NYU Press

Chapter Title: A Mask of Him Roams in His Place Differentiation between Self and
Others in The Notebooks and Rilke’s Letters

Book Title: The Beginning of Terror

Book Subtitle: A Psychological Study of Rainer Maria Rilke's Life and Work
Book Author(s): David Kleinbard
Published by: NYU Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg3dx.9

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms
This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

NYU Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Beginning
of Terror

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
CHAPTER 3

A Mas k o f Hi m Roam s i n Hi s Plac e

Differentiation betwee n Sel f an d Other s i n The Notebooks
and Rilke' s Letter s

During hi s first yea r i n Paris, 1902-3 , Rilke's abilit y t o differentiat e him -

self fro m othe r peopl e wa s ofte n impaired . A lette r t o Salom e describe s
an experienc e i n which th e sens e of menta l an d bodil y separatenes s fro m
others whic h underlie s mos t adul t relationship s an d contact s gav e wa y
to a frightening fantas y o f being pulled int o close identification, involvin g
a partia l mergin g o f bodie s an d minds . Thi s wa s hi s encounte r wit h a
man suffering fro m St . Vitus ' dance : " I wa s clos e behin d him , will-less ,
drawn alon g b y hi s fear , tha t wa s n o longe r distinguishabl e fro m mine. "
Imagining tha t thi s stranger' s "fea r ha d bee n nourishe d ou t o f me , an d
had exhauste d me, " h e fel t "use d u p " {Letters 1:115) . A s t n e v becam e
increasingly connecte d an d th e strange r seeme d t o fee d o n him , h e fel t
that "everything " withi n hi m wa s bein g consumed . Thi s experienc e wa s
the sourc e o f a n entr y i n The Notebooks.
Make i s draw n t o a n "emaciated " figur e wh o become s th e focu s o f
attention o n th e block , a n objec t o f laughter . Followin g th e ma n despit e
an urge t o cros s th e stree t to get awa y from him , he notices tha t h e hop s
on on e leg . Whe n thi s hoppin g travel s fro m hi s leg s t o hi s nec k an d
hands, Make feel s "boun d t o him " (68) . As th e spasm s increase, his anx -
iety grow s with th e stranger's . With poundin g hear t h e gather s hi s "littl e
strength together " an d beg s th e strugglin g St . Vitu s dance r t o tak e it .

48

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 4 9

When th e fello w finally lose s contro l an d th e nervou s spasm s tak e ove r

his body , explodin g int o " a horribl e dance, " Mak e i s lef t feelin g lik e " a
blank piec e o f paper " (65-71) .
What doe s th e encounte r mea n t o him ? Wh y i s h e draw n int o suc h
close identificatio n wit h thi s stranger ?
The spectacl e o f St . Vitus' danc e speak s t o hi s fea r o f goin g insane , of
losing himsel f t o uncontrollabl e force s whic h ofte n see m o n th e verg e o f
overwhelming him . Th e scen e aroun d th e St . Vitu s dance r awaken s i n
Make a dread o f becomin g a n object o f derision an d revulsion . His desir e
to hel p th e strange r i s motivate d b y compassion , bu t als o b y hi s sens e
of affinity . I f thi s fello w ca n overcom e th e convulsiv e compulsio n o f hi s
nerves, hi s victor y migh t answe r Brigge' s nee d t o believ e tha t strengt h
of wil l can win th e struggl e agains t his own fear s an d tensions . But Mak e
is als o curiou s t o se e wha t happen s i f an d whe n th e fello w give s in ,
because h e anticipate s tha t h e ma y soo n g o throug h a mental disintegra -
tion no t unlik e th e cataclys m agains t whic h th e othe r ma n i s struggling .
At th e en d o f th e episod e th e victi m o f St . Vitus ' danc e i s invisible ,
engulfed b y hi s involuntar y spasm s an d b y th e crow d tha t surround s
him.
In a highl y illuminatin g essay , "Th e Devolutio n o f th e Sel f i n The
Notebooks of Make Laurids Brigge," Walte r H . Soke l argue s tha t whe n
the St . Vitu s dance r "give s i n an d hi s wil l collapses , somethin g incom -
parably mightier , an d true r leap s fort h fro m him. " Professo r Soke l sup -
ports hi s interpretatio n wit h th e argumen t tha t th e "expansiv e gesture, "
"the spreadin g ou t o f hi s arms , with whic h th e dance r let s g o of hi s can e
indicates relie f an d liberation. " Soke l note s tha t a n "elementa l force "
seems t o tak e ove r thi s sic k man . The imager y o f th e scene , according t o
his essay , suggests th e destructio n o f th e conformin g bourgeois , the con -
ventional personality , th e constrictin g will , th e littl e eg o whic h Mak e
both wishe s an d fear s t o transcend. 1
As Sokel' s detaile d analysi s make s clear , th e languag e an d imager y o f
this scen e evok e a n ambivalen t response . Bu t th e emphasi s a t thi s poin t
in The Notebooks i s upo n fearfu l devastatio n b y illness . Whe n Mak e
remembers tha t th e St . Vitu s dancer' s "gaz e wobble d ove r sky , houses ,
and water , withou t graspin g a thing," th e scen e recall s th e dyin g ma n i n
the cremerie. As the convulsive spasms overwhelm the victim of St. Vitus'
dance, h e stretche s "ou t hi s arm s a s i f h e wer e tryin g t o fly. " Bu t h e
does no t succee d i n flying. An d i f h e doe s a "dance, " i t i s th e "horribl e

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
50 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

dance" o f a ma n dragge d an d bowe d an d flung lik e a puppe t b y hi s

spasms. The end of th e scene leaves one in little doubt about its meaning.
The crowd swallows th e sufferer, an d Make feels annihilated , as his ow n
ego boundarie s hav e almos t evaporate d an d h e ha s bee n sucked , hal f
helplessly, hal f willingly , int o mergenc e wit h thi s embodimen t o f dev -
astation an d dehumanization .
At th e tim e h e wa s writin g The Notebooks Rilk e believe d tha t th e
little eg o mus t b e shattere d b y th e explodin g titani c force s o f th e un -
conscious i n orde r tha t th e aspirin g poe t ma y gai n acces s t o essentia l
energies. Bu t i n th e St . Vitus' danc e victi m Rilk e encountere d a n imag e
of th e annihilatio n tha t migh t com e fro m courtin g an d encouragin g
such a Dionysia n shatterin g o f th e ego . H e di d no t underestimat e th e
dangers o f menta l illness . Sufferin g ofte n i n sever e neuroti c an d bor -
derline state s o f mind , h e sometime s fel t h e wa s clos e t o complet e
breakdown.
Make fear s tha t the world aroun d hi m o r object s i n i t will invad e hi s
body, driv e ou t hi s insecurel y establishe d an d feebl y defende d self , an d
replace it. In The Divided Self, th e English analyst, R. D. Laing, describes
a closel y relate d fantas y o f "implosion" : "Thi s i s th e stronges t wor d I
can find for th e extrem e form o f wha t Winnicott term s the impingement
of reality . Impingemen t doe s no t convey , however , th e full terro r of th e
experience of the world a s liable at any moment to crash in and obliterate
all identity." 2 I n hi s fea r o f impingemen t o r invasion Mak e reconfirm s
the contour s o f hi s body , th e physica l boundarie s betwee n himsel f an d
the world . H e draw s th e outlin e o f hi s face , an d th e renewe d sens e o f
his differentiatio n reassure s hi m tha t mos t o f wha t i s ou t ther e i n th e
vast world canno t ge t into his very limited interior space. But he quickl y
realizes tha t h e coul d b e wrong . H e imagine s externa l realit y flooding
over th e frai l borde r barrier s of bod y an d mind, filling hi m up, throug h
the las t branchin g o f hi s capillaries , pushin g ou t breath , life , an d self ,
increasing unti l i t spatter s hi s inside s outside , an d nothin g i s lef t o f th e
conscious individual within (see 74). In this terrifying fantasy of invasion,
the boundaries of body and self are easily breached, the "surface hardness
and adaptability " o n whic h h e ha s relie d t o protec t hi m ar e n o mor e
dependable tha n th e Magino t Line .

Impairment o f th e abilit y t o differentiat e betwee n sel f an d othe r ob -

viously goe s along with a weak sens e of identity . These defects ma y giv e

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 5 1

rise t o fantasie s o f engulfmen t i n whic h somethin g o r someon e els e in -

corporates o r swallow s a person, take s ove r hi s will , smother s hi m wit h
possessive, pressuring love , fixes hi m i n formula s whic h h e feel s h e can -
not escape , blots ou t hi s sens e o f a separate self, draws hi m int o a n iden -
tification s o complete tha t ther e is little or nothin g lef t o f hi m apar t fro m
this mergenc e wit h th e othe r person . Rilk e make s th e threa t o f engulf -
ment a focu s o f interes t i n th e final sectio n o f The Notebooks, Make' s
reinterpretation o f th e Prodiga l So n stor y a s "th e legen d o f a ma n wh o
didn't wan t t o b e loved " (251) .
This versio n o f th e parabl e o f th e Prodiga l So n i s a vehicle for Rilke' s
fear tha t intimac y open s on e t o th e dange r o f bein g efface d an d change d
through an d throug h int o th e perso n o r nonperso n othe r peopl e nee d
one t o be :

Once you walked into [the ] full smel l [of the house], most matters were already
decided . . . o n th e whole yo u wer e . . . th e person the y though t yo u were ; the
person fo r who m the y ha d lon g ag o fashioned a life, ou t o f hi s smal l past an d
their ow n desires ; the creature belongin g t o the m all , who stoo d da y an d nigh t
under th e influence o f thei r love , between thei r hop e an d thei r mistrust , befor e
their approval o r thei r blame . . . .
Can he stay and conform t o this lying life of approximations which they have
assigned to him, and come to resemble them all in every feature of his face? (253-
54).

The final section s o f th e nove l emphasiz e th e fea r o f bein g loved . I n

the margin of The Notebooks manuscrip t Make has written, "To b e loved
means t o b e consumed.... T o b e loved i s to pass away " (250) . He imag -
ines tha t th e Prodiga l So n ofte n though t o f th e troubadour s a s men wh o
feared mor e tha n anythin g els e tha t th e woma n the y longe d fo r migh t
reciprocate thei r lov e (255). Make seem s to project ont o the m hi s fantas y
that an y woma n wh o love d hi m woul d engul f him . Hi s illnes s an d iso -
lation recal l th e fat e o f Dostoevsky' s narrato r i n Notes from Under-
ground, wh o send s awa y th e prostitut e Liz a whe n sh e come s t o hi s
apartment, i n th e fea r tha t he r lov e wil l suffocat e him , an d thu s com -
pulsively an d helplessl y seal s himsel f i n hi s hole , cu t of f fro m everyon e
but a servant , livin g o n daydream s whic h tur n t o nothingness , a s hi s
precursor, th e narrato r o f Dostoevsky' s earlie r novella , White Nights,
tells us .
The Notebooks close s o n a curiousl y negativ e not e o f hope . I n con -

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
52 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

eluding hi s versio n o f th e stor y o f th e Prodiga l Son , Mak e come s u p

with a notio n o f ho w a prodiga l returne d migh t continu e t o liv e wit h
his famil y whil e defendin g himsel f agains t th e threa t o f engulfment .
This defens e migh t wor k jus t a s wel l i n an y huma n community . Th e
selfish, egocentri c natur e o f th e lov e surroundin g th e Prodiga l Son ,
which a t first seem s s o menacing , provide s a defens e agains t itself .
Those wh o threate n t o reshap e hi s fac e s o tha t i t wil l resembl e their s
tend t o se e hi m throug h th e colore d lense s o f thei r egocentri c love ,
their fears , thei r hopes , thei r mistrust , thei r need s an d desires . I n brief ,
they se e wha t the y wan t t o se e an d ar e blin d t o wha t frighten s o r
displeases them .
Their distorte d perception s an d thei r lac k o f understandin g protec t
him agains t them . Thei r denia l o f wha t the y d o no t wan t t o se e an d
their tendenc y t o se e wha t the y desir e mas k him . Behin d th e mask s
they unconsciousl y creat e fo r him , h e wil l hav e th e freedo m t o develo p
inwardly, secretly , i n accor d wit h hi s distinctive needs , desires, and gifts .
This par t o f The Notebooks bring s t o min d Nietzsche' s argumen t i n
Beyond Good and Evil tha t fals e interpretation s o f everythin g a "pro -
found spirit " doe s an d say s creat e a mas k aroun d him . Evadin g com -
munication, h e make s certai n tha t " a mas k o f hi m roam s i n hi s place "
in th e mind s o f othe r people. 3 J . R . vo n Sali s report s i n hi s boo k o n
Rilke's year s i n Switzerlan d tha t th e poe t tol d hi m h e ha d neve r rea d
Nietzsche. But , a s Eric h Helle r ha s show n i n The Disinherited Mind,
there ar e man y affinitie s betwee n th e idea s o f th e two . A t leas t i t i s
likely tha t Rilk e acquire d som e knowledg e o f Nietzsche' s though t
through Lo u Andreas-Salome , whos e brie f relationshi p wit h th e phi -
losopher ha d a majo r impac t o n he r thinking. 4
Make imagine s th e actres s Eleonor a Dus e usin g th e part s sh e playe d
on th e stag e a s mask s whic h defende d he r inwardnes s agains t th e threa t
of engulfment b y the audience that was "gnawing on" her face. For Duse ,
he believes , actin g becam e a camouflag e s o effectiv e i n hidin g he r fro m
the psychological cannibal s around he r tha t sh e could le t herself liv e with
unrestrained emotiona l intensit y an d vitalit y behin d th e role s sh e per -
formed (234-35) . Rilk e sa w Dus e i n Ibsen' s Rosmersholm i n Berli n dur -
ing November 190 6 before writin g abou t he r i n The Notebooks. Sh e was
also th e subjec t o f hi s poem , "Bildnis " (Portrait) . After talkin g wit h he r
for th e first tim e i n Venic e a t th e beginnin g o f Jul y 1912 , h e declare d

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 5 3

that thi s meetin g ha d bee n "almos t m y greates t wish " fo r year s (Letters
2:64).

