| In the Weimar Republic, German novels for young people had become more attuned to social and economic conditions. By locating and describing cultural influences on authors of young people's novