Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
First Advisor
Louis J. Elteto
Term of Graduation
Summer 1967
Date of Publication
7-23-1967
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.) in German
Department
Foreign Languages and Literatures
Language
English
Subjects
Joseph Roth (1894-1939). Radetzkymarsch, Joseph Roth (1894-1939). Kapuzinergruft, House of Habsburg
DOI
10.15760/etd.5628
Physical Description
1 online resource (2, 54 pages)
Abstract
This thesis explores Joseph Roth's image of the Habsburg Empire es depicted in two of his works, namely Radetzkymarsch (1932) and Die Kapuzinergruft (1938).
Joseph Roth is perhaps the chronicler par excellence of the Habsburg Empire. Among the authors who have attempted, through their works, to come to grips with fin de siecle Austria, he has remained relatively unknown. However, Roth was keenly aware of the Monarchy's ultimate decline and fall. Losing the Monarchy was his most intense experience and his personal involvement with the Empire plays a dominant role in these novels. Hence, Chapter I provides a biographical sketch.
Chapter II examines Radetzkymarsch, his most significant novel. The novel gives an account of the nihilistic despair and insecurity that took hold of the people during the fall of the Monarchy. It is a realistic story of three generations of a Slovenian family, whose fate symbolically coincides with that of the Monarchy. After a brief plot summary, the chapter provides an analysis of the fictional characters end leitmotifs.
Chapter III investigates Die Kapuzinergruft, the parallel and anachronistic sequel to Radetzkymarsch. The novel tells of the some decaying world as Radetzkymarsch and also mirrors the fate of Austria in its characters. The chapter is similar in structure to chapter II and focuses on the aspects of the novel that illuminate Austrian society during and after the fall.
The concluding chapter gives a brief overview of the major similarities and dissimilarities and argues that Roth's image of the Empire did not change. Die Kapuzinergruft is seen as the logical continuation of Radetzkymarsch, and its worthy conclusion. The emptiness end suffering Joseph Roth struggled with throughout his life seem to have been the major impetus behind his creativity. He recognized the disease which infected the society of his time and clearly conveys his understanding on the pages of these two novels.
Rights
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/21143
Recommended Citation
O'Dell, Deborah, "The Image of the Habsburg Empire in Joseph Roth's Radetzkymarsch and Die Kapuzinergruft" (1967). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3744.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5628
Comments
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