in these ri~es o.f nrive complacence. When Wilhelm undenakes a journey wIth , IllS new acquaimances, Lacnes and Philine, the narratOr emphasi:l.es the group's unsparing behavior. During lhe first leg o f the coach ride, they hand out money freely, and on lhe rerum trip Philinc's gcnt:rosiry is highlighted: Drallig bis zur AusgeJassenheit, setzte sic ihre Frcigebigkeit gegen die Armen auf clem Heimweg fan, indem sic Zulct2t, da ihf und ihren Reisegefahrten das Geld ausging, einem t"tadchen ihren Suohhut und einem allen \X'eibe ihr Halstuch zum Schlage hinauswarf. (96; Book 2, Ch. 4) Much as the companions' joy came fo rth irutiall), through their charity, here the success of the outing is manifested in Phitine's AUJ!!lamnhtil. Her simultaneous loss of possessions and inhibitions establishes a correlation between items of value and feehngs of happiness. The nature of mis relationship, however, is ambiguous, for upon closer inspection cause and effect appear interchangeable. Philine:'s outward conduct may indeed reflect her emotions, but it is JUS t as likely that giving to lhe poor bn·ngs about her exubera.nce. Georg Simmel describes JUSl such a mode o f existence in "Ober Geiz, Verschwendung und Armur," whe re he shows how money has become an end rather than a means. It is ulrough expcndlmre, he posits, and not hoarding, that money is en joyed as an abstract good, separate from its intended function. This suggests lbat rather than acting according to how they feel, \X'i1helm and his friends acrua Uy purchase good spiritS through their squandering: dley feel according to how lltey spend. Here and elsewhere in the novel, cash and material possessions govern Wilhelm's most intimate experiences. Tlus is especially evidenl 1I1 his relationship with Melina, a du:ater aficionado suffering harassment from his prospective in· laws. Having recently eonductc:d a business transaction wuh the Mastery. ~crecy. and Money 3 larrer, Wilhelm feels justified in iOlervening on Melina's bebalf. Illis, however, le2.ds to 2 conUnu2.l series of obligations, because once \,(!ilhelm assumes a social role grounded in monetary affairs, he remains bound within it. l ie manages initially to negouate the legal o bstacles preventing Melina's marriage, but where one might expect unconditional graurude, t-. leiina Instead faults \Xlilhclm for failing to make arrangements for his livelihood. By exerung his influence in this sphere, Wilhelm inadvertently makes himself an economic instrument in me context of his relationship \ ... i[h t-. lclina. The same repercussion attt:nds Wilhelm's agreement (0 bankroll theater equipmcnt for Melina in Book n, after which t-. lelina (elendessly presses him to follow through willI the purchase. That Wilhelm ultimately succumbs by objectifying J\·lcli na in relllrn emphasizes money's growing unpact on his subjectivity. He is caugh t at a moment when be is especially intent on pursuing Phihne, and says to Melma, "\'{lenn ieh Sie dadurch gliicklich und zufrieden machen bnn, so will ich mich fUciu langer beclenkc.n. Gehn Sie hin, machen Sie alles richtig" (137; Book 2, e h. 12). This uansaction r/:semblcs a bribe more than a loan made in good faJlh, for \'(ftlhelm only mec:ts Melina's demands when he decides to use financialle\·erage to sat isfy his own interests. He relegalC:s Mel.ln:l;'s individuaiJry by depicting Ius happiness as an economic function, and WIth the command "Gehn sie hin" reveals that he is using money to dIspense with an obstacle rather man to reach an agreemem with a pee[. It is ironic thal theater contribures to drawing Wilhelm into a situation governed by economic parameters; for as a symbol of his freedom, theater stands opposed 10 the world o f finance. Neverdleless, \'(filhelm bc:gins his romantic ,ourney under the auspices of a business trip, and then, because of Melina's theatrical ambitions, is compelled to assign a cash va lue ( 0 his an . Furthermore, his first success at establishing himself in a theater community is adulterated from the outset by financia l considerations. The u oupc's engagement by the baron, a patron, comes across as desirable particularly because r-. lelina secures favorable arrangements for (he actors. The promise of money and sustenance creates lhe basis for a positive reaction to having found an aucilc:nce, and the resulting joy is itself expresse:d through the fiiter of a cash mentality: "Sic machren sich schon zurn vomus auf jene Rechnung lustig, und jedes hiclt fur 4 FocuI 0'1 German SllIdlu unschicklich, nur noch irgendeinen Groschen Geld in def Tasche zu bchalten" (157; Book 3, eh. 2). Here again, money is squandered nOt simply as an effect of happiness, but as an act comprising and cceaong il. In this case, such behavior precludes me possibiliry for expressions that might emerge out of artistic and person:&i satisfaction rather than grec:d. The theatrical engagement on the baron's estate also draws Wilhelm back inro the cycle of economic obligation that governs his relationship with Melina, as the latter hopes to reduce his debt to Wilhelm by negotiating favorable arrangements with the baron. This complicates Wilhelm's artistic motivations with considerations of achieving compensation for his investment in me enterprise. Furthermore. his relationship with the actors amplifies his objectification as an economic agent in his social telations. When rhe trOupe's caravan is anacked by bandits and forfeits most of its possessions, Wilhelm is seriously injured in the struggle, yet the others are disrressed only about their losses and not his condition. Despite hIS proven devotion to them, most of the group scorns him following the carnscrophe. The imminent threat to his life fails to mitigate his peers' calculated assessment of him based solely on his ca.pacity to promote tbeir il1te.rests. Even more srarding i.s how Wilhelm readily accepts their blame and, as if negotiating a contract, vows to compensate them for their losses. Marc SheU citcs a similar conception of money and language from ancient Greek writer Athenaeus; '''\\]hy not pay him with a word of your own, as if you were exchanging money,' as if every man were a mint of words and hence the cenrer o f an economy of abundance" (MOil,!) 44). Likewise, Wilhelm auempts with a promise to offset lhe deb t he has incurred by no fault of his own, other than his capirulation to dchumallizing social pressures. A series of ime£