The Social Significance of the Modern Drama - The Anarchist Library

136 Pages·2012·0.63 MB·English

childhood. However, because of her gratitude to her benefac-
tors, she stifles her nature, hardens her heart, and locks her
feelingsbehindcloseddoors,asitwere.AndwhenGertrudeis
abouttomarryGeorge,Mariethrowsherselfintotheworkof The Social Significance of the
fixingupahomefortheyoungpeople,tosurroundthemwith
Modern Drama
sunshineandjoyintheirnewlovelife.
Accidentally Marie discovers a manuscript written by
George,whereinhediscloseshisdeeploveforher.Shelearns
that he, even as she, has no other thought, no other purpose
in life than his love for her. But he also is bound by gratitude Emma Goldman
for his uncle Brauer who had saved the honor of his father
andhadrescuedhimfrompoverty.Hefeelsitdishonorableto
refusetomarryGertrude.
George. All these years I have struggled and de-
prived myself with only one thing in view — to
befree—free—andyetImustbow—Imustbow.
If it were not for the sake of this beautiful child,
who is innocent of it all, I would be tempted to —
Butthedieiscast,theyokeisready—andsoamI!
…I,too,amachildofmisery,acalamitychild;but
I am a subject of charity. I accept all they have to
give… Was I not picked up from the street, as my
uncle so kindly informed me for the second time
—likeyourself?DoInotbelongtothishouse,and
am I not smothered with the damnable charity of
mybenefactors,likeyourself?
ItisSt.John’snight.Theentirefamilyisgatheredonthees-
tateoftheBrauers,whilethepeasantsaremakingmerrywith
songanddanceatthelightedbonfires.
Itisaglorious,dreamynight,suggestiveofsymbolicmean-
ing.AccordingtotheservantKatie,itiswrittenthat“whoever
shallgiveorreceivetheirfirstkissonSt.John’seve,theirlove 1914
issealedandtheywillbefaithfuluntodeath.”
64
Lifedoesnotalwaysdrawthesameconclusions;lifeisnotal-
ways logical, not always consistent. The function of the artist
istoportraylife—onlythuscanhebetruebothtoartandto
life.
Inthisdramawewitnessthebondageofgratitude,—oneof
themostenslavingandparalyzingfactors.Mr.Brauer,alanded
proprietor, has a child, Gertrude, a beautiful girl, who has al-
ways lived the sheltered life of a hothouse plant. The Brauers
alsohaveanadopteddaughter,Marie,whomtheyhadpicked
upontheroad,whiletravelingonastormynight.Theycalled
her “the calamity child,” because a great misfortune had be-
fallenthemshortlybefore.Mr.Brauerísyoungerbrother,con-
fronted with heavy losses, had shot himself, leaving behind
his son George and a heavily mortgaged estate. The finding
ofthebaby,underthesecircumstances,wasconsideredbythe
Brauers an omen. They adopted it and brought it up as their
own.
This involved the forcible separation of Marie from her
gypsymother,whowasapariah,anoutcastbeggar.Shedrank
andstoleinordertosubsist.Butwithitall,hermotherinstinct
was strong and it always drove her back to the place where
her child lived. Marie had her first shock when, on her way
home from confirmation, the ragged and brutalized woman
threwherselfbeforetheyounggirl,crying,ìMamie,mychild,
myMamie!îItwasthenthatMarierealizedherorigin.Outof
gratitudesheconsecratedherlifetotheBrauers.
Marieneverforgotforamomentthatsheowedeverything
— her education, her support and happiness — to her adopted
parents. She wrapped herself around them with all the inten-
sity and passion of her nature. She became the very spirit of
the house. She looked after the estate, and devoted herself to
littleGertrude,astoherownsister.
