148
5.4. Das Ansichten eines Clowns
149
Als der Roman Ansichten eines Clowns in der Bundesrepublik veröffentlicht wurde, waren bereits im selben Jahr zwei Bücher erschienen, die sich ebenfalls kritisch mit der Katholischen Kirche befassten und gleichermaßen für erhebliches Aufsehen sorgten: Rolf Hochhut verurteilte in seinem Drama Der Stellvertreter den Papst, der zur Vernichtung der Juden im ,,Dritten Reich“ geschwiegen hatte, und Carl Amery prangerte in seinem Essay, Die Kapitulation, zu dem Böll ein Nachwort verfasste (11,224-227), den deutschen Katholizismus wegen seiner opportunistischen Haltung in der jüngsten Geschichte an.
5.4.2. Content
The novel Ansichten eines Clowns took an action period of four hours. The Narrator, who for five years eloped with Marie Derkum, is broke and returns under difficult conditions in his hometown, Bonn. In his monologues and dialogues, he revels his reckless lifeadventure in memories.
Hans Schnier is the elder brother. His Protestant parents have acquired great wealth through shares in the Rheinland Brown coal mining. Hans Schnier took the secondary student, Marie Derkum to Bonn. The latter preferred Cologne because of her Catholic faith. The beginning becomes difficult with their low income. However, they succeed along the line through some successful and well paid public shows to make their living, enjoying an intimate and adventurous, though illegalized marriage. This happy time is suddenly interrupted when Marie rejoins old Catholic friends. So, her claim is reinforced for a legalization of their relationship. The couple argues about the religious status of their future children as well as the question about a
150
proper marriage. Hans remains however agnostic. As a result of the deadlock in their negotiation, Marie has to retreat from the "wild" marriage and finally separate herself from Hans Schnier. Alternatively, she enters a civil marriage with the Catholic, Züpfer. The separation is the cause of Hans Schniers mental hurt, as well as his professional downfall. The novel begins with his immediate return to Bonn, where he tried in vain to take counter measures while sheltering in a donated apartment.
5.4.3. Interpretation.
The clown takes place in Germany of the 1960s. This period is known in German history as the era of the economic miracle. Under the Government of Konrad Adenauer, many Germans strongly benefited from the economic growth. However, many people both in the Church and in civil society find it hard to find their bearing.
The novel was written in the first-person narrative form, it is the writer’s arcerbic and subtle criticism of Church and Government. The Narrator, narrates, and at the same time is used by Böll as front and medium of his criticism. He introduces himself as a twenty seven year old clown who no longer pays his church tax because of his agnosticism:
Ich bin ein Clown, offizielle Berufsbezeichnung:
Komiker, keiner Kirche steuerpflichtig, siebenundzwanzig Jahre alt, und eine meiner Nummern heißt: Ankunft und Abfahrt, eine (fast zu) lange Pantomime, bei der der Zuschauer bis zuletzt Ankunft und Abfahrt verwechselt[...](AeC 8)
151
The literary creation of the clown as the protagonist is preceded Böll’s novel. Boll has set for himself the literary task following the literary tradition of the fool. This tradition dates back to the ancient tragedies, and then to Shakespeare and even in modern times to Günter Grass Blechtrommel inter alia. Matskowski (2008:23) states the following:
Die Tradition dieser Literatur beginnt mit den antiken Satyrn (den antiken Tragödien-Trilogien war ein Satyrspiel zugeordnet), führt zu den Narren in Shakespeares Dramen und in der Commedia dell' Arte, streift aber auch eine Figur wie Till Eulenspiegel oder, um ein neueres Beispiel zu nennen, den Blechtrommler Oskar Matzerath aus Grass' Roman Die Blechtrommel.
Neben diesen literarischen Vorbildern verweist der Clown Hans Schnier natürlich auch auf die „modernen“
Clowns aus dem Zirkus und auf der Kinoleinwand, namentlich Grock und Charlie Chaplin, die im Roman ebenso erwähnt werden wie die Narren Shakespeares und der Pierrot aus der Commedia dell' Arte [...]
With regard to the motive behind the novel, Böll hints on the biblical role of the prophet as defined in the prophecy of Isaiah. This is clearly stated in the novel, in chapter 15, line 21 as an epilogue. (see epilogue, TC277):
mais comme c'est écrit: ,,ceux à qui on a rien annoncé à son sujet verront, et ceux qui n' ont pas entendu comprendront“.
152
In connection with the Epistle to the Romans, the Prophet Isaiah also imagines, as he announced that the prophetic role played in Samaria will be replicated in Jerusalem:
Est-ce qu'il n'arrivera pas que tout comme j'aurai fait à Samarie et à ses Dieux sans Valeur, ainsi je ferai à Jérusalem et à ses Idols?
Above all, Boll explains that the clown sees with the eye of the author and indicates that those eyes are not afraid to remain in prophetic solidarity with those who have forced by the Church and political leaders to be outsiders.
The original title of the novel was "Moments of clowns", before Boll preferred
"Views". The eye of the artist is understood as a metaphor. Böll formulated the idea of the myth as a key to understanding the novel (Balzer 1999:26).Thus; Böll goes back the memory lane of the Greek Theseus-Ariadne legend. He transformed and interpreted it in order to achieve the goal of his novel. In fact he turns the Theseus saga into his own plot:
Die Geschichte dieses Buches kann ich Ihnen ganz einfach erklären. Ich habe einige Zeit mit Freunden eine Zeitschrift gemacht, die hieß >Labyrinth<., Sie kennen die Sage von Labyrinth, die Theseus-Aridne-Geschichte.
Wir müssten die Zeitschrift drangeben, nicht nur aus finanziellen Gründen, sondern auch weil wir nicht wüssten: wie weiter; und dann schrieb jeder der Herausgeber, es waren vier, eine kleine Erklärung des Scheiterns[...] und meine Erklärung war eine Interpretation der Theseus-Sage, und diese Interpretation war der Plot für den Roman. Es ist eigentlich die Geschichte von Theseus und Aridne:
153
Theseus in Labyrinth, Ariadne schneidet den Faden ab und da sitzt er da. Und das Labyrinth, und das kann ich in dem Fall wirklich sagen, weil ich den Kontext kenne, ist der politische deutsche Katholizismus.[...] für mich war das der Einstieg in den Roman[...] und die Übernahme des Mythos von Labyrinth in einen christlichen Zusammenhang.
Hans Schnier is seen as as Theseus as far as the motive of the thread is concerned; Ariadne is then personalized as Marie. Marie has betrayed Schnier, and cut off the thread. Of course, Böll would see the character of Marie as his bearer of "aesthetics" of the humane. On the contrary, Marie breaks loose along the line and profiles herself as a bearer of radical feminism which is diametrically opposed to the ideals of womanism. Böll thinks that Marie committed adultery by dumping her husband and going for another man. In line with the Scriptural injunction, it states:You may not separate what God has brought together (see AeC 281). For Böll, the most essential thing is the mutual consent between two partners.
Ecclesiastical and State validation may not be necessary.