Morality and Society in J.M.R. Lenz’s dramas and their resonance in the works of G. Büchner and B. Brecht

This dissertation examines a set of core ideas that have been important in shaping modern drama since the eighteenth century. It does this by examining the pioneering work of Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (1751–92) and tracing a line to Georg Büchner (1813–37) and Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956). It focuses on themes of morality and society that reappear in dramatic works of all three authors, and particularly, their use and analysis of realistic writing styles on stage for a radical, social purpose. Chapter One examines Lenz’s explanation of morality in theoretical writings and his dramaturgical views on the imitation of nature. Lenz’s plays primarily develop the idea that individual freedom is the key to moral development but is hindered by social constraints. In the first chapter these ideas are explored through the relationships of Lenz’s “comedy” The Tutor (1774) – teachers and students, lovers, and family members. In Chapter Two this is expanded on through the moral realities of the differing classes in The Soldiers (1776) and the example of the protagonist, Marie Wesener’s, singular autonomous action. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Lenz’s solutions to the social issues of the play in the treatise “On the Marriage of Soldiers” (1776). Chapter Three examines Büchner’s use of Lenz’s writings, particularly in the narrative fragment Lenz and in his play Woyzeck (1836), which draws from The Soldiers. Büchner’s post-revolutionary approach reveals the misplaced acceptance of the class structure as a whole in Lenz’s attempts at suggesting reform. The final chapter explores Brecht’s theoretical writing on the “realistic style” found through the history of German drama and his adaptation of The Tutor (1950) to show how his views on society and the stage further challenge Lenz’s social and moral ideas, while concurrently highlighting some of Lenz’s triumphs. In conclusion, Lenz’s realistic style was taken up by his successors but, it maintains unique value in itself, especially in his depiction of and commentary on individuality. Indeed, the recognition of his contribution adds to a more nuanced discussion of social reform than the later authors maintain on their own.

Department dc:contributor.department

Germanic Languages and Literatures

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Curran, Veronica Rose

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Noyes, John K

• Bertolt Brecht
• Georg Büchner
• J.M.R. Lenz
• moral thought
• realist theatre
• social reform

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/140271

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/140271