GertrudeisengagedtomarryhercousinGeorge,andevery-
thingisbeautifulandjoyousinthehousehold.Noonesuspects
thatMariehasbeeninlovewiththeyoungmaneversinceher
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Magda. Leave art out of the question. Consider
nothing more than the seamstress or the servant-
maid who seeks, among strangers, the little food
and the little love she needs. See how much the
Contents
family with morality demand from us! It throws
usonourownresources,itgivesusneithershelter
norhappiness,andyet,inourloneliness,wemust
live according to the laws which it has planned Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
foritselfalone.Wemuststillcrouchinthecorner,
and there wait patiently until a respectful wooer
TheScandinavianDrama 11
happens to come. Yes, wait. And meanwhile the
war for existence of body and soul is consuming
HenrikIbsen 12
us.Aheadweseenothingbutsorrowanddespair,
ThePillarsofSociety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
and yet shall we not once dare to give what we
TheDoll’sHouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
have of youth and strength to the man for whom
Ghosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ourwholebeingcries?Gagus,stupefyus,shutus
AnEnemyofSociety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
up in harems or in cloisters — and that perhaps
wouldbebest.Butifyougiveusourfreedom,do
AugustStringberg 37
notwonderifwetakeadvantageofit.
TheFather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
CountessJulie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
But morality and the family never understand the Magdas.
Comrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
LeastofalldoestheoldColonelunderstandhisdaughter.Rigid
inhisfalsenotionsandsuperstitions,wroughtupwithdistress
he is about to carry out his threat, when a stroke of apoplexy
TheGermanDrama 53
overtakeshim.
In “Magda,” Hermann Sudermann has given to the world
HermannSudermann 54
a new picture of modern womanhood, a type of free mother-
Magda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
hood. As such the play is of great revolutionary significance,
TheFiresofSt.John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
not alone to Germany, but to the universal spirit of a newer
day. GerhartHauptmann 68
LonelyLives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
TheWeavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
The Fires of St. John
TheSunkenBell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
In “The Fires of St. John,” Sudermann does not go as far as
in“Magda.”Neverthelesstheplaydealswithimportanttruths.
62 3
FrankWedekind 92 spectabilitymustnotknowthatitbornoutofwedlock,without
TheAwakeningofSpring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 thesanctionoftheChurchandtheState.
That is more than Magda can endure. She is outraged that
she, the mother, who had given up everything for the sake of
TheFrenchDrama 101 her child, who had slaved, struggled and drudged in order to
winacareerandeconomicindependence—allforthesakeof
MauriceMaeterlinck 102
thechild—thatsheshouldforswearherrighttomotherhood,
MonnaVanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
herrighttobetruetoherself!
EdmondRostand 110
Magda.What—whatdoyousay?
Chantecler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Von Keller. Why, it would ruin us. No, no, it is ab-
Brieux 117 surdtothinkofit.Butwecanmakealittlejourney
DamagedGoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 every year to wherever it is being educated. One
Maternity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 canregisterunderafalsename;thatisnotunusual
inforeignparts,andishardlycriminal.Andwhen
wearefiftyyearsold,andotherregularconditions
TheEnglishDrama 139 havebeenfulfilled,thatcanbearranged,can’tit?
Then we can, under some pretext, adopt it, can’t
GeorgeBernardShaw 140
we?
Mrs.Warren’sProfession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Magda.Ihavehumbledmyself,Ihavesurrendered
MajorBarbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
my judgment, I have let myself be carried like a
JohnGalsworthy 158 lambtotheslaughter.ButmychildIwillnotleave.
Strife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Giveupmychildtosavehiscareer!
Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Magda orders Von Keller out of the house. But the old
ThePigeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Colonel is unbending. He insists that his daughter become an
StanleyHoughton 182 honorablewomanbymarryingthemanwhohadseducedher.
HindleWakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Herrefusalfireshiswrathtowildrage.
GithaSowerby 189 Schwartze.Eitheryousweartomenow…thatyou
RutherfordandSon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 willbecomethehonorablewifeofyourchild’sfa-
ther, or — neither of us two shall go out of this
room alive . . You think … because you are free
andagrinartist,thatyoucansetatnaught—
4 61
VonKeller.Mychild! TheIrishDrama 201
Magda.Yourchild?Whocallsitso?Yours?Ha,ha!
