Text in German / The present thesis undertakes a comprehensive survey and criticak analysis of the concept of duty and its significance in the prose of Siegfried Lenz (born in
1926). It concentrates on those novels and narratives in which duty is the main
motif; these are Schwierige Trauer (1960), Das Feuerschiff (1960), Deutschstunde
(1968) and Ein Kriegsende (1984). After an introduction which outlines the
development and the influence of the concept of duty in Germany, the thesis deals
with Lenz's prose in chronological order.
Siegfried Lenz's main motif is the significance of the concept of duty within
the moral code of the individual, the specific meaning and influence of which has
been developed in Germany.
Lenz does not deny that duty is a necessary element of the process of socialization.
But he rejects the unreflected and uncritical acceptance of a dubious morality
based on a sense of duty, at the expense of individuality and responsibility for
oneself. It is a deformed understanding of duty which Lenz exposes and criticizes
in his work: a characteristic mark of submissiveness and slavish obedience
("Untertanengeist und Kadavergehorsam"). These distortions are determined by
political-historical events, theological dogmas, philosophical theses and an
authoritarian upbringing. The reasons for the attitudes and behaviour of Lenz's
fictitious characters have their roots in those factors.
Lenz always insists on reflection. He refuses the uncritical acceptance of a morality
based on duty, which allows a person to avoid his or her responsibility. However, Siegfried Lenz neither attempts to construct a social background
nor does he offer recipes for a new social order. Rather he restricts himself to the
sceptical questioning of norms and values, which are maintained by authority. The
author creates a conflict in a hermetic environment, for example a ship or a small
village, in which his fictitious characters have to prove themselves. By confronting
his readers with such an extreme situation and the protagonists' questionable
decisions, Lenz forces his public to reconsider their own position. The author's aim
is to make his readers realize that right and wrong cannot always be distinguished
in a clear-cut manner / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (German)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/15662 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Nordbruch, Claus H. R., 1961- |
| Contributors | Marquardt, H. J., Misch, M. K. E. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (245 leaves) |
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