MERGING WITH THE FATHER FIGURE IN THOMAS MANN’S LOTTE IN WEIMAR
MERGING WITH THE FATHER FIGURE IN THOMAS MANN’S LOTTE IN WEIMAR

Summary/Abstract: In “Lotte in Weimar”, the process of following in the footsteps of a paternal figure, which Thomas Mann describes as a form of identification and mythical repetition, plays a central role. The father, in this context, is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who appears in a dual role: in relation to his biological son, August, and as a human and artistic model (surrogate paternal figure) for Thomas Mann. In both situations, admiring identification is combined with rebellion. However, while in the case of August the identification with the father leads to the annihilation of the son’s personality, in Thomas Mann's case the imitation of Goethe takes the form of a complex and refined literary game, in which identification does not exclude difference. The way in which Thomas Mann relates to Goethe is also relevant to the way in which he relates to the literary tradition in general. It has been said that the partially critical approach in “Lotte in Weimar” is compatible with Harold Bloom's theory of the anxiety of influence developed in later years.

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