WilliamButlerYeats 202
DaretoclaimportioninhimandI’llkillyouwith
WhereThereIsNothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
these hands. Who are you? You’re a strange man
whogratifiedhislustandpassedonwithalaugh.
LenoxRobinson 211
ButIhaveachild,—myson,myGod,myall!For
Harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
him I lived and starved and froze and walked the
streets;forhimIsanganddancedinconcert-halls, T.G.Murray 216
—formychildwhowascryingforhisbread! MauriceHarte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Von Keller. For Heaven’s sake, hush! someone’s
coming.
TheRussianDrama 221
Magda.Letthemcome!Letthemallcome!Idon’t
care, I don’t care! To their faces I’ll say what LeoTolstoy 223
I think of you, — of you and your respectable ThePowerofDarkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
society. Why should I be worse than you, that I
must prolong my existence among you by a lie! AntonTchekhof 230
Why should this gold upon my body, and the TheSeagull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
lustre which surrounds my name, only increase TheCherryOrchard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
my infamy? Have I not worked early and late for
MaximGorki 239
ten long years? Have I not woven this dress with
ANight’sLodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
sleepless nights? Have I not built career step by
step, like thousands of my kind? Why should I
LeonidAndreyev 245
blush before anyone? I am myself, and through
King-Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
myselfIhavebecomewhatIam.
Magda’sfatherlearnsabouttheaffairimmediatelydemands
that the Councilor marry his daughter, or fight a duel. Magda
resentsthepreposterousidea.VonKellerisindeedgladtooffer
Magdahishandinmarriage:sheissobeautifulandfascinating;
shewillproveagreatassettohisambitions.Buthestipulates
thatshegiveupherprofessionofsinger,andthattheexistence
ofthechildbekeptsecret.HetellsMagdathatlateron,when
theyarehappilymarriedanestablishedintheworld,theywill
bring child to their home and adopt it; but for the present re-
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traitor! But as I look at it, I owe you nothing but thanks, my
friend.
VonKeller.Thisisaviewwhich—
Magda.WhichisveryconvenientforyouButwhy
should I not make it convenient for you manner
inwhichwemet,youhadnoobligationme.Ihad
left my home; I was young and hot-blooded and
careless, and I lived as I saw I gave myself to you
because I loved you. I might perhaps have loved
anyonewhocameinmyway.That—thatseemed
to be all over. And we were so happy, — weren’t
we?…Yes,wewereamerryset;andwhenthefun
hadlastedhalfayear,onedaymylovervanished.
VonKeller.Anunluckychance,Isweartoyou.My
fatherwasill.Ihadtotravel.Iwroteeverythingto
you.
Magda. H’m! I didn’t reproach you. And now
I will tell you why I owe you thanks. I was a
stupid, unsuspecting thing, enjoying freedom
like a runaway monkey. Through you I became a
woman. For whatever I have done in my art, for
whatever I have become in myself, I have you to
thank.Mysoulwaslike—yes,downbelowthere,
there used to be an Eolian harp which was left
moldering because my father could not bear it.
Such a silent harp was my soul; and through you
it was given to the storm. And it sounded almost
to breaking, — the whole scale of passions which
bringuswomentomaturity,—loveandhateand
revenge and ambition, and need, need, need, —
threetimesneed—andthehighest,thestrongest,
theholiestofall,themother’slove!—AllIoweto
you!
59
Magda.I’vepaintedthismeetingtomyselfathou- Foreword
sandtimes,andhavebeenpreparedforitforyears.
Somethingwarnedme,too,whenIundertookthis In order to understand the social and dynamic significance
journey home — though I must say I hardly ex- of modern dramatic art it is necessary, I believe, to ascertain
pectedjusthereto—Yes,howisitthat,afterwhat the difference between the functions of art for art’s sake and
haspassedbetweenus,youcameintothishouse? artasthemirroroflife.
