Sprachkunst Jahrgang XLI/2010/2. Halbband, pp. 193-202, 2012/07/18
Beiträge zur Literaturwissenschaft
Thomas Mann’s narrative ›Herr und Hund‹ explores a remarkable relationship between man and animal. Author and first-person narrator fuse in this unusual piece of autobiographical writing that excludes any references to World War I as well as to family, friend, and foe. The dog and his master stride through the narrative, charming the reader with their adventures and what is their view of the world. Despite initial misgivings, the somewhat snobbish intellectual gets along very well with the mongrel. Together they go for long walks through unbridled nature in the rural surroundings of Munich. The essay focusses on two binary oppositions, of aristocrat and commoner, nature and culture.
