Heinrich Böll: Where were you Adam?

Heinrich Böll 1917-1985

• Had a particularly happy childhood. Parents were devout Catholics

• Böll was highly spiritual but rejected institutionalized religion
• Father was a carpenter
• Both parents treated children with respect and tolerance. Taught children to live by character
alone
• Middle Class Education: Köln
• Went to Gymnasium; wanted to study literature but it called for party membership
• Someone intervened: only in uniform for 2 weeks
• Arbeitsdienst: Labor Service told it would last 6 weeks, it lasted 6 years.
• Throughout the entire period he hoped that Germany would lose the war.
• Never went beyond the rank of corporal (unusual (usually the Gymnasium students were
automatically lieutenants.
• He saw to it that he was always demoted.
• He had a disdain for rank and medals.
• 1940 Wounded in Poland; transferred & injured in France
• 1942 Married childhood sweetheart, Anna Marie
• Transferred to Eastern Front injured again, sent to hospital at Odessa
• Tried by malingering to avoid further service
• Wife injected him with a serum to treat syphilis so that he could be hospitalized
• Went into hiding then went to the front to avoid endangering his family.
• Entire time he never fired a shot
• POW April 9 1945 - two weeks later the war was over
• Experienced the Weimar Republic / End of WWI/ ascent of Nazism
• Hunger, poverty, Treaty of Versailles
• Germany’s Shame
• Won Nobel Prize in 1972 for Books about WWII.
• Decent man, just wanted to make it through the war.
• He knew only of the Holocaust at the end of the war.
• Quote from diaries: “ I believe one of the most important principles in judging literature is to
project oneself into the time period ...into the mind of the Nazi arrogance. “
• Slips into the psyche of the characters
• Detailed picture of the people who fought both actively and passively: from fanatics to draftees.
• Books published in the 50s when collective guilt was an issue: Böll said this was not true: it
would be immoral to blame everyone.

Historical Background

• People didn’t want to know the facts” Just functionaries.

• Traditionally, officers were former aristocrats (Took an oath)
• Wannsee Conference 1942. Top Nazis meet: Final Solution.
Heinrich Böll: Where were you Adam?

• Bombardments. Main targets were industrial /strategic. (Why Dresden) Resistance was not a
cohesive movement . Strong in Holland and France but in Germany they were fighting their own
government. (Protestants vs. Catholics vs. Communists, Athiests) Catholics did not interfere
with Nazism.
• 1933 Concordat-Treaty between the Vatican and Germany. PIUS XI: Spoke in generalities. Did
not take a firm stand in public. Galen ( Bishop of Münster) spoke against Euthanasia. It
stopped.
• Protestant Church (Deutscher Christians) went along with Hitler. (Confessing Christians)
against Nazi Regime Niemöller / Bonhoffer hung and executed.
• Communists were active (Rote Capella) most effective Red Orchestra.
• Students and academics; i.e. Weiße Rose (Maximillian University) Münster Bouquet of White
roses today honor the Scholl family ( Sophie Scholl) arrested / killed by guillotine.
• Army: Several (55) attempts on Hitler’s life.
• Count Klaus von Stauffenberg.
• Too many different opinions.
• Count Von Moulten
• 1945 BRD / May 1949 Konrad Adenauer, first Chancellor
• SS Black Uniforms / Waffen SS Fighting Army
• Most officers came to US as scientists, etc.
• Bertold Brecht: Scientists have no conscience Play: Galileo
• SA: Many Homosexuals (Milch) Jewish / Göring “I determine who is Jewish”

Where were you Adam?

• No Linear Structure: Montage technique (patchwork quilt)

• War is chaos / No order / unstructured kaleidoscope
• Question of Moral Responsibility
• Entire book took 5 months
• Fall of 1944 to Spring of 1945
• From Rumania to Hungary / Slovakia/ Germany --- Americans arrive
• NO ALL KNOWING NARRATOR
• In order to understand a political system, one must project oneself into that system and into
the mind of the individual character.
• Good Picture of war: Open to interpretation
• The purpose of a war novel is to present a philosophical viewpoint; a meaningful pattern
• Pessimistic: no social causes
• First scene sets the tone, stage, introduces main characters

Recurring Symbols / Leitmotiv

• Cup (Mother would treat guests with a cup of coffee or tea} In {Adam,{ the cup suggests the
opposite... SYMBOLISM: dehumanization
• Colors: apricot, yellow, blue
• Alcohol: Schnapps. Champagne
Heinrich Böll: Where were you Adam?