II

The Notebooks entr y o n Dus e reflect s Make' s wea k eg o boundaries , hi s

poor capacit y fo r differentiation , an d hi s insecur e sens e o f sel f an d iden -
tity. Bu t th e passag e point s beyon d Make' s illnes s t o th e ide a tha t a
thoughtful, creativ e person—philosopher , poet , o r actress—feelin g
threatened b y engulfment , migh t us e mask s t o defen d growin g inwar d
strength. Duse' s fea r o f havin g he r fac e devoure d b y he r audienc e mo -
tivates he r t o hid e behin d th e pla y an d he r role . Hiding , sh e become s s o
powerful tha t th e audienc e which , sh e feels , ha s bee n "gnawin g on " he r
face, break s int o applaus e "a s i f t o war d of f . . . somethin g tha t woul d
force the m t o chang e thei r life. " He r fello w actor s fee l a s i f the y ar e i n
a cag e wit h a lioness (235) .
Make imagine s he r holdin g u p a poem a s a mask. Were Rilke' s poem s
and his fiction mask s behind whic h h e defended hi s strength an d singula r
gifts fro m bein g draine d awa y b y th e peopl e aroun d him ? Di d thes e
masks become , paradoxically , powerful , i f indirect , expression s o f th e
inwardness whic h the y wer e hiding ? A poe t expresse s himsel f selectivel y
in hi s poems . I f w e compar e th e mor e objectiv e New Poems wit h hi s
contemporaneous novel , whic h i s sometime s autobiographical , an d hi s
letters, we ca n se e tha t man y o f hi s poems , which d o no t see m t o tel l u s
anything abou t thei r author , wer e indirectl y self-expressive . I n writin g
about Eleanor a Duse , who seeme d t o hi m t o b e ver y muc h lik e himself ,
was Rilk e revealin g obliquel y tha t hi s poems , hi s novel , an d Mak e him -
self, a s a fictional surrogate , conceale d an d expresse d hi m a t th e sam e
time? Here , too , I wonde r i f Nietzsch e influence d th e poet' s thinking .
In Beyond Good and Evil, h e ask s if on e doe s no t writ e i n orde r t o hid e
what i s withi n oneself. 1 Kierkegaard , wh o intereste d Rilk e a s earl y a s
1904, argue d tha t al l genuinel y expressiv e an d origina l writin g i s elusiv e
and obliqu e (a s figurative languag e an d iron y ar e indirect), concealing a s
much a s or more than it communicates becaus e the individual is and mus t
remain essentiall y secret , incommunicable. Accordin g t o th e Danis h phi -
losopher, wheneve r "th e proces s o f communicatio n i s a work o f art, " i t

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
54 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

is shape d b y th e underlyin g sens e "tha t personalitie s mus t b e hel d de -

voutly apar t fro m on e another , an d no t permitte d t o fus e o r coagulat e
into objectivity." 2
I have mentioned Winnicott's commen t in The Maturational Processes
and the Facilitating Environment tha t artist s ofte n experienc e bot h "th e
urgent nee d t o communicat e an d th e stil l mor e urgen t nee d no t t o b e
found."3 Surel y thi s observatio n fits Duse , a s Mak e imagine s her . Bu t
does i t describ e Rilke ?
Rilke's pros e piec e entitle d "A n Experience " tell s u s tha t i n 191 3 h e
felt h e wa s protecte d fro m psychologica l parasite s an d cannibal s b y a n
invisible barrie r which "absorbe d an y relationshi p int o itsel f an d . . . in -
tervened like a dark, deceptive vapor between himself an d others," giving
him "for the first time, a certain freedom" toward other s and "a peculiar
ease o f movemen t amongs t thes e others, whos e hope s wer e se t o n on e
another, who were burdened with cares and bound together in death and
life." His inne r life, defended b y thi s "intermediat e space," had "so littl e
reference to human conditions, that [most people] would only have called
it 'emptiness. ' " Bu t thi s woul d hav e bee n a radica l misunderstanding .
His "freedom " brough t th e poe t no t "emptiness " o r illnes s bu t "joy "
and "convers e wit h Nature " (WSR, 37-38) .

Recurrently Rilk e sa w maskin g a s a defens e o f inne r freedom, power ,

and creativity . Behin d th e mas k th e fac e wa s fre e t o grow . Thi s wa s a s
true fo r himsel f a s it was fo r Eleonor a Dus e an d th e Prodiga l Son . But ,
as we hav e noted, ofte n th e use o f suc h a defense i s compulsive , an d th e
freedom i t afford s ma y b e quit e limited . A t leas t i n Rilke' s imaginatio n
Duse wa s compelled t o us e he r rol e a s a mask b y he r fea r tha t th e au -
dience was devourin g he r face. I n th e Prodiga l So n episod e maskin g be -
comes a necessary defense agains t having one's face and inner self altere d
through an d throug h unde r pressure s fro m one' s family . Stil l worse , a
mask ca n swallo w th e fac e i t i s mean t t o protect . I hav e mentione d th e
Notebooks entr y i n whic h a mask obliterate s th e chil d wh o trie s i t on .
In Januar y 1912 , no t lon g befor e th e first Duin o Eleg y cam e t o him ,
describing hi s involuntar y identificatio n wit h peopl e h e met , Rilk e say s
that h e coul d ste p ou t o f hi s roo m i n a n amorphou s stat e o f min d ap -
proaching chaos, and, suddenly finding himself a n object of anothe r per-
son's awareness , automaticall y assum e th e other' s poise . O n suc h
occasions h e wa s amaze d t o hea r himsel f expressin g "well-forme d

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 5 5

things." Hi s assumptio n o f a poise belongin g t o th e perso n h e me t an d

his involuntar y complianc e wit h th e other' s expectation s o f socia l be -
havior, maskin g th e "lifelessness " an d "chaos " h e ha d fel t i n himsel f
before thes e encounters , tende d t o engul f him , i f onl y temporaril y {Let-
ters 2:37) .
Reading Rilke' s letter s an d hi s biographers , on e ca n se e ho w h e de -
veloped a persona ou t o f th e vocation which was central to his innermos t
sense of self . He playe d th e rol e o f th e poe t s o well tha t i t helpe d t o wi n
him th e acclai m an d suppor t o f man y powerful an d wealthy people. This
is not t o sa y that the y wer e unaffected b y hi s writings, only tha t th e rol e
the poe t playe d amon g the m mad e the m al l th e mor e eage r t o hav e hi m
with them , ofte n i n thei r homes , an d t o becom e hi s patrons . I t wa s a
mask which obviousl y reflected , t o som e extent , Rilke' s sens e of himself ,
but als o enable d hi m t o vei l an d protec t hi s inne r lif e fro m th e admirer s
who, h e felt , wer e constantl y drainin g hi s limite d vitalit y an d energ y
away, devouring th e distinctiv e feature s o f hi s face , th e singula r ma n an d
poet h e was . I n Novembe r 1907 , for example , h e describe d hi s mother' s
friends i n Vienna a s eager t o ea t hi m up—thoug h onc e they' d hear d hi m
read, the y los t thei r hunge r (se e Letters 1:325) .
The biographe r Wolfgan g Leppman n suggest s tha t Rilke' s socia l per -
sonality, manners , an d clothe s wer e a protectiv e camouflag e whic h th e
poet develope d t o defen d hi s inne r freedo m agains t impingements .
Leppmann quote s Wilhel m Hausenstein' s sketc h o f Rilk e i n 1915 : "Th e
poet wen t abou t i n a navy-blue sui t an d wor e ligh t gra y spats . Hi s del -
icate fram e wa s somewha t stooped . . . . Hi s hand s move d cautiously ,
without expansiv e gestures , i n light-colore d deerski n gloves . H e carrie d
a walking-stick. The presence of a distinguished figure wa s thus disguise d
beneath th e conventiona l appearanc e o f a ma n o f th e world." 4 Lik e th e
role o f th e poet , thi s socia l persona ma y hav e functione d i n allianc e wit h
the "intermediat e space, " th e "dar k deceptiv e vapor, " which , Rilk e felt ,
defended hi m fro m th e peopl e aroun d him .
Rilke's fear s o f bein g devoure d b y thos e wh o love d an d admire d hi m
lead m e t o wonde r i f hi s persona s resembl e th e "fals e self " which , psy -
chologists tel l us, people plagued b y suc h anxietie s ofte n develo p t o con -
ceal an d protec t thei r innermos t sel f agains t suc h dangers . Th e questio n
is importan t becaus e th e "fals e self, " whic h I shal l defin e mor e fully , i s
a self-defeatin g defense , whic h ultimatel y encourage s feeling s o f futilit y
and emptines s an d th e sens e tha t sel f an d worl d ar e insubstantia l an d

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
56 A MASK O F HIM ROAMS I N HI S PLACE

unreal.5 Recurrently , a t leas t unti l 1922 , when h e complete d th e Duino

Elegies an d wrote The Sonnets to Orpheus, Rilk e wa s haunted b y suc h
feelings.
Winnicott observe s tha t th e false sel f usuall y originate s i n th e failur e
of a mothe r t o adap t hersel f wit h sufficien t sensitivit y an d empath y t o
an infant' s needs . The mother intrude s he r own needs an d fears int o the
child's consciousness long before he is mature enough to cope with them .
Distracted, disconnecte d fro m th e spontaneous flo w o f his own feeling s
and "thoughts " b y thes e impingements , h e ma y spli t himsel f int o a n
inner cor e an d a personalit y o r personalitie s preoccupie d wit h givin g
compliant reaction s t o hi s mother' s pressure s and , eventually , t o pres -
sures fro m othe r people . This outwardl y directe d par t o f the infant psy -
che become s a fals e self , governe d b y th e nee d t o gratif y an d placat e
other people . Whil e appeasin g them , i t conceal s an d protect s th e inne r
core, th e "tru e self, " whic h i s a s completel y divorce d a s possibl e fro m
the fals e self' s nee d t o reac t t o externa l pressures. 6
Compliance i s motivate d b y fea r o f engulfment , impingement , an d
depersonalization i f one reveals one' s inne r self , one' s tru e thought s and
feelings. But this defensive fron t ma y bleed, squeeze, corrupt, o r swallo w
the inne r sel f i t i s mean t t o protect . Accordin g t o R . D . Lain g i n The
Divided Self, th e false sel f i s experienced a s being governe d b y "an alien
will" o r wills . Initiall y thi s i s a parent's will , howeve r muc h i t ma y be
disguised. I t may control one' s behavior , one' s body , one' s speech , eve n
one's thoughts , feelings , an d perceptions. 7 Th e fals e sel f ma y b e com -
pulsively impersonatin g a s wel l a s identifyin g wit h th e perso n whos e
expectations exact compliance . Thi s concep t recall s Rilke' s unhappines s
about his tendency to assume the poise of someone else , when, suddenly ,
he foun d himsel f "expressin g well-forme d things " which ha d nothing t o
do wit h hi s inne r chao s an d whic h completel y conceale d it . Wer e hi s
aristocratic person a an d the public rol e o f th e poet als o example s o f the
schizoid fals e self , a s Winnicott an d Laing defin e it ?
If we can say that Rilk e did develop th e kind o f false sel f tha t analyst s
find i n schizoi d illness , we can discover it s root s i n th e poet's relation -
ships wit h hi s parent s durin g childhood . Rilk e fel t tha t Phi a sa w him
entirely in terms of her preconceptions. He willingly complie d whe n she
insisted tha t he r little bo y play th e role o f a girl t o replac e th e daughte r
who ha d die d befor e h e was born. A s an adul t h e recalle d tha t sh e had
exhibited hi m to her friends a s if he were a doll. While tryin g t o satisf y

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 5 7

her nee d fo r a daughter , h e encourage d hi s father' s hop e tha t hi s littl e

son would gro w up to be an army officer an d thus fulfill Josef' s frustrate d
ambitions vicariously . Josef Rilk e ha d been force d ou t of th e army afte r
ten year s o f service . H e ha d littl e Ren e doin g militar y exercise s an d re-
ceiving medals . The boy did his best t o pleas e him , too.
Phia Rilk e wrot e verse . Sh e rea d Schiller' s ballad s t o he r son , per -
suaded him to memorize and to recite them, and did everything she could
to foste r i n Ren e th e desir e an d th e ambitio n t o b e a grea t poet. 8 I n
Ewald Tragy, a n early autobiographical novella, Ewald, Rilke's surrogate ,
thinks o f th e mothe r wh o has lef t hi m a s a sic k woma n wh o want s t o
be calle d "Fraulein, " sittin g i n a trai n compartmen t lettin g he r fello w
passengers kno w tha t her son is a poet.9 I n his letters abou t hi s "unreal,"
"ghostly" mother , Rilk e expresse d th e fear tha t h e was too closely iden -
tified wit h her , though h e had been tryin g t o separate an d distance him -
self fro m he r all his life (Letters 1:147) . His devotion t o a vocation tha t
conformed t o his mother's wishe s an d his nearness a s a poet t o her con -
ception o f hersel f mus t hav e trouble d him.
Make's retellin g o f th e parabl e o f th e Prodiga l So n reflect s Rilke' s
sense o f th e way s i n whic h a fals e sel f ma y engul f on e a s i t develop s
under pressure s fro m one' s parents . Mak e imagine s tha t th e mask o f the
false sel f whic h grow s i n respons e t o th e expectations, fears , hopes , and
relentless scrutin y o f a family threaten s t o becom e th e son's face . I f tha t
were t o happen, al l distinction betwee n th e outer fals e sel f an d the inner
true on e would collapse ; the former woul d replac e the latter (251-54) . A
schizoid perso n live s in uncertainty an d danger a s he tries t o detac h and
divorce hi s hidde n "tru e self " fro m th e fals e one , whic h increasingl y
absorbs it .
If a large par t o f one' s socia l experienc e i s pervaded b y the sense tha t
what on e says an d does i s controlled an d shaped b y othe r peopl e an d is
false t o one's "tru e self, " relationship s an d contacts ar e likely t o encour -
age feeling s o f paralysi s an d formlessness. Th e false sel f act s a s a barrie r
protecting th e inner sel f fro m engulfment , bu t it als o confine s th e inne r
self, cutting it off fro m nurturin g contact s wit h othe r people. 10 There are
a number o f intimations i n Rilke's letter s tha t th e roles he played amon g
his aristocratic hosts involved hi m in deception an d self-deception, whic h
were painful an d debilitating. The letters suggest that his attempts to exist
in harmon y wit h hi s aristocrati c friend s force d hi m to liv e a dispiritin g
lie, t o enac t a fals e self . H e longe d t o escap e fro m them : "Th e good ,

