On Monday, Hans
decides to take an extended walk, all by himself. This is perverse and ill
advised. He exhausts himself terribly and after a while will rests on bench near a
brook. His nose starts bleeding and Hans has something like a minor epiphany.
- Bildung
It is forbidden not to
attend Krokowski’s lectures! Settembrini is absent.
- Death
The Austrian Horseman’s
cough he hears every day, lest he would forget where he is.
“The nose bleeding
left him in a state of strangely reduced vitality”. This pseudo death announces
another one later, more dangerous. This time HC suddenly remembers where he has
seen the eyes before, finally telling us who he recognized in the dream he
dreamt in the chapter “Satana makes shameful suggestions”
Notice HC’s body
described as “lifeless”
- Eros
Hans is still puzzled
about who or what he was reminded of each time he sees Clawdia’s eyes. Hans
notices again the effect Marusja has on Joachim.
Krokowski’s lecture “Love
as a force conducive to illness”
Remembering Pribislav
Hippe, Polish first name, Slavic blood, bluish grey or greyish blue eyes ( like
distant mountains, the Caucasian Mountain range no doubt ), curious, narrow
slanted shape ( Asian ) with prominent distinctive strong cheekbones.
Hippe in German is the scythe wielded by Death, the grim Reaper. Hans is attracte to death ?
Hippe in German is the scythe wielded by Death, the grim Reaper. Hans is attracte to death ?
“HC did not worry
about the intellectual or emotional basis of his reaction or even what name he
would give it if he had to. It could not be called friendship…” It is love of
course, it is attraction, it is infatuation. See how many times the word “loved”
is used indirectly when speaking about the attraction Hans feels for Hippe. He loved
the emotion, he loved the satisfaction, he loved the disappointments. This
homosexual attraction cannot be pronounced. It is too adventurous, too risky…
Exchange of the silver
and red phallic symbol: “Could you lend me a pencil?”, both heads bent in a
joint communion. Hans the fetishist collects the shavings.
“Intimate relationship
with Hippe”.
And he looked so
strangely like her…The heterosexual attraction Hans obviously feels for Clawdia
is a remake of an attraction of an earlier platonic and homosexual Love Hans
felt for the beautiful boy Hippe.
- Time
The epiphany is like a time
warp
- Geography
Lovely people have (
Central Asian ) Asian blood.
Listen while reading this chapter to : Prélude to L’après midi d’un Faune by Claude Debussy
Listen while reading this chapter to : Prélude to L’après midi d’un Faune by Claude Debussy