• Shells (Most Predominant Leitmotiv

• Pictures
• Byelygorsche
• Medals: Meaningless trash: Distributed more as defeat becomes imminent.
• Hospital: The absurdity of war
• Decorations: Manifestation of war
• Yellow coffin: (Feinhals)
• Faith
• Impatience

Characters

General
• General w/ yellow face commands shooting of Jews while singing
• Big jaw / Black Hair
• Interested in the arts
• Mechanized and perverted art
• Kafkaesque: lived up to ideal in art
• Der Sturme: Nazi Propaganda: Distorted view of Aryan People.
Naive Soldier: FEINHALS
• Reminds us of Böll
• Autobiographical elements ( Wants to stay as uninvolved as possible)
• Killed by one of his own because of mother’s white tablecloth
• Army is one big beaurocratic machine that functions lethargically
• NO HEROES: NO NEED FOR HEROES
• ordinary background / architect
• put into hospital to draw maps
• Loves Ilona even after he discovers she is a Jew
• “Are we like animals?” YES
• tired, apathetic, tries to remain as uninvolved as possible; loner
• We have to pray to give God a chance
• Lost faith but goes through the motions
• Search & Wait: Existentialism
• Family home of no strategic importance
• COFFIN: Symbol of what will happen to Feinhals\
• Visits Finks family
• Can’t bring himself to tell them of Fink’s Death
• PTSD: Shell shocked, anxiety, depression
BRESSEN
• Yells for champagne
• Modest Background but aristocratic features / Maitre’D
• Fakes illness when he sees the war is ending
• War enabled him to rise through the ranks
• Champagne, girls
Heinrich Böll: Where were you Adam?

• Feared by innkeeper (Walked in on Bressen in compromising position (possibly homoseual)

BAUER
• Byelogorsche : Dies of head wound
• Injured: went over landmine w/o helmet
• Helmet stands for safety & protection
• Sold sweaters (middle of the line) not very successful
• Never cheated on wife who had cancer
GRECK
• Chronic Stomach Condition / Nausea, Disgust
• Sells pants to Jewish Tailor to defy mother (No contact between Germans & jews)
• Family barely survived
• Mother always served potato salad / bad diet cause of chronic disorder
• LEITMOTIV: Denial
• Officer because he went to the gymnasium
• Father was a doctor
• monotonous: torments and humiliation
• rebellion: swing boat
• Defiance
• Repetitive behavior: always washing hands : Preoccupied with dirt
• only character who referred to the Jews as dirty
• restlessly moving around
• spent money on prostitutes
• humiliating, degrading death: glaring contrast to hero’s death
SCHNEIDER
• Sergeant, drinks apricot schnapps methodically
• Killed during Russian attack, stepped on dud while walking towards tanks with flag
SCHMITZ
• Dr Stayed with Schneider to be with patients
• No camaraderie
• Killed during Russian attack
SZARKA
• Produce girl about 15
ILONA
• Extremely religious / Converted Jew / English Teacher
• Prays to “console God”
• Must hold onto faith
• Captured by Germans on her way to visit her family.
• Sings Classic German music in Filskeit’s choir / Shot to death
FINK
• Buys wine for Bressen
• Fears Bressen... for his life
PLORIN /SCHRÖDER
• Blind Obedience
• Non questioning functionaries
• Follow orders
Heinrich Böll: Where were you Adam?

• holding on to normalcy (eating lunch while transporting Jewish prisoners

• Engine - Machine (Army)
• Indifference / Fear
SUCHAN & MARIA
• Slovakia
• Normalcy

Storyline
Bridge - Slovakia : Tranquil Pastoral
Soldiers sit & watch and wait
Build Bridge / Blown Up again
Pointless absurdity of war
• General w/ yellow face commands shooting of Jews while singing

Fanatic: FILSKEIT
• General w/ yellow face commands shooting of Jews while singing