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
58 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

generous asylums, such as Duino wa s an d immediately thereafte r Venic e

. . . requir e s o muc h adaptatio n eac h tim e . . . an d whe n a t las t on e ha s
got t o th e poin t o f belongin g t o them , th e onl y thin g accomplishe d i s
the li e tha t on e belongs " (To Lo u Andreas-Salome , Decembe r 19 , 1912 ;
Letters 2:81) .
As fo r th e aristocrati c persona , caugh t i n Willia m Hausenstein' s de -
scription, it may well have originated in the pretensions of Rilke's parents
and those of his father's older brother, Jaroslav, a paternalistic uncle, who
paid for Rene's studies in a commercial high school an d then at the Uni -
versity o f Munich , an d gav e his nephe w a n allowance which laste d unti l
after Jaroslav' s death . Thi s uncl e pu t muc h tim e an d effor t int o a n at -
tempt to link the family with old nobility. Though h e failed to gai n legal
recognition of an y such connection, his nephew, th e poet, maintaine d all
his lif e th e myth o f nobl e descent . Phi a Rilke, whose fathe r was wealth y
and held th e titl e o f imperia l counselor, n o doub t though t sh e was mar -
rying int o a family descende d fro m aristocrats . I n he r photo s sh e ofte n
appears in long black dresses, which give her a rather absurd resemblance
to som e grea t lad y o f a n earlie r decade , an d he r strikin g expressio n o f
loftiness fits in with this impression. Josef Rilke was bitterly disappointed
when h e di d no t succee d i n followin g th e caree r o f a militar y officer ,
once th e exclusive privilege of th e nobility. Late r he also failed t o obtai n
a job a s the manage r of a count's estate , which woul d hav e enable d hi m
and his family t o liv e in the kind o f proximit y t o a noble heritag e whic h
his son later found i n the castles and palaces of hi s patrons. Josef's career
as a railway inspecto r decisivel y defeate d al l suc h hopes. 11
Rilke's nee d t o b e a gentlema n probabl y expresse d a n identificatio n
with his parents' aspirations and a desire to escap e from th e tawdry real-
ity o f thei r bourgeois life . I n this respec t h e made himself i n their image
of themselves . H e trie d t o fulfil l thei r hope s fo r themselve s an d for hi m
and to giv e some reality to their illusions, despite his scorn for thei r self-
deceptiveness. Hi s description s o f hi s ow n lif e durin g hi s childhood , s o
different i n it s externa l circumstance s fro m Make's , poin t towar d thes e
conclusions: "M y childhoo d hom e wa s a crampe d rente d apartmen t i n
Prague; i t wa s ver y sad . . . . ou r littl e household , whic h wa s i n realit y
middle class, was supposed t o have the appearance of plenty , our clothe s
were suppose d t o deceiv e people , an d certai n lie s passe d a s a matter o f
course" (Letter t o Elle n Key , Apri l 3 , 1903 ; Letters 1:98) .
In Rene Rilke: Die Jugend Rainer Maria Rilkes (Ren e Rilke : Th e

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 5 9

Youth o f Raine r Maria Rilke), the poet's son-in-law , Car l Sieber, reports
that Rainer' s parent s paste d high-soundin g label s o n bottle s containin g
cheap table wine. Drawing upon Sieber, Leppmann says that when com -
pany came , ther e wa s s o littl e roo m tha t Ren e sometime s ha d t o slee p
behind "a black folding scree n decorated with gold birds." 12 Leppmann's
inventory o f thei r belonging s give s u s th e picture : "Togethe r wit h var -
ious lacquere d Japanese fans, views o f Vesuviu s an d other Italia n motifs ,
and a vas t numbe r o f knickknacks , thi s bambo o scree n forme d par t
of th e inventor y o f a n apartmen t tha t mos t differe d fro m hundred s
of others , i f a t all , throug h it s sittin g roo m whic h wa s don e i n blu e
silk."1*

Did th e aristocrati c persona begi n a s a false self , develope d b y th e child ,

Rene, i n respons e t o hi s parents ' aspirations ? Di d i t continu e t o serv e
unconsciously a s a response t o thos e aspirations , while a t the sam e tim e
complying wit h th e taste s an d value s o f parenta l surrogate s amon g th e
aristocratic patron s wh o offere d Rilk e thei r homes , financia l support ,
admiration, an d even , i n som e cases , warm affection ? I f thi s wa s a false
self, di d th e poe t experienc e it , consciousl y o r unconsciously , a s a mas-
querade, henc e unreal , hollow , futile , unfulfilling ?
Early i n The Notebooks Make , who, unlik e Rilke , i s descende d fro m
high-ranking nobility, become s anxiou s abou t his cleanliness and the ap-
pearance of his clothes, because they distinguish him from the poor "out -
casts" who see m t o fee l tha t h e belong s t o them :

Even though the jacket I wear every day has begun to get threadbare in certain
spots . .. True , my collar is clean, my underwear too, and I could, just as I am,
walk into any cafe I felt like, possibly even on the grands boulevards, and con-
fidently reac h out my hand to a plate full o f pastrie s an d help myself. No on e
would find that surprising; no one would shout at me or throw me out, for it is
after all a genteel hand, a hand that is washed four or five times a day. There is
no dirt under the nails, the index fingerisn't ink-stained, and the wrists especially
are irreproachable. (38-39)

What precede s an d follow s thi s show s tha t Make' s anxiet y abou t hi s

clothes and cleanliness, about his ability to walk into shops without being
thrown out , i s no t norma l middl e clas s anxiet y concernin g respectabl e
appearances. I n th e homelessnes s o f th e Parisia n "outcasts " and i n thei r
apparent dehumanization , Rilk e foun d wha t h e suspected , wit h fea r an d

