Chapter IV
A Comparison of Futon and Einsame Menschen
In undertaking this comparison I will not seek to establish parallels between Futon and Einsame Menschen, but I will compare the works of these two writers according to their common elements, namely, the themes that the authors intended to develop in their stories, and the characters, who are the vehicles for development of these themes, together with techniques that unite their themes and characters in a synthesized relationship to form complete stories. In doing so, I can discuss profitably what Katai learned from Hauptmann's Einsame Menschen and discover to what extent Katai applied this new knowledge when he was writing Futon. Following out my plan I shall take the first step toward ascertaining Hauptmann's theme for Einsame Menschen, then compare and evaluate how Katai adopted Hauptmann's prevailing theme in Futon.
1. A Comparison of Themes
Johannes Vockerat, the protagonist of Einsame Menschen, is studying to be a theologian, when a trend to the modern scientific era of Darwin and Haeckel's theories forcibly attracts his attention. Johannes forsakes theology and becomes a philosopher of the psycho-physiological school. His parents, who are wealthy farmers, grieve at their son's change in his religious beliefs. Their domestic tragedy centers around a parents-and-son relationship that derives from their different religious faiths. In the following passage between Johannes and his mother, Hauptmann presents the confrontation of traditional value with modern scientific skepticism through his observation of the religious views of Johannes and his mother.
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