Itseemstomealittle—…Icanseeitall.Theeffort Artforart’ssakepresupposesanattitudeofaloofnessonthe
to keep worthy of respect under such difficulties, part of the artist toward the complex struggle of life: he must
withabadconscience,isawkward.Youlookdown riseabovetheebbandtideoflife.Heistobemerelyanartistic
fromtheheightofyourpureatmosphereonyour conjurerofbeautifulforms,acreatorofpurefancy.
sinfulyouth,—foryouarecalledapillar,mydear Thatisnottheattitudeofmodernart,whichispreeminently
friend. thereflex,themirroroflife.Theartistbeingapartoflifecan-
not detach himself from the events and occurrences that pass
Von Keller. Well, I felt myself called things. I
panorama-likebeforehiseyes,impressingthemselvesuponhis
thought—WhyshouldIundervaluemyposition?
emotionalandintellectualvision.
I have become Councilor, and that comparatively
The modern artist is, in the words of August Strindberg, “a
young. An ordinary ambition might take satis-
lay preacher popularizing the pressing questions of his time.”
faction in that. But one sits and waits at home,
Notnecessarilybecausehisaimistoproselyte,butbecausehe
while others are called to the ministry. And this
canbestexpresshimselfbybeingtruetolife.
environmentconventionality,andnarrowness,all
Millet, Meunier, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, Emerson, Walt
is so gray, — gray! And the ladies here — for one
Whitman, Tolstoy, Ibsen, Strindberg, Hauptmann and a host
who cares at all about elegance — I assure you
of others mirror in their work as much of the spiritual and
something rejoiced within me when I read this
social revolt as is expressed by the most fiery speech of the
morning that you were the famous singer, — you
propagandist. And more important still, they compel far
to whom I was tied by so many dear memories
greaterattention.Theircreativegenius,imbuedwiththespirit
and—
of sincerity and truth, strikes root where the ordinary word
Magda. And then you thought whether it might oftenfallsonbarrensoil.
not be possible with the help of these dear The reason that many radicals as well as conservatives fail
memories to bring a little color into the gray tograspthepowerfulmessageofartisperhapsnotfartoseek.
background? Theaverageradicalisashideboundbymeretermsastheman
Magda.Well,betweenoldfriends— devoid of all ideas. “Bloated plutocrats,” “economic determin-
ism,”“classconsciousness,”andsimilarexpressionssumupfor
VonKeller.Really,arewethat,really?
him the symbols of revolt. But since art speaks a language of
Magda.Certainly,sansrancune.Oh,iffromtheotherstand- itsown,alanguageembracingtheentiregamutofhumanemo-
point,Ishouldhavetorangethewholegamut,—liar,coward,
58 7
tions,itoftensoundsmeaninglesstothosewhosehearinghas notthatherpeoplereallyquestion;insinuate,theyspeakwith
beendulledbythedinofstereotypedphrases. looksandnods;burningcuriositytounearthMagda’slifeisin
Ontheotherhand,theconservativeseesdangeronlyinthe theveryair.
advocacyoftheRedFlag.Hehastoolongbeenfedonthehis-
Schwartze. I implore you — Come here, my child
toric legend that it is only the “rabble” which makes revolu-
—nearer—so—Iimploreyou—letmebehappy
tions, and not those who wield the brush or pen. It is there-
inmydyinghour.Tellmethatyouhaveremained
forelegitimatetoapplaudtheartistandhoundtherabble.Both
pureinbodyandsoul,andthengowithmybless-
radical and conservative have to learn that any mode of cre-
ingonyourway.
ativework,whichwithtrueperceptionportrayssocialwrongs
Magda.Ihaveremained—truetomyself,dearfa-
earnestlyandboldly,maybeagreatermenacetooursocialfab-
ther.
ricandamorepowerfulinspirationthanthewildestharangue
ofthesoapboxorator. Schwartze.How?Ingoodorinill?