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
60 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

revulsion, wer e mirro r image s o f hi s ow n existence . H e imagine d tha t

they wer e "livin g o n nothing , o n dust , o n soot " {Letters 1:109) . I n The
Notebooks h e elaborate s thi s conceptio n o f th e "outcasts. " The y ar e
"trash, husk s o f me n tha t fat e ha s spewe d out, " "[w]e t wit h th e spittl e
of fate, " stuc k t o a wall, a lamppost , a billboard , o r tricklin g lik e dun g
down a street (40) .
One sourc e o f Make' s desir e t o sustai n th e loo k an d fastidiousnes s o f
the gentlema n i n the street s of Pari s is the fear o f bein g reduced t o some -
thing lik e this—less tha n human , degraded , repulsive , and unselved. Thi s
was a t leas t part o f th e motivatio n behin d th e developmen t an d duratio n
of th e styl e an d manner s whic h Hausenstei n foun d incongruous . Rilke' s
portrait o f Mak e reflect s th e fac t tha t h e wa s no t entirel y deceive d b y
this persona. Late in the novel Make thinks, "I kno w tha t if I am destine d
for th e worst , i t won' t hel p m e a t al l t o disguis e mysel f i n m y bette r
clothes" (214) .
Make als o come s t o recogniz e th e harmfu l consequence s o f suc h dis -
guises. A brie f entr y i n The Notebooks, precedin g th e passag e o n Dus e
by a few pages , acknowledge s hi s despai r o f eve r bein g abl e t o "ru b of f
the make-u p an d remov e everythin g tha t i s artificial . . . . w e g o around ,
a laughingstoc k an d a half-truth : neithe r rea l being s no r actors " (231) .
Make's thought s her e purpor t t o tak e i n al l o f us . "We " an d "our " i n
this passag e refe r t o huma n being s i n general . Bu t i n th e contex t o f th e
novel, if w e conside r hi s illness an d hi s anxieties , this entr y describe s th e
consequences o f developin g a false sel f o r selve s i n a n attemp t t o defen d
what h e call s elsewher e "th e har d cor e o f a personality " beneat h "th e
mask," t o defen d wha t a perso n feel s i s hi s tru e self . Eventuall y thi s
defense ma y resul t i n a n inabilit y t o separat e mas k fro m face , fals e sel f
from true , a s part s o f th e fals e sel f o r selve s ge t mixe d u p wit h th e in -
dividual's innermos t being , pervadin g feeling s an d thoughts , governin g
gestures, words, and acts , despite his best effort s t o liberat e himself fro m
them. I n schizoi d illnes s the false sel f o r selve s seem to tak e up mor e an d
more o f th e mind' s energ y an d space . In schizophreni a th e tru e sel f ma y
disappear i n a welter o f fals e selve s an d fragments .

In The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment, Win -

nicott distinguishe s betwee n "th e Fals e Self " i n schizoi d illnes s an d th e
healthy us e o f socia l adaptabilit y an d plianc y t o creat e a "compliant [so -
cial] self " tha t defend s th e inne r sel f agains t discover y an d intrusion .

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 6 l

Winnicott maintain s tha t i n health , a s i n sickness , w e fee l th e inne r

self mus t be defended, no t only agains t pressures t o conform, bu t against
being discovered an d known. H e argues tha t eve n in health a n individual
must kee p hi s innermos t sel f secret , inaccessibl e t o everyon e else , an d
that al l of u s feel it s exposure threaten s u s with obliteration , wit h bein g
converted int o a usable thing, a danger exemplified i n the results of brain -
washing an d i n scienc e fictio n abou t peopl e bein g reprogramme d o r
changed int o robots .
Winnicott's conclusions , draw n fro m hi s work wit h patients , provid e
support fo r Rilke' s evolvin g thought s abou t th e dangers inheren t i n hu-
man relationship s an d the need t o protect hi s imaginative an d emotiona l
freedom b y means of something like a "dark deceptiv e vapor." Winnicot t
theorizes tha t "i n healt h ther e i s a cor e t o th e personalit y tha t corre -
sponds t o th e true sel f o f th e split personality ; . . . thi s cor e neve r com -
municates wit h th e world o f perceived objects , and the individual perso n
knows tha t i t mus t neve r b e communicated wit h o r influenced b y exter -
nal reality." 14
I d o no t kno w whethe r Winnicot t rea d Kierkegaard , bu t th e psy -
chologist's argumen t tha t all of us are "permanently unknown' read s like
a paraphras e o f th e Danis h philosopher' s thinkin g abou t th e natur e o f
the individual , whic h almos t surel y confirme d Rilke' s sens e o f himsel f
and helpe d hi m t o articulat e it . Winnicott' s analysi s o f norma l fear s o f
intrusive influenc e o n wha t h e call s "th e secret self " woul d hav e foun d
ready assen t i n Rilk e a t the height o f hi s powers. Nothin g ca n be mor e
frightening an d painful tha n change s i n the core o f the self a s a result of
a failur e o r breakdow n i n th e defense s tha t protec t i t agains t com -
munication.15
Winnicott distinguishe s the false self in schizoid illnes s from th e public
self i n a state of health. The first may be debilitating an d destructive, and
often lead s a person t o fee l tha t h e i s " a collectio n o f reaction s t o im-
pingement." Th e second appease s th e world b y complyin g wit h it s de-
mands an d expectations, hidin g an d defending th e inner lif e o f th e "tru e
self," whil e th e latte r i s abl e i n it s strengt h an d healt h t o expres s itsel f
and t o find fulfillmen t an d sources o f ne w energy an d vitality .
Surely w e ca n accep t Rilke' s assertio n i n "A n Experience " tha t hi s
hidden inne r life , defended b y a "dark, deceptiv e vapor," was not empty ,
despite it s "freedom " fro m ordinar y huma n concern s an d relationships ,
that i t wa s joyfu l an d ric h i n "convers e wit h Nature. " Hi s resurgen t

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
6l A MASK O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

creativity at the time justifies this claim, though we also know that during
the year s 1911-2 2 h e ofte n lapse d int o state s o f despair , emptiness , an d
emotional paralysis . I t seem s likel y tha t hi s socia l persona s (hi s aristo -
cratic manners and his public role as a poet amon g admirers), his fantas y
of a n "intermediate space," the "dark, deceptive vapor" around him, and
his belief that poems and other writings might serve as masks were rooted
in schizoid defenses agains t fantastical threats and anxieties, such as those
I hav e described , bu t tha t h e develope d sufficien t strengt h o f eg o an d
imagination t o conver t the m int o somethin g mor e closel y aki n t o th e
adaptable, "complian t [social ] s e lf an d the artfull y shape d mask s o f be -
havior which Winnicott see s as the healthy psyche's mean s of concealin g
and protectin g it s secre t inne r life , it s creativ e depths , fro m disturbin g
scrutiny an d pressures.

