Essay Questions

Compare and contrast the Barons von Osternau and von Ernau.

Baron von Osternau and Baron von Ernau are both middle-aged men of ethnic German descent. Both married, and both have children. Each of the Barons has a son. Both have been educated for specific professions: von Osternau is a professional farmer, and von Ernau is a banker. Both are independently wealthy, and neither has to work for a living, yet both take their professions seriously. The two men have the same social rank at least in terms of their hereditary title. Both men were born and raised among the socioeconomic elite, and both enjoy socializing with members of their respective social class. Each has clear ideas about how a high-ranking nobleman should behave, and each takes an interest in the marital prospects of his offspring. Both attempt to provide for their children in material terms, both take an interest in the education of their sons, and both care deeply about the reputation of their family and name. Within the family, each regards himself as the head of the household and expects to be obeyed.

Personality-wise, von Osternau and von Ernau are opposites. Whereas von Osternau genuinely seeks out and enjoys the company of his wife and children, von Ernau (whose wife died young) is a cold, unaffectionate man who avoids and ignores his son. Baron von Osternau voluntarily lives at his country estate and seldom ventures into the larger cities, but Baron von Ernau enjoys the hectic and glamorous life in Berlin. Baron von Osternau is loved and respected by his family, peers, and employees, chiefly due to his sense of fairness, his approachability, and his genuine interest in excellence. His high standards apply to himself as much as they do to the people who work for him. Only when it comes to his cousin Albrecht does Baron von Osternau make excuses for bad character. By contrast, Baron von Ernau is almost universally disliked. People cater to him because of his vast wealth and power, yet he is more interested in his public image than he is in whether his life has purpose. He and his son Egon are despised by most people as being vain, arrogant, and self-absorbed. Although he provided a good education for his son and took care of Egon's material needs, his interests in Egon's marital prospects are more to enhance his own image. This is because, unlike von Osternau who has a centuries-old title of nobility, von Ernau is from a family that was granted a patent of nobility very recently. This is one reason why there is no Castle von Ernau.

Describe the author's use of anagnoresis and show how the technique develops Egon von Ernau's character.

Anagnoresis is a literary technique in which a character suddenly "sees" facts to which he or she has previously been blind. Streckfuss uses the technique to reveal to Egon how his behavior affects the way he is perceived by others. While disguised as Pigglewitch, Egon -- for the first time in his life -- is not burdened by his rank or wealth. He is judged solely on his skills, his personality, his character, and to a lesser extent his appearance. He also gets to hear what respectable people think of Egon's previous behavior and character.

As "Pigglewitch", Egon impresses the von Osternau family with his skills at music, riding, and billiards. His amiable, aristocratic habits and his ease in conversing with them make them instinctively treat him as a social peer. But his irreverent banter, his sarcasm, and his patronizing attitude toward Elise annoy and alienate her almost as much as his casual talk of suicide horrifies her. These behaviors, acceptable though they may be in a wealthy aristocrat, are objectively obnoxious.

Streckfuss reveals enough of Egon's personal history to show why the way the von Osternau family lives appeals to him. All his life, Egon has mistrusted other people who he believes are kind to him only out of financial interest. When Herr Storting begins to educate him in the fine art of making sure he is respected by employees and laborers, and when Storting co-signs a loan to make sure "Pigglewitch" can dress in clothing appropriate to his job duties, Egon realizes that his mistrustful and paranoid approach has kept him from accepting kindness and social contact with other people. He also realizes that there are ways to earn the respect, love, and positive attention he craves from others. Meanwhile, he starts to understand how his obnoxious, self-absorbed, and unpredictable behavior has alienated other people who could otherwise have been friends.

As the truth of his own wasted opportunities becomes clear to him, Egon changes his ways and starts to become the kind of man he has learned to respect. This drives several key plot developments: Egon loses his interest in suicide, he leaves Osternau before his true identity is revealed, he allows his engagement with Bertha to be effectively overridden by her new engagement to Hugo von Wangen, and he spends a few years living in obscurity while learning to manage his rural estate. He also learns to curb his impulsive and irresponsible behavior, particularly when its effect on others becomes obvious. In short, Egon changes his character almost completely.

Another important anagnoresis is the realization by Baron von Osternau that his cousin Albrecht is not just a thief but a dangerous arsonist whose actions had in fact caused the Baron's death. The reader has already foreseen that perfidy like this is consistent with Albrecht's character, however the death of the Baron and Fritz add pathos to the story. It also provides Egon an opportunity to showcase his newfound concern for others.

Although this is not a mystery novel in the strictest sense of the word, the author provides some false clues or "red herrings" that suggest the direction the plot might go but that end up not being relevant. Identify and describe at least three such clues.

The first red herring, and the most obvious, is Egon's pistol. It appears in the first scene when he is about to commit suicide. Later, he thinks about discarding it but keeps it as a reminder to control his impulses. The reader, who hopes that Egon will use it to shoot Albrecht while fearing that the pistol will be used for a nefarious purpose, is disappointed.

Another red herring is Egon's skill in boxing. Albrecht, despite his perfidy and despite the fact that it is socially acceptable for two men of equal rank to physically fight, never suffers the physical punishment he so richly deserves.

A third red herring, which might more correctly be regarded as a plot hole, is the way Pigglewitch's family and his intended bride make no effort to search for him beyond the rather angry letter sent to the Baron regarding Pigglewitch's apparent refusal to repay money entrusted to him.

In this novel, long-distance communication occurs chiefly by mail. How are letters used to advance the plot?

The von Osternau habit of reading letters aloud to the family ensures that Egon learns about the horrible impact his disappearance has had on Bertha, who is being blamed for Egon's apparent suicide. He hears Sastrow's candid opinion of the Baron von Ernau -- which Egon agrees is accurate -- but also the public opinion of Egon himself. This insight begins part of Egon's anagnoresis process.

Discussion of material in letters allows the author to show how different characters react to a piece of information. Whereas Lieschen condemns Bertha and pities Egon as weak and cowardly for committing suicide, Albrecht (an arrogant elitist whom Egon despises) is the only one who defends Egon's behavior as reasonable and appropriate for a nobleman.

Pigglewitch's attempted blackmail of Egon occurs via a letter addressed to "Pigglewitch" at Castle von Osternau. However, since Pigglewitch does not know Egon's true identity and knows him only as "Fritz Fortune", that is how Pigglewitch addresses him.

Letters allow people to conceal their identity. When Egon remits the money "Pigglewitch" owed, he does it by letter to avoid having to appear in person to interact with someone who knew the real Pigglewitch. Later, to save the Baroness and Lieschen from a life of poverty, Egon and Herr Storting conspire to write a letter appearing to be from a man who owed the deceased Baron a great deal of money, and who wished to repay it. This freed Lieschen from having to leave the immediate area.