Unfortunately, we in America have so far looked upon the
Magda.Inwhat—forme—wasgood.
theaterasaplaceofamusementonly,exclusiveofideasandin-
Schwartze. I love you with my whole heart, be-
spiration.BecausethemoderndramaofEuropehastillrecently
cause I have sorrowed for you — so long. But I
been inaccessible in printed form to the average theater-goer
mustknowwhoyouare.
in this country, he had to content himself with the interpre-
tation, or rather misinterpretation, of our dramatic critics. As AmongthetownspeoplewhocometopayhomagetoMagda
a result the social significance of the Modern Drama has well isCouncilorvonKeller.Inhisstudentdayshebelongedtothe
nighbeenlosttothegeneralpublic. bohemian set and was full of advanced ideas. At that period
As to the native drama, America has so far produced very hemetMagda,young,beautiful,andinexperienced.Aloveaf-
littleworthytobeconsideredinasociallight.Lackingthecul- fair developed. But when Von Keller finished his studies, he
turalandevolutionarytraditionoftheOldWorld,Americahas wenthometothefoldofhisfamily,andforgothissweetheart
necessarily first to prepare the soil out of which sprouts cre- Magda.Induecoursehebecameanimportantpillarofsociety,
ativegenius. averyinfluentialcitizen,admired,respected,andfearedinthe
Thehundredandonespringsoflocalandsectionallifemust community.
have time to furrow their common channel into the seething WhenMagdareturnshome,VonKellercomestopayherhis
sea of life at large, and social questions and problems make respects.Butsheisnolongertheinsignificantlittlegirlhehad
themselves felt, if not crystallized, before the throbbing pulse known;sheisnowacelebrity.Whatpillarofsocietyisaverse
ofthebignationalheartcanfinditsreflexinagreatliterature tobaskingintheglowofcelebrities?VonKelleroffersflowers
— and specifically in the drama — of a social character. This andadmiration.ButMagdadiscoversinhimthemanwhohad
evolutionhasbeengoingoninthiscountryforaconsiderable robbedherofherfaithandtrust,—thefatherofherchild.
time,shapingthewide-spreadunrestthatisnowbeginningto Magda has become purified by her bitter struggle. It made
assumemoreorlessdefinitesocialformandexpression. her finer and bigger. She does not even reproach the man, be-
cause—
8 57
thelifeandstrengthoftheFatherlandabide.Look Therefore, America could not so far produce its own social
at this home! There is no luxury, — hardly even drama.Butinproportionasthecrystallizationprogresses,and
what you call good taste, — faded rugs, birchen sectionalandnationalquestionsbecomeclarifiedasfundamen-
chairs, old pictures; and yet when you see the tally social problems, the drama develops. Indeed, very com-
beamsofthewesternsunpourthroughthewhite mendablebeginningsinthisdirectionhavebeenmadewithin
curtains and lie with such a loving touch on the recent years, among them “The Easiest Way,” by Eugene Wal-
old room, does not something say to you, “Here ter,“KeepingUpAppearances,”andotherplaysbyButlerDav-
dwellstruehappiness”? enport, “Nowadays” and two other volumes of one-act plays,
by George Middleton, — attempts that hold out an encourag-
TheColonelisarigidmilitaryman.Heisutterlyblindtothe ingpromiseforthefuture.
modernconceptionofwoman’splaceinlife.Heruleshisfam-
ily as the Kaiser rules the nation, with severe discipline, with ***
terrorismanddespotism.HechoosesthemanwhomMagdais
tomarry,andwhensherefusestoaccepthischoice,hedrives The Modern Drama, as all modern literature, mirrors the
heroutofthehouse. complexstruggleoflife,—thestrugglewhich,whateveritsin-
AttheageofeighteenMagdagoesoutintotheworldyearn- dividualortopicalexpression,everhasitsrootsinthedepthof
ingfordevelopment;shelongsforartisticexpressionandeco- humannatureandsocialenvironment,andhenceis,tothatex-
nomicindependence.Seventeenyearslatershereturnsto her tent,universal.Suchliterature,suchdrama,isatoncethereflex
nativetown,acelebratedsinger.AsMadelinedell’Ortosheis andtheinspirationofmankindinitseternalseekingforthings
invited to sing at the town’s charity bazaar, and is acclaimed, higherandbetter.Perhapsthosewholearnthegreattruthsof
aftertheperformance,oneofthegreateststarsofthecountry. thesocialtravailintheschooloflife,donotneedthemessage
Magdahasnotforgottenherhome;especiallydoesshelong ofthedrama.Butthereisanotherclasswhosenumberislegion,
to see her father whom she loves passionately, and her sis- for whom that message is indispensable. In countries where
ter, whom she had left a little child of eight. After the concert politicaloppressionaffectsallclasses,thebestintellectualele-
Magda, the renowned artist, steals away from her admirers, menthavemadecommoncausewiththepeople,havebecome
withtheirflowersandpresents,andgoesoutintothedarkness their teachers, comrades, and spokesmen. But in America po-
ofthenighttocatchaglimpse,throughthewindowatleast,of litical pressure has so far affected only the “common” people.