Ill

In The Divided Self, Lain g say s tha t people sufferin g fro m th e drea d o f
engulfment ofte n defen d thei r identit y b y mean s o f isolation. 1 I n thi s
respect Make's behavio r i s typical . Unlik e th e Prodigal Son , he does no t
return to hi s hom e excep t a t the tim e o f hi s father' s death . Unlike Rilk e
when h e wa s newl y arrive d i n Paris , Mak e doe s no t writ e long , almos t
daily letter s t o a wife an d friend s h e ha s lef t behind . Non e o f hi s en -
counters wit h othe r peopl e i n Pari s reliev e hi s isolation . H e goe s t o se e
doctors i n a hospital , bu t thi s encounte r i s impersonal . H e think s tha t
some o f th e Parisia n outcast s loo k a t hi m a s i f the y sense d a n affinity ,
but hi s note s d o no t sho w tha t h e exchange d on e wor d wit h them .
Rilke's repeated insistence that solitude was necessary to his creativit y
must be understood a t least partly a s an outgrowth o f hi s anxieties abou t
having hi s inne r lif e an d sel f involuntaril y changed , corrupted , take n
over, o r absorbe d b y othe r person s o r alie n externa l phenomena . Tw o
pages afte r describin g hi s fantas y o f bein g invaded , filled up , and drive n
out o f himsel f b y wha t i s "horrible " i n th e world , Mak e meditate s o n
Beethoven's death mask, thinking of the great composer as "a man whose
hearing a god ha d close d up , s o tha t ther e migh t b e n o sound s bu t hi s
own; so tha t he might not b e led astray by what is turbid an d ephemera l
in noises " (73-74 an d 76) . I n 1903 , probably nea r the tim e h e bega n hi s
work o n The Notebooks, Rilk e wrot e t o th e youn g poe t Fran z Kappus ,

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 6 3

saying that anyone who wished to write poetry needed to be alone within
himself muc h o f th e time. 2 Eve n amon g othe r people thi s migh t b e pos-
sible, i f on e coul d loo k upo n thei r live s "fro m ou t o f th e depth " an d
"expanse" of "one' s own world," with the sense of distanc e and strange-
ness a child feel s watchin g adults .
To Baladin e Klossowsk a h e wrot e i n Decembe r 1920 , arguin g tha t
Malte could neve r "have penetrated s o far into the confidence o f things "
if h e ha d bee n diverte d an d distracte d b y huma n relationships . H e ha d
to b e abl e t o devot e himsel f completel y t o "th e thing s whos e essentia l
life" h e wante d t o expres s i n hi s work . Rilk e mus t hav e bee n thinkin g
about hi s ow n New Poems, whic h wer e contemporaneou s wit h The
Notebooks:"Der Panther, " "Di e Gazelle, " "Romisch e Sarkophage, "
"Der Schwan, " "Di e Spitze " (Th e Lace) , "Di e Trepp e de r Orangerie "
(The Step s o f th e Orangery) , "Da s Karussell, " an d "Di e Rosenschale "
(The Bowl o f Roses). 3 An earlie r letter to Klossowsk a reveal s underlying
reasons fo r Rilke' s nee d t o ge t awa y fro m othe r persons , includin g Bal -
adine herself . H e di d no t lik e t o hav e peopl e lookin g a t him , guessin g
what was troublin g him , forcing hi m t o b e awar e of them , inhibiting hi s
freedom t o shap e hi s ow n life. 4
Reading th e part s o f The Notebooks concerne d wit h Make' s lonel y
boyhood an d passage s i n Rilke' s diarie s an d letters , on e ca n se e ho w
difficult an d painful solitude was for him. It often brought severe anxiety,
frightening fantasies , and even delusions. Recurrently fro m 191 1 t o 191 4
Rilke fel t s o barre n an d impoten t i n hi s comparativel y solitar y lif e tha t
he longe d fo r a companion. Bu t thi s yearnin g dismaye d him . I t seeme d
a reflection o f a diminished capacit y fo r creativ e work . The followin g i s
from a letter t o Salom e writte n o n Decembe r 28 , 1911 , little mor e tha n
two week s befor e th e Firs t Eleg y cam e t o him :

Dear Lou, I am in a bad way when I wait for people, need people, look around
for people.... So it is a bad sign that since Malte I have often hoped for someone
who would be there for me, how does that happen? I had a ceaseless longing to
bring my solitude under shelter with someone, to put it in someone's protection;
you can imagine that in those conditions nothin g made any progress. . .. Ho w
is it possible tha t now, prepare d and schooled fo r expression , I am left i n fact
without a vocation, superfluous? (Letters 2:34 )

The companio n h e imagine d woul d hav e t o b e hi s perfec t complemen t

and utterly unintrusive. She must make no demands, expect nothing from

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
64 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

him. Sh e mus t i n n o wa y confron t hi m wit h a distinctive , independent ,

self-assertive personalit y o r wit h need s o f he r own , a s he say s i n a lette r
to Salom e writte n o n January 10 , 1912 , two day s befor e th e Firs t Eleg y
came t o hi m {Letters 2:38-39) .
In Decembe r 1913 , not lon g afte r completin g th e Third Elegy , writin g
to hi s materna l patro n an d friend , th e princes s Mari e vo n Thur n un d
Taxis, i n whos e castl e a t Duin o h e ha d penne d th e Firs t an d Secon d
Elegies, he expresse d hi s longing for a place in the countr y wit h a house-
keeper, wh o eithe r woul d fee l n o lov e o r woul d sho w a n extraordinar y
love tha t mad e n o demands , whil e protectin g th e poe t i n hi s vulnerabl e
openness t o "th e invisible " {Letters 2:102) . Rilke's fantas y o f a perfectl y
empathetic, selflessl y responsive , undemandin g woma n wa s a drea m o f
the impossible. Reading an earlier version of this chapter, some colleague s
were distresse d t o find suc h weaknes s i n a poe t whos e writing s ofte n
express deepl y fel t admiratio n an d genuin e understandin g o f th e
strengths show n b y man y wome n i n histor y an d literature . Th e fantas y
of th e perfec t companio n make s hi m see m antipathetic , a man possesse d
by idea s an d attitude s whic h hav e ofte n le d t o th e oppressio n o f women .
Only a mothe r attune d t o he r infant , completel y identifie d wit h him ,
expecting nothin g fo r herself , a n idea l paren t create d b y a narcissisti c
mind, coul d fulfil l suc h needs .
We ca n find othe r dimension s o f th e materna l figure tha t almos t cer -
tainly underlies hi s longing s fo r a woman whos e lov e would protec t hi m
"at th e borde r o f th e invisible " in The Notebooks. On e entr y praise s an d
celebrates the incomparable power o f the mother who ca n calm the terro r
of a child lost among the phantoms h e himself ha s created in a dark roo m
when h e i s lef t alon e a t night . Lightin g a match , sh e become s i n he r
child's min d th e sourc e o f al l th e rea l o r imagine d noise s tha t hav e bee n
frightening him , a s sh e urge s hi m t o fee l n o fea r no w tha t sh e i s wit h
him. A t th e soun d o f somethin g movin g i n th e wal l o r creakin g i n th e
floor, he r smil e reassure s him , a s i f sh e "kne w th e secre t o f ever y half -
sound, an d everythin g wer e agree d an d understoo d betwee n you. " Th e
passage end s wit h th e question , "Doe s an y powe r equa l you r powe r
among th e lord s o f th e earth? " (75) .
The companio n wh o coul d d o thi s fo r th e poe t woul d shelte r hi s
solitude an d fre e i t fro m th e anxietie s whic h ofte n gre w unbearabl y in -
tense whe n h e wa s alone . Hi s fantas y o f a housekeepe r wh o woul d no t
expect anythin g fro m hi m reflect s hi s dread a t the prospect o f havin g hi s

