The Project Gutenberg EBook of The German Classics of The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Vol. II, by Editor-in-Chief: Kuno Francke

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The German Classics of The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Vol. II Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. In Twenty Volumes

Author: Editor-in-Chief: Kuno Francke

Release Date: February 28, 2004 [EBook #11366]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GERMAN CLASSICS, VOL. 2 ***

Produced by Stan Goodman, Jayam Subramanian and PG Distributed Proofreaders

VOLUME II

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

THE GERMAN CLASSICS

MASTERPIECES OF GERMAN LITERATURE

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH

IN TWENTY VOLUMES

ILLUSTRATED

1914

VOLUME II

CONTENTS OF VOLUME II

      INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTIVE AFFINITIES.
         By Calvin Thomas

      THE ELECTIVE AFFINITIES.
         Translated by James Anthony Froude and R. Dillon Boylan

      SHAKESPEARE AND AGAIN SHAKESPEARE.
         Translated by Julia Franklin

      ORATION ON WIELAND.
         Translated by Louis H. Gray

      THE PEDAGOGIC PROVINCE (from "Wilhelm Meister's Travels").
         Translated by R. Dillon Boylan

      WINCKELMANN AND HIS AGE.
         Translated by George Krielin

      MAXIMS AND REFLECTIONS.
         Translated by Bailey Saunders

      ECKERMANN'S CONVERSATION WITH GOETHE.
         Translated by John Oxenford

      GOETHE'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH WILHELM VON HUMBOLDT AND HIS WIFE.
         Translated by Louis H. Gray

      GOETHE'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH K. F. ZELTER.
         Translated by Frances H. King

ILLUSTRATIONS—VOLUME II

Capri

Edward reading aloud to Charlotte and the Captain

Charlotte receives Ottilie. By P. Grotjohann

Edward and Ottilie. By P. Grotjohann

Edward, Charlotte, Ottilie and the Captain discuss the new plan of the house. By Franz Simm

Ottilie examines Edward's Presents. By P Grotjohann

Luciana posing as Queen Artemisia. By P. Grotjohann

Ottilie. By Wilhelm von Kaulbach

The Old Theatre, Weimar. By Peter Woltze

Martin Wieland. By E. Hader

Princess Amalia

Winckelmann

Weimar seen from the North

Goethe and his Secretary. By Johann Josef Schmeller

Goethe's Study

The Garden at Goethe's City House, Weimar. By Peter Woltze

Schiller's Garden House at Jena. Drawing by Goethe

The float at Jena. Drawing by Goethe

View into the Saale Valley near Jena. Drawing by Goethe

K.F. Zelter

INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTIVE AFFINITIES

In the spring of the year 1807 Goethe began work on the second part of Wilhelm Meister. He had no very definite plot in view, but proposed to make room for a number of short stories, all relating to the subject of renunciation, which was to be the central theme of the Wanderjahre. In the course of the summer, while he was taking the waters at Karlsbad, two or three of the stories were written. The following spring he set about elaborating another tale of renunciation, the idea of which had occurred to him some time before. But somehow it refused to be confined within the limits of a novelette. As he proceeded the matter grew apace, until it finally developed into the novel which was given to the world in 1809 under the title of The Elective Affinities.

When that which should be a short story is expanded into a novel one can usually detect the padding and the embroidery. So it is certainly in this case. Those long descriptions of landscape-gardening; the copious extracts from Ottilie's diary, containing many thoughts which would hardly have entered the head of such a girl; the pages given to subordinate characters, whose comings and goings have no very obvious connection with the story,—all these retard the narrative and tend to hide the essential idea. The strange title, too, has served to divert attention from the real centre of gravity. Had the tale been called, say, "Ottilie's Expiation," there would have been less room for misunderstanding and irrelevant criticism; there would have been less concern over the moral, and more over the artistic, aspect of the story.

What then was the essential idea? Simply to describe a peculiar tragedy resulting from the invasion of the marriage relation by lawless passion. As for the title, it should be remembered that there was just then a tendency to look for curious analogies between physical law and the operations of the human mind. Great interest was felt in suggestion, occult influence, and all that sort of thing. Goethe himself had lately been lecturing on magnetism. He had also observed, as no one can fail to observe, that the sexual attraction sometimes seems to act like chemical affinity: it breaks up old unions, forms new combinations, destroys pre-existing bodies, as if it were a law that must work itself out, whatever the consequences. Such a process will now and then defy prudence, self-respect, duty, even religion,—going its way like a blind and ruthless law of physics. But if this is to happen the recombining elements must, of course, have each its specific character; else there is no affinity and no tragedy.

It is no part of the analogy that the pressure of sex is always and by its very nature like the attraction of atoms. Aside from the fact that character consists largely in the steady inhibition of instinct and passion by the will, there is this momentous difference between atoms or molecules, on the one hand, and souls on the other: the character of the atom or molecule is constant, that of the soul is highly variable. There is no room here for remarks on free will and determinism; suffice it to say that Goethe does not preach any doctrine of mechanical determinism in human relations. The scientific analogy must not be pressed too hard. It is really not important, since after all nothing turns on it. Whatever interest the novel has it would have if all reference to chemistry had been omitted. Goethe's thesis, if he can be said to have one, is simply that character is fate.

He imagines a middle-aged man and woman, Edward and Charlotte, who are,