herfatherandherlittlesister. Itistheywhoarethrownintoprison;theywhoarepersecuted
Magda’sfatherisscandalizedathermodeoflife:whatwill and mobbed, tarred and deported. Therefore another medium
peoplesayifthedaughterdistinguishedofficerstopsatahotel, is needed to arouse the intellectuals of this country, to make
a with men without a chaperon, and is wined away from her them realize their relation to the people, to the social unrest
home?Magdaisfinallyprevailedupontoremainwithherpar- permeatingtheatmosphere.
ent consents on condition that they should into her life, that ThemediumwhichhasthepowertodothatistheModern
they should not soil smirch her innermost being. But that is Drama, because it mirrors every phase of life and embraces
expecting the impossible from a provincial environment. It is every strata of society, — the Modern Drama, showing each
56 9
and all caught in the throes of the tremendous changes going “Magda,”and“TheFiresofSt.John.”InthesedramasHermann
on, and forced either to become part of the process or be left Sudermann,whilenotdelvingdeeplyintothecausesoftheso-
behind. cialconflicts,neverthelesstouchesuponmanyvitalsubjects.
Ibsen, Strindberg, Hauptmann, Tolstoy, Shaw, Galsworthy In“Honor”theauthordemolishesthesuperficial,sentimen-
and the other dramatists contained in this volume represent tal conception of “honor” that is a purely external manifesta-
thesocialiconoclastsofourtime.Theyknowthatsocietyhas tion, having no roots in the life, the habits, or the customs of
gonebeyondthestageofpatchingup,andthatmanmustthrow thepeople.Heexposesthestupidityofthenotionthatbecause
offthedeadweightofthepast,withallitsghostsandspooks, amanlooksaskanceatyou,orfailstopayrespecttoyouruni-
ifheistogofootfreetomeetthefuture. form, you must challenge him to a duel and shoot him dead.
This is the social significance which differentiates modern InthisplaySudermannshowsthattheconceptionofhonoris
dramatic art from art for art’s sake. It is the dynamite which nothing fixed or permanent, but that it varies with economic
underminessuperstition,shakesthesocialpillars,andprepares andsocialstatus,differentraces,peoplesandtimesholdingdif-
menandwomenforthereconstruction. ferentideas of it. Smith “Honor” Sudermann succeeded in un-
dermining to a considerable extent the stupid and ridiculous
notionoftheGermansruledbytherodandtheKaiser’scoat.
But I particularly wish to consider “Magda,” because, of all
theplayswrittenbyHermannSudermann,itisthemostrevolu-
tionaryandtheleastnational.Itdealswithauniversalsubject,
— the awakening of woman. It is revolutionary, not because
Sudermannwasthefirsttotreatthissubject,forIbsenhadpre-
cededhim,butbecausein“Magda”hewasthefirsttoraisethe
questionofwoman’srighttomotherhoodwithorwithoutthe
sanctionofStateandChurch.
Magda
LieutenantColonelSchwartze,Magda’sfather,representsall
theconventionalandconservativenotionsofsociety.
Schwartze. Modern ideas! Oh, pshaw! I know
them. But come into the quiet homes where are
bred brave soldiers and virtuous wives. There
you’ll hear no talk about heredity, no arguments
about individuality, no scandalous gossip. There
modernideashavenofoothold,foritistherethat
10 55