The impenetrability of life

An indication of the Morals of Heinrich von Kleists The quake in Chile Akin to al al to the highest degree writers of the Romantic Movement, Heinrich von Kleist eschewed the Enlightenments belief in debate, science and progress. He believed that living was too complex for it to be interpreted by origin and science. The impenetrability of life, particularly com/literary-analysis-skills-lesson-structure/human temperament, is the central theme of Von Kleists short point The Earthquake in Chile (1807). Set in the wake of a fictitious earthquake in Chile, the short story reveals how man-made norms spring up to be useless in moments of disaster.Thus, it is only in times of crisis that the align nature of individuals and or institutions is bared (Allan, 108). The earthquake is traditionally use as a metaphor for massive social upheaval. The manner in which it inflicts terms from the bottom, destroying the foundations of edifices renders it a suitable allegory of public cataclys m. Reactionary priests interpreted the capital of Portugal earthquake of 1755 as a penalisation for the suppose sins of its populace.The French philosopher Voltaire wrote in his novella Candide (1759) that the Roman Catholic Church used the said mischance as an excuse to burn more alleged heretics at the back (The Internationalist, n. pag. ). The Scottish historian, essayist and satirist Thomas Carlyle referred to the French Revolution as (an) earthquake of Insurrection (Carlyle, 409). In The Earthquake in Chile, an earthquake temporarily halted the implacable operation of social, civil, moral and ecclesiastical law over social club (Fenves, 313).Subsequent events exposed the futility of searching for assurance in life through faith on loosely-argued metaphysical biases such as morals (Allan, 108). In the mount of the short story, morals are detrimental to human society and relationships. It only when results in prejudices that allow the powerful to subjugate the weak. From the outset, it is already clear to the contributor that patriarchal structures of dictum simplicity Santiago. Power lies primarily in the hands of the viceroy, the Archbishop and the paterfamilias.In addition, women are perceived as valued sexual possessions and individuals whose intellect and ethical motive must be dictated by men. But, ironically, it is women who are expected to control the sexual ardor of men (Allan, 109). Under the guise of morality, women are supposed to exhibit behavior that will protect her from unwanted sexual advances from men. If a woman is subjected to inappropriate sexual conduct by a man, it is believed to be her fault she is a loose woman who does non deserve con placementr from men.When, for instance, Don Asteron discovered that Jeronimo is having an illicit affair with his daughter, Josephe, he sternly warned her sooner of Jeronimo to end the relationship. And when Don Asteron later found out through Josephes brother that she and Jeronimo con tinued their liaison, he had her banished to a convent. Josephes new spiritual father, the Archbishop, proved to be more unforgiving he insisted that she be ramble to trial and condemned to death after she gave birth during the religious procession.Both Don Asteron and the mother superior strongly opposed the death sentence, to no avail (Allan, 110). The decision to metamorphose Josephes sentence from burning at the stake to beheading resulted in indignation (from) the matrons and maidens of Santiago (Von Kleist, 175). Because they committed themselves to the patriarchal values of feminine honor and impeccable chastity, they believed that no punishment could be too severe for a woman like her. Furthermore, a gory execution for Josephe would allow them to revel in the illusory sense of their own moral superiority.Her burning at the stake would affirm their belief that they were good women and she was an indecent woman (Allan, 111). The earthquake, however, transform Santiago int o an entirely different society. The catastrophe destroyed the bastions of patriarchal authority the cathedral, the Viceroys palace, the court, the house of Josephes father and the prison. As a result, the bulk finally learned to work side by side in order to survive. Differences in social class, gender and religion were do by to attain the common goal of survivalAnd, indeed, in the midst of these painful moments, in which all the earthly goods of man were destroyed and all of nature was threatened with burial, the human spirit seemed to open out like a beautiful flower. In the fields, as far as the eye could reach, people of all ranks could be seen mingled together, princes and beggars, matrons and peasant women, bureaucrats and laborers, monks and nuns. They sympathized with one some other, assisted one another and cheerfully shared whatever they had been able to save to keep themselves alive, as if the universal tragedy had made a single family of all who had take flight i t.(180) For Jeronimo, Josephe and their son Philipp, help came in the form of Don Fernando and his wife Dona Elvira. by and by Josephe agreed to Don Fernandos request that she be the wet moderate of his son Juan (Dona Elvira was badly injured in the earthquake), he welcomed her, Jeronimo and Philipp into his family. Don Fernando and Dona Elvira toughened them well despite their background Don Fernando was very grateful for this kindliness (Josephes consent to become Juans wet nurse) and asked whether they did not handle to accompany him to that group of people who were just preparing a small breakfast by the fire.Josephe replied that she would accept that invitation with pleasure, and, since Jeronimo had no objection either, she followed Don Fernando to his family and was received most heartily and tenderly by his two sisters-in-law, whom she knew to be very goodly young ladies. (179) Dona Elvira, to whose wounds Josephe was busily attending, had at one point just when these stories were arriving most quickly, each interrupting the other taken the opportunity to ask her how she had fared on that horrible day. And when, withanguished heart, Josephe recounted some of the main features of her story, she was delighted to see tears well up in that ladys eyes Dona Elvira seized her hand and squeezed it and gestured her to be silent. (180) Unfortunately, the recess of the town retained its bigotry. In the afternoon of the earthquake, a service was held at Santiagos remaining cathedral. The sermon of the officiating priest likened the calamity to Gods annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah. The earthquake, according to him, was Gods punishment to Santiago for Jeronimo and Josephes sinHe castigated it (the city) for abominations such as Sodom and Gomorrah had not known, and ascribed it only to Gods infinite forbearance that Santiago had not been totally obliterated from the face of the earthhedigressed, with copious imprecations, to mean the two sinners themselv es by name and to consign their souls to all the princes in hell. (183-184) The impudent rhetoric of the sermon, along with emotional intensity generated by the devastating cause of the earthquake, resulted in violence. When a member of the congregation recognized Josephe in the service, an dotty mob went after her and her companions.When the crowd dispersed, Jeronimo, Josephe, Juan and Dona Constancia (Don Fernandos sister-in-law) lay dead. The Earthquake in Chile was Von Kleists explanation for his disbelief in the ability of science, reason and progress to influence life and humanity. He believed that science, reason and progress governed life and humanity through morals that were in favor of the powerful. The powerful, in turn, used these morals to exploit the weak and the helpless. Thus, when the powerful loses their ability to subjugate, they resort to mephistophelean means to regain this capability. In doing so, their real nature is exposed.Works Cited Allan, Sean. The St ories of Heinrich von Kleist Fictions of Security. New York Boydell & ampere Brewer, 2001. Carlyle, Thomas. The French Revolution A History. New York Modern Library, 2002. Fenves, Peter David. cop Language From Leibniz to Benjamin. Palo Alto Stanford University Press, 2001. Lisbon, 1755 The Earth Shook. January 2005. The Internationalist. 17 September 2008. <http//www. internationalist. org/lisbon1755. html>. Von Kleist, Heinrich. The Earthquake in Chile. Great German Short Stories. Ed. Evan Bates. New York Courier capital of Delaware Publications, 2003.