Vol. 4 No. 1 (2023): Special Dossier - An-archy and anarchisms (jan/jun 2023)
Papers

Between angels and men: the perspective of history of ideas in The man without qualities, by Robert Musil

Victor Hermann
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
Bio

Published 2023-07-20

Keywords

  • Robert Musil,
  • The Man Without Qualities,
  • History of Ideas,
  • Modernist Literature,
  • Irony

How to Cite

Between angels and men: the perspective of history of ideas in The man without qualities, by Robert Musil. (Des)troços: revista de pensamento radical, Belo Horizonte, v. 4, n. 1, p. e45932, 2023. DOI: 10.53981/destroos.v4i1.45932. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/revistadestrocos/article/view/45932. Acesso em: 18 dec. 2024.

Abstract

In this article, we investigate the opposition between world history and the history of ideas in the modern novel "The Man Without Qualities" by Robert Musil, an iconic work from the early 20th century that addresses the fragmentation of modern human experience and the disintegration of European society. We examine how the sense of possibility affects the development of a "potential" plot, the emphasis on "unimportant" events, the use of irony as a narrative tactic, and ultimately, the comparison between angelic and human perspectives on history. By exploring these aspects, our study aims to broaden the understanding of innovative approaches in modern literature when dealing with complex issues related to history and catastrophe, highlighting the relevance of analyzing the history of ideas in contrast to world history.

References

  1. ANTER, Andreas. The Occasionalist Society in Robert Musil’s Novel. Eurostudia, v. 9, n. 1, CCEAE, pp.1-11, 2014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1026716ar
  2. BENJAMIN, Walter. O narrador: considerações sobre a obra de Nikolai Leskov. In: BENJAMIN, Walter. Magia e técnica, arte e política: ensaios sobre literatura e história da cultura. Trad. Sérgio Paulo Rouanet. São Paulo: Brasiliense, pp. 197-221, 1994.
  3. BERARDI, Franco ‘Bifo’. Heroes: Mass Murderer and Suicide. Londres: Verso Books, 2016. Edição Kindle.
  4. BLANCHOT, Maurice. O Livro por Vir. Trad. Leyla Perrone-Moisés. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2005.
  5. BOLTANSKI, Luc. Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels and the Making of Modern Societies. Cambridge: Polity Edition, 2014. Edição Kindle.
  6. CASTRO, Érica G. Sobre o ensaísmo de Robert Musil. Pandaemonium Germanicum, n. 17, pp. 103-117, 2017.
  7. CHRISTIE, Agatha. Cai o Pano. Trad. Clarice Lispector. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, 2009.
  8. DUNKER, Christian Ingo Lenz. Uma biografia da depressão. São Paulo: Planeta, 2021.
  9. GRILL, Genese. The World as metaphor in Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities: possibility as reality. Rochester: Camden House, 2012.
  10. JOHNSTON, William. The Austrian mind: an intellectual and social history, 1848-1938. Los Angeles: University of California, 1972. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520341159
  11. LATOUR, Bruno. Reagregando o Social: Uma Introdução à Teoria do Ator-Rede. Trad. Gilson César Cardoso de Sousa. Salvador: EdUFBA, 2012.
  12. MEHIGAN, Timothy. The Critical Response to Musil's The Man Without Qualities. Nova York: Camden House, 2003.
  13. MUSIL, Robert. Five Women. Nova Iorque: First Verba Mundi, 1999.
  14. MUSIL, Robert. O homem sem qualidades. Trad. Lya Luft e Carlos Abbenseth. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, 2018. Edição Kindle.
  15. MUSIL, Robert. Precision and Soul: Essays and Addresses. Chicago: Chicago University, 1990.
  16. PAYNE, Philip. Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities: a critical study. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2009.
  17. ROSENFIELD, Kathrin. Musil’s idea of poetic mastership and responsibility or: Törless as his first attempt to become a serious writer. Pandaemonium Germanicum, v. 15, n. 19, pp.17-48, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1982-88372012000100003
  18. SCHORSKE, Carl E. Fin-de-Siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture. Nova York: Vintage Books, 1980.
  19. SEBASTIAN, Thomas. The Intersection of Science and Literature in Robert Musil's The Man without Qualities. Nova York: Camden House, 2005.
  20. VIRILIO, Paul. The Unknown Quantity. Paris: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, 2003.