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 6 5

internal freedo m an d hi s sense of a separate, distinctive sel f overwhelme d

by intimac y wit h a n assertiv e friend o r lover . This fea r wa s roote d i n hi s
relationship wit h hi s mother . I f th e unconsciou s fantas y underlyin g hi s
longing fo r a "perfect " woma n wa s th e yearnin g fo r th e kin d o f paren t
imagined i n th e passag e quote d abov e fro m The Notebooks, thi s desir e
was strengthened b y the poet's feelin g tha t his emotional illnes s had orig -
inated i n Phia' s blind , smotherin g narcissism . T o protec t himsel f agains t
a repetitio n o f hi s childhoo d relationshi p wit h Phia , h e mus t hav e he r
extreme opposit e a s hi s companion . Ironically , h e seem s t o hav e longe d
for th e freedo m t o b e a s blindl y narcissisti c a s Phi a i n hi s relationshi p
with th e woma n wh o woul d car e fo r him . Nothin g cause d hi m mor e
distress tha n hi s awarenes s tha t h e ha d take n o n som e o f hi s mother' s
worst qualities .
In an essay entitled "Th e Fantas y of the Perfect Mother, " Nancy Cho -
dorow an d Susa n Contratt o analyz e this widespread fantas y an d it s adul t
derivatives. The y ar e particularl y intereste d i n th e closel y relate d as -
sumption i n man y culture s tha t mother s hav e incomparabl e powe r t o
shape thei r children' s live s an d th e consequence s o f th e fantas y an d thi s
assumption: the tendency t o blame mothers for al l the ills that befal l thei r
children an d th e ubiquitou s idealizatio n o f mother s whic h ofte n re -
inforces, no t onl y exaggerate d expectations , bu t als o negativ e idea s an d
feelings abou t materna l failur e an d destructiveness . Chodorow an d Con -
tratto conclud e tha t infantil e fantasie s o f materna l perfectio n an d omnip -
otence an d th e idea s o f materna l responsibilit y resultin g fro m the m i n a
number o f culture s have encouraged th e oppression o f mothers an d muc h
of th e ange r fel t towar d women .
Chodorow an d Contratt o trac e curren t idea s abou t motherin g t o th e
evolution o f parenta l role s i n th e nineteent h century . The y argu e tha t a s
men amon g th e bourgeoisi e becam e increasingly absorbe d i n urban com -
merce an d industry , responsibilit y for , an d contro l over , th e rearin g o f
children wa s assume d t o b e almos t entirel y i n th e mother' s hands . Thes e
conditions an d assumption s fostere d th e isolatio n o f mothe r an d child .
They als o encourage d conception s o f th e idea l motherin g whic h woul d
produce th e bes t possibl e childre n an d thu s th e bes t o f al l possibl e
worlds. Th e notio n tha t th e mothe r an d th e chil d ar e isolate d i n a pro -
tected sphere , which i s reflected i n Rilke' s fantas y abou t a life apar t wit h
a protective, nurturing, selfless woman, becomes, as Chodorow an d Con -
tratto show , one focus o f recen t feminist writings . A numbe r o f feminist s

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
66 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E

whose work s the y discus s hav e explore d th e way s i n whic h th e fantas y

or th e realit y o f mothers ' alonenes s wit h thei r childre n exacerbate s thei r
sense of oppression , their rage, and their fears that their separate identities
will b e obliterated . Childre n ofte n reac t wit h fear , anger , an d aggressio n
to these feelings i n their mothers, all the more so because of their fantasie s
of materna l omnipotence . Suc h reaction s continue , late r i n life , t o hav e
an unconsciou s influenc e o n adults ' feeling s an d idea s abou t mothers .
They fue l men' s antagonis m towar d women , a s wel l a s th e doubt s an d
tensions i n women' s attitude s towar d themselves .
This essa y help s t o plac e Rilke' s idea s an d feeling s abou t hi s mothe r
and othe r wome n agains t a larger cultura l an d socia l background . I t als o
indicates th e tendenc y o f psychologica l theorist s i n recen t time s t o shar e
the cultura l assumption s whic h hav e grow n ou t o f th e fantas y o f th e
perfect mother , a s the y hav e move d awa y fro m th e triangula r oedipa l
paradigm t o focu s upo n th e powe r o f th e mothe r t o shap e th e child. 5
Later I shal l examin e Rilke' s brie f relationshi p wit h Magd a vo n Hat -
tingberg durin g th e earl y month s o f 1914 , whe n h e though t h e ha d a t
last foun d th e companio n h e ha d describe d i n hi s letter s t o th e princes s
Marie an d Lo u Andreas-Salome . This relationship , falling dismall y shor t
of th e fantastical hope s whic h filled th e poet's letter s t o von Hattingber g
in th e month befor e the y me t (sh e started th e correspondenc e b y writin g
to hi m afte r comin g acros s hi s Stories of God), ende d al l to o swiftly ,
leaving Rilk e i n anguish . Shortl y afterward , i n Jun e 1914 , h e wrot e t o
Salome a lette r revealin g tha t thi s failur e ha d brough t hi m t o painfull y
clear self-understanding . "Fo r I n o longe r doub t tha t I a m sick , an d m y
sickness ha s gaine d a lo t o f groun d an d i s als o lodge d i n tha t whic h
heretofore I calle d m y work , s o tha t fo r th e presen t ther e i s n o refug e
there" (Letters 2:113-14) .
But relationships with othe r women, who had not been sent by heave n
to pla y th e par t o f th e angeli c housekeeper , wer e essentia l t o Rilke' s
emotional strengt h an d vitality . I n chapter s five an d si x I conside r th e
poet's lov e affai r an d lon g friendshi p wit h Lo u Andreas-Salom e an d hi s
marriage and friendship wit h Clar a Westhoff, tw o women who, for man y
years, helpe d t o alla y hi s fear s an d fostere d hi s creativity , ofte n fro m a
distance, throug h letters .
The seclusio n whic h Rilk e sough t sometime s intensifie d hi s illness .
But n o studen t o f hi s lif e i s likel y t o disagre e wit h hi s belie f tha t i t
nurtured hi s genius . I n a n essa y o n Rilke , Rober t Has s note s th e poet' s

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 A MAS K O F HI M ROAM S I N HI S PLAC E 67

loathing fo r th e superficiality an d falsenes s whic h h e sa w in th e everyda y

social lif e o f mos t huma n being s an d observe s tha t hi s evocativ e powe r
seems t o hav e com e fro m a lonel y inne r depth . Hi s poem s ca n awake n
in u s a correspondin g dept h o f inwardnes s an d a responsivenes s tha t
creates somethin g lik e th e perspectiv e o f th e child' s distanc e evoke d i n
the lette r t o Fran z Kappu s mentione d above . Has s argue s tha t Rilke' s
greatest poetr y strip s awa y man y layer s o f apparen t richnes s an d com -
plexity withi n us , enabling u s t o discove r a solitary sel f i n al l its strange -
ness, a dimensio n o f th e psych e whic h Has s associate s wit h "th e hug e
nakedness an d povert y o f huma n longing." 6

This content downloaded from

62.159.119.210 on Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:17:26 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms