{"id":213,"date":"2016-04-17T15:31:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T19:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/theater-1504-spring-2016\/?p=213"},"modified":"2016-04-17T15:31:12","modified_gmt":"2016-04-17T19:31:12","slug":"woyzeck-part-ii-modern-implications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/theater-1504-spring-2016\/urban-education\/woyzeck-part-ii-modern-implications\/","title":{"rendered":"Woyzeck Part II: Modern Implications"},"content":{"rendered":"

Georg B\u00fcchner\u2019s illustrious play, Woyzeck,<\/em> articulates B\u00fcchner\u2019s views on human existence\/psychology, the notion of religious faith, as well as the future of mankind following the revolutions of the late nineteenth century. Although B\u00fcchner died at the young age of 23, he lived during a tumultuous time period in a European continent that was experiencing radical changes in human philosophy and class structure. B\u00fcchner studied the central nervous system of barbel fish, and came to the conclusion that not everything could be determined through observation, and that pure progression does not necessarily define human nature. He wrote Woyzeck <\/em>at a provocative time: governing systems throughout the Western world feared the sweeping fervor of the Age of Revolution, and humans were experiencing intense suffering in the context of war. Indeed, Woyzeck <\/em>represents a confirmation of Georg Hegel\u2019s notion that the world operates in a series of cyclical theses, and the prospect of a proletarian revolution constituted a major turnover. Woyzeck, <\/em>in addition, contains elements of Karl Marx\u2019s theory of human motivation: Franz Woyzeck was easily manipulated by financial incentives, despite the fact that the Doctor\u2019s experiments resulted in Woyzeck\u2019s prolonged mental suffering and hallucinations.<\/p>\n

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Woyzeck <\/em>poses a naturalistic interpretation of Darwin\u2019s theory of evolution (though B\u00fcchner in fact wrote before Darwin). B\u00fcchner compares the classes of human society to naturalistic animals. In particular, Franz Woyzeck\u2019s position as a soldier is likened to a monkey: \u201cThe monkey is already a soldier \u2013 that\u2019s not much, it\u2019s the lowest level of the human race!\u201d (B\u00fcchner\u2019s Major Works 139). In so doing, B\u00fcchner articulates an ironic take on progress: the carnival barker claims that everything progresses, yet the monkey is already Franz\u2019s equivalent. The lower class is also compared to rabbits and other frequently hunted animals. B\u00fcchner seems to be commenting on the debilitating position of the lower class in contemporary society. Whereas the lower class is equated to impulsive primates and game animals, the upper class is depicted as a magnificent horse. Despite the anatomical difference, the horse still succumbs to its natural instincts. This exchange poses the question of controlling our natural instincts (Freud\u2019s id).<\/p>\n

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Woyzeck <\/em>also grapples with the role of religion in contemporary human culture. Marie and Woyzeck make frequent references to biblical passages, with Marie often asking for God\u2019s forgiveness and Woyzeck citing passages that reference the apocalypse. My interpretation of the play presents Franz Woyzeck as a Christ figure: he is inherently good, but endures incessant, undeserved suffering. Unfortunately, his suffering leads to mental anguish and the eventual murder of Marie, indicating a possible renunciation of faith. This concept may speak to B\u00fcchner\u2019s general pessimism towards humanity given the historical context in which he wrote. This reminds me of Beckett\u2019s portrayal of faith\/humanity in Waiting for Godot. <\/em><\/p>\n

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Bill Kovarik describes how the mechanization of human intellect in the form of computers presented various problems and fears to the human populace. Just as the industrial revolution featured the mechanization of labor in manufacturing units, the advent of the computer mechanized intellect. Early advocates of computing, including Franklin Roosevelt\u2019s science advisor Vannevar Bush, linked computing to democracy: he sought to utilize computers in such a way as to extend human wisdom and raise the standards of living for the lower class. According to Bush, \u201cin a free country, in a democracy, this [path taken] is the path that public opinion wishes to have pursued, whether it leads to new cures for man\u2019s ills, or new sources of a raised standard of living\u201d (Kovarik 276). Some dissidents to this mindset asserted that reliance on computers would result in a totalitarian future of mankind, and computers may even come to replace human intellect. Novels and popular media such as George Orwell\u2019s 1984 <\/em>depicted computers as destructive and as a potential source of human nature\u2019s decline. Perhaps one can draw a connection between the rapid growth of computing technology and Woyzeck. <\/em>The proliferation of industrial and computing technologies led to the emergence of an oppressive bourgeoisie and a working-class proletariat. Proletarian workers such as Franz Woyzeck suffered intensely under an unjust social structure, and may have been driven to desperation via financial incentives.<\/p>\n

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In Laura Ginters\u2019s essay, she seeks to outline modern renditions of Woyzeck, <\/em>as well as their implications for society today. Ginters states that Woyzeck <\/em>is frequently performed around the world today, due to the fact that the protagonist of the play is an oppressed, disenfranchised member of the lowest sector of society (Ginters 241). The play\u2019s themes can certainly be applied to the plight of modern oppressed groups, such as African-Americans or immigrants. Whereas some renditions feature visually stimulating art design, others are more austere in their use of spectacle. It seems as though the play can be flexibly adapted to modern stages. Ginters describes recreations of Woyzeck <\/em>that center on Marie, present Woyzeck as a tragic hero, and depict Marie and Woyzeck as African-American. The mere fact that modern directors are adapting the play speaks to Woyzeck\u2019s <\/em>social media capabilities.<\/p>\n

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In terms of drawing parallels in Woyzeck <\/em>to situations today, I can envision presenting the protagonists as members of an oppressed group. African-Americans, for example, suffer from institutionalized racism, as well as a social structure that may, in some circumstances, view them as inferior. I would specifically highlight the exchange between Woyzeck and the captain in B\u00fcchner\u2019s original play in a modern rendition:<\/p>\n

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Woyzeck: \u201cJust try to raise your own kind on morality in this world. After all, we\u2019re flesh and blood. The likes of us are wretched in this world and in the next\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain: \u201cWoyzeck, you have no virtue, you\u2019re not a virtuous person. Flesh and blood?\u201d<\/p>\n

(B\u00fcchner\u2019s Major Works 142).<\/p>\n

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Woyzeck is stating that the present class hierarchy has no sense of morality: the poorer members of society are just as \u2018human\u2019 as the wealthy class, yet they are persecuted. The captain counters by telling Woyzeck that he is not virtuous because he is not wealthy. I relate this notion to the struggle of movements aimed at obtaining rights for African-Americans, such as the \u201cBlack Lives Matter\u2019 movement.<\/p>\n

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Image: http:\/\/stmedia.startribune.com\/images\/ows_144002532180502.jpg<\/p>\n

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Questions:<\/p>\n