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The Confusions of Young Törless

January 01, 1970

The Confusions of Young Törless (German: Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß), or Young Törless, is the literary debut of the Austrian philosophical novelist and essayist Robert Musil, first published in 1906.

The Confusions of Young Törleß
First edition cover
AuthorRobert Musil
Original titleDie Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß
CountryAustria
LanguageGerman
GenreBildungsroman
PublisherWiener Verlag
Publication date
1906
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)

Plot introduction edit

Musil's novel is ostensibly a Bildungsroman, a story of a young disoriented man searching for moral values in society and their meaning for him.

The expressionistic novel, based on Musil's personal experiences at a boarding school in Hranice (in Austria-Hungary, now in the Czech Republic) was written according to Musil "because of boredom". In later life, however, Musil denied that the novel was about youthful experiences of his own. Due to its explicit sexual content, the novel at first caused a scandal among the reading public and the authorities of Austria-Hungary.

Later, various prefigurings of Fascism were identified in the text, including the characters of Beineberg and Reiting, who seem to be orderly pupils by day but shamelessly abuse their classmate psychologically, physically and sexually by night.

In 1966, the German director Volker Schlöndorff made the film Der junge Törless based on the novel.

Synopsis edit

Three students of an Austrian boarding school, Reiting, Beineberg and Törless, catch their classmate Basini stealing money from one of the three and decide to punish him themselves instead of turning him in to the school authorities. They start with bullying and abusing him, first physically and then psychologically and sexually, while also blackmailing him by threatening to denounce him. Their abusive treatment of Basini becomes openly sexual and increasingly sadistic; nevertheless, he endures all the torture even when, after being deprived of any dignity, he is discredited by the entire class.

Törless' moral and sexual confusion leads him to join Beineberg and Reiting's degradation of Basini; he is both sexually attracted to Basini and Beineberg and repelled by them. He observes and takes part in the torture and rape of Basini while telling himself that he is trying to understand the gap between his rational self and his obscure irrational self; he is a disturbed and despairing observer of his own states of consciousness. Basini professes love for Törless and Törless comes to reciprocate somewhat, but is ultimately repelled by Basini's unwillingness to stand up for himself. This disgust with Basini's passivity ultimately leads him almost off-handedly to stand up to Beineberg and Reiting. When the torment becomes unbearable, Törless covertly advises Basini to turn himself in to the headmaster as a way out of the situation.

An investigation is commenced, but the only party to be found guilty is Basini. Törless makes a strange existential speech to the school authorities about the gap between the rational and irrational ("...after all, things just happen"), which puzzles the authorities more than anything else. They decide he is of too refined an intellect for the institute, and suggest to his parents that he be privately educated, a conclusion that he comes to on his own.

Other subplots include Törless' experience with the local prostitute Božena, his encounter with his mathematics teacher, and his analysis of his parents' attitudes toward the world.

Editions and translations edit

  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß. Wien/Leipzig: Wiener Verlag, 1906.
  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß. München/Leipzig: Georg Müller, 1911.
  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß. 11th.-15th. thousand. Berlin: Ernst Rowohlt, 1931 [Revised edition; published Dec. 1930].
  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, 1998. (rororo 10300.)
  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß. Based on the revised edition 1930; with detailed commentary. Ed. by Werner Bellmann. Epilog: Filippo Smerilli. Stuttgart: Reclam, 2013.
  • Young Törless. Translated by Eithne Wilkins and Ernst Kaiser. Pantheon Books, 1955.
  • The Confusions of Young Törless. Translated by Shaun Whiteside, with an introduction by J. M. Coetzee. Penguin Classics, 2001.
  • The Confusions of Young Master Törless. Translated by Christopher Moncrieff. Alma Classics, 2013.
  • The Confusions of Young Törless. Translated by Mike Mitchell, with an introduction and notes by Ritchie Robertson. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Bibliography edit

  • Bernhard Grossmann: Robert Musil, Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törless. Interpretation. 3. Auflage. Oldenbourg, München 1997. ISBN 3-486-88627-4
  • Klaus Johann: Grenze und Halt: Der Einzelne im „Haus der Regeln“. Zur deutschsprachigen Internatsliteratur. Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 2003, (= Beiträge zur neueren Literaturgeschichte. 201.). ISBN 3-8253-1599-1 content (pdf-Datei)[permanent dead link], Rezension pp. 206–422. (The most extensive interpretation of „Törleß“.)
  • Roland Kroemer: Ein endloser Knoten? Robert Musils „Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß“ im Spiegel soziologischer, psychoanalytischer und philosophischer Diskurse. Fink, München 2004. ISBN 3-7705-3946-X (Dissertation)
  • Niekerk, Carl (1997). "Foucault, Freud, Musil: Macht und Masochismus in den 'Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törless'". Zeitschrift für deutsche Philologie. 116 (4): 545.
  • Oliver Pfohlmann: Robert Musil. Rowohlt Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2012 (= rowohlts monographien), pp. 19–22 (ch. "Als Zögling in Eisenstadt und Mährisch-Weißkirchen") and pp. 43–49 (ch. "Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß"), ISBN 978-3-499-50721-2
  • Andrea Rota: I grovigli del racconto: metafore tessili e disarticolazione narrativa ne «Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törless» di Robert Musil. In: Studia Austriaca. 15/2007, pp. 175–192. ISBN 978-88-6001-130-5
  • Renate Schröder-Werle: Robert Musil. "Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß". Erläuterungen und Dokumente. Reclam, Stuttgart 2001.
  • Filippo Smerilli: Moderne – Sprache – Körper. Analysen zum Verhältnis von Körpererfahrung und Sprachkritik in erzählenden Texten Robert Musils. V & R Unipress, Göttingen 2009.

External links edit

  • Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß at Project Gutenberg (in German)

January 01, 1970
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The Confusions of Young Torless German Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless or Young Torless is the literary debut of the Austrian philosophical novelist and essayist Robert Musil first published in 1906 The Confusions of Young TorlessFirst edition coverAuthorRobert MusilOriginal titleDie Verwirrungen des Zoglings TorlessCountryAustriaLanguageGermanGenreBildungsromanPublisherWiener VerlagPublication date1906Media typePrint hardback amp paperback Contents 1 Plot introduction 2 Synopsis 3 Editions and translations 4 Bibliography 5 External linksPlot introduction editMusil s novel is ostensibly a Bildungsroman a story of a young disoriented man searching for moral values in society and their meaning for him The expressionistic novel based on Musil s personal experiences at a boarding school in Hranice in Austria Hungary now in the Czech Republic was written according to Musil because of boredom In later life however Musil denied that the novel was about youthful experiences of his own Due to its explicit sexual content the novel at first caused a scandal among the reading public and the authorities of Austria Hungary Later various prefigurings of Fascism were identified in the text including the characters of Beineberg and Reiting who seem to be orderly pupils by day but shamelessly abuse their classmate psychologically physically and sexually by night In 1966 the German director Volker Schlondorff made the film Der junge Torless based on the novel Synopsis editThree students of an Austrian boarding school Reiting Beineberg and Torless catch their classmate Basini stealing money from one of the three and decide to punish him themselves instead of turning him in to the school authorities They start with bullying and abusing him first physically and then psychologically and sexually while also blackmailing him by threatening to denounce him Their abusive treatment of Basini becomes openly sexual and increasingly sadistic nevertheless he endures all the torture even when after being deprived of any dignity he is discredited by the entire class Torless moral and sexual confusion leads him to join Beineberg and Reiting s degradation of Basini he is both sexually attracted to Basini and Beineberg and repelled by them He observes and takes part in the torture and rape of Basini while telling himself that he is trying to understand the gap between his rational self and his obscure irrational self he is a disturbed and despairing observer of his own states of consciousness Basini professes love for Torless and Torless comes to reciprocate somewhat but is ultimately repelled by Basini s unwillingness to stand up for himself This disgust with Basini s passivity ultimately leads him almost off handedly to stand up to Beineberg and Reiting When the torment becomes unbearable Torless covertly advises Basini to turn himself in to the headmaster as a way out of the situation An investigation is commenced but the only party to be found guilty is Basini Torless makes a strange existential speech to the school authorities about the gap between the rational and irrational after all things just happen which puzzles the authorities more than anything else They decide he is of too refined an intellect for the institute and suggest to his parents that he be privately educated a conclusion that he comes to on his own Other subplots include Torless experience with the local prostitute Bozena his encounter with his mathematics teacher and his analysis of his parents attitudes toward the world Editions and translations editDie Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Wien Leipzig Wiener Verlag 1906 Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Munchen Leipzig Georg Muller 1911 Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless 11th 15th thousand Berlin Ernst Rowohlt 1931 Revised edition published Dec 1930 Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Reinbek bei Hamburg Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag 1998 rororo 10300 Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Based on the revised edition 1930 with detailed commentary Ed by Werner Bellmann Epilog Filippo Smerilli Stuttgart Reclam 2013 Young Torless Translated by Eithne Wilkins and Ernst Kaiser Pantheon Books 1955 The Confusions of Young Torless Translated by Shaun Whiteside with an introduction by J M Coetzee Penguin Classics 2001 The Confusions of Young Master Torless Translated by Christopher Moncrieff Alma Classics 2013 The Confusions of Young Torless Translated by Mike Mitchell with an introduction and notes by Ritchie Robertson Oxford University Press 2014 Bibliography editBernhard Grossmann Robert Musil Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Interpretation 3 Auflage Oldenbourg Munchen 1997 ISBN 3 486 88627 4 Klaus Johann Grenze und Halt Der Einzelne im Haus der Regeln Zur deutschsprachigen Internatsliteratur Universitatsverlag Winter Heidelberg 2003 Beitrage zur neueren Literaturgeschichte 201 ISBN 3 8253 1599 1 content pdf Datei permanent dead link Rezension pp 206 422 The most extensive interpretation of Torless Roland Kroemer Ein endloser Knoten Robert Musils Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless im Spiegel soziologischer psychoanalytischer und philosophischer Diskurse Fink Munchen 2004 ISBN 3 7705 3946 X Dissertation 1 Niekerk Carl 1997 Foucault Freud Musil Macht und Masochismus in den Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Zeitschrift fur deutsche Philologie 116 4 545 Oliver Pfohlmann Robert Musil Rowohlt Verlag Reinbek bei Hamburg 2012 rowohlts monographien pp 19 22 ch Als Zogling in Eisenstadt und Mahrisch Weisskirchen and pp 43 49 ch Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless ISBN 978 3 499 50721 2 Andrea Rota I grovigli del racconto metafore tessili e disarticolazione narrativa ne Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless di Robert Musil In Studia Austriaca 15 2007 pp 175 192 ISBN 978 88 6001 130 5 Renate Schroder Werle Robert Musil Die Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless Erlauterungen und Dokumente Reclam Stuttgart 2001 Filippo Smerilli Moderne Sprache Korper Analysen zum Verhaltnis von Korpererfahrung und Sprachkritik in erzahlenden Texten Robert Musils V amp R Unipress Gottingen 2009 External links editDie Verwirrungen des Zoglings Torless at Project Gutenberg in German Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Confusions of Young Torless amp oldid 1172313564, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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