Английская Википедия:A Man and His Dog (narrative)
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A Man and His Dog (Шаблон:Lang-de; also translated Bashan and I) is a 1918 narrative by Thomas Mann. It describes the adventures of the narrator with his dog Bauschan (Bashan) in the nature surrounding the Шаблон:Ill in Munich. It was written in the twilight of World War I and portrays an idealised and timeless world.
Writing and publication history
Writing and background
Thomas Mann began writing A Man and His Dog on 18 March 1918 – immediately after he had completed his Reflections of a Nonpolitical ManШаблон:Sfn and shortly before his sixth child Michael was born on 21 April 1918.Шаблон:Sfn He finished his work on the narrative on 14 October 1918.Шаблон:Sfn The short work – with the German subtitle An Idyll – was thus written in the final months of World War I.Шаблон:Sfn In his diary entry for 27 October 1918, Thomas Mann explained his reasons for writing the narrative in relation to the war: Шаблон:Blockquote
Publication and translations
In Germany, the narrative was first published individually by the Шаблон:Ill in Munich in the fall of 1919 as a special edition of 120 numbered and signed copies.Шаблон:Sfn The printing was illustrated by Emil Preetorius.Шаблон:Sfn The proceeds of this luxurious printing went to writers in need. It contained an introduction by Thomas Mann where he explained – with a hint of irony – that he only intended to write about the real life of his dog Bauschan and did not want to deal with societal or "higher" issues.Шаблон:Sfn He explained: Шаблон:Blockquote
At the same time in 1919, the narrative was published along with Шаблон:Ill (Song of the NewbornШаблон:Sfn) as Шаблон:Lang by S. Fisher.Шаблон:Sfn
The first English translation was provided by Herman George Scheffauer. It was published in London by W. Collins and Sons and Co. under the title Bashan and I in 1923.Шаблон:Sfn The narrative was again translated by Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter under the new title A Man and His Dog and published in 1936 by Knopf in New York as a part of Stories of Three Decades.Шаблон:Sfn
Plot
In A Man and His Dog Thomas Mann describes his experiences with his chicken-dog (Шаблон:Ill) mongrel Bauschan (or, in English translations, Bashan) on the banks of the Brunnbach in Munich.Шаблон:Sfn In the narrative how the day turns out for the dog is decided in the moment his master leaves his garden. If the master turns left the day is lost for the dog, because he goes to town. But when the master turns right, a walk through nature and the hunting grounds will follow and both march on into a romanticised rural world.Шаблон:Sfn The narrative is structured into five chapters:
In the first chapter ("He Comes Round the Corner" ["Шаблон:Lang"]) the narrator and the chicken-dog are introduced. In the second chapter ("How We Got Bashan" ["Шаблон:Lang"]), it is described how the Manns got Bauschan.Шаблон:Sfn In the third chapter ("Notes on Bashan's Character and Manner of Life" ["Шаблон:Lang"]) the dog's fixation on his master (Thomas Mann) and its behaviour towards fellow dogs is dealt with. In the penultimate chapter a meticulous description of Mann's walking area around his Munich domicile in Bogenhausen is presented.Шаблон:Sfn The fifth and final chapter ("The Hunting-Ground" ["Шаблон:Lang"]) is the longest one: In it a visit to a veterinary clinic and various hunts are described.Шаблон:Sfn
Reception and interpretation
The narrative was generally well received. Many – including Konrad Lorenz – remarked upon the excellent analysis of a dog's soul and praised the description of the animal's character.Шаблон:Sfn In an academic paper, his son Michael interpreted the narrative allegorically: One could turn left and engage with civilisation or go right into idyllic timelessness.Шаблон:Sfn Furthermore, Michael Mann saw elements of parody in it when the idealised nature "on the right" was described in a re-markedly ugly fashion. For Michael Mann this marked a turning point in his father, who still yearned for romantic nature but began to see its dark side which would later lead to "romantic barbarism", a stand-in for the upcoming German Nazism.Шаблон:Sfn
Nevertheless, Mann's narrative has also received criticism: Frank Braun remarked that "no more than Churchill’s fame rests on his paintings, or Einstein’s on his playing the violin, does Thomas Mann’s literary stature rest on this charming canine idyl."Шаблон:Sfn Harshly critical, Peter Handke pointed out that the narrative was written by Thomas Mann in the knowledge that the author was, in fact, Thomas Mann, and that he was a bad writer for it ("Шаблон:Lang").Шаблон:Sfn[1]
Bauschan
The fictional dog Bauschan (or in English: Bashan), whose deeds are being told in this narrative, really existed as a dog of the Mann family.Шаблон:Sfn This can clearly be seen in the diaries of Thomas Mann and is also confirmed in a 1922 letter called "An Jack [To Jack]", where Thomas Mann affirmed that the fictional and the real Bauschan were identical.Шаблон:Sfn This letter has been translated into English.Шаблон:Sfn
The name of the fictional and real Bauschan is taken from Fritz Reuter's novel From My Farming Days (Шаблон:Lang-nds)Шаблон:Sfn and is probably a corruption of Bastian. Bauschan is one of two dogs owned by Mann that became protagonists in his works; the other was his collie Motz (1905–1915), the model for the fictional dog Perceval (Percy) in Royal Highness.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Bauschan lived from the summer of 1916Шаблон:Sfn with the Manns in Шаблон:Ill, which together with its surroundings forms the background of the narrative. The Manns got the dog by an arrangement with the proprietress (Anastasia Halder) of the Café Kogler in Bad Tölz.[2][3][4] The dog is said to have had a particularly patriarchal instinct, was naive, resilient and in touch with nature, like idealised common folk.Шаблон:Sfn
In the winter of 1919/1920, signs of illness in Bauschan became apparent. Thomas Mann noted in his diary entry for Christmas Day 1919: Шаблон:Blockquote
On 26 December 1919, Bauschan was taken to a veterinary clinic by the author's children Erika and Klaus Mann.Шаблон:Sfn But to no avail: On 16 January 1920, Bauschan was euthanized and Thomas Mann picked a verseШаблон:Sfn by August von Platen-Hallermünde as his epitaph.Шаблон:Sfn
Adaptation
Film
- 1963: Herr und Hund: Germany 1963. Director: Caspar van den BergШаблон:Sfn
Audio book
- Шаблон:Circa: Herr und Hund narrated by Will QuadfliegШаблон:Sfn
References
Citations
Sources
- Шаблон:Cite journal
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- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite book
Further reading
