GER 1791 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: E. T. A. Hoffmann, Franz Kafka, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Document Summary
Born ernst theodor wilhelm hoffmann, but later substituted amadeus for wilhelm in admiration of his idol, amadeus mozart. Witness to french occupation, witness to battles of napoleonic wars, (e. g. dresden. Unhappy childhood, thwarted love affairs many read in his stories autobiographical details. Key author of the later romantic movement. Considered the first flowering of the horror & fantasy short story. Interest in the supernatural and emerging theories of the psyche. Characteristic style: ambiguity, multiple and indeterminate meanings, doubled characters (doppelg nger) stories grounded in reality but with presence of supernatural, presence of inventor characters: automatons, mechanical objects. Influenced edgar allan poe, charles dickens, franz kafka, nathaniel hawthorne, leo. The nutcracker and the mouse king inspired tchaikovsky"s ballet the nutcracker. The sandman inspired delibes"s ballet coppelia and david lynch"s blue velvet. Jacques offenbach"s opera the tales of hoffmann is based on his life. The deed of entail inspired edgar allan poe"s story the fall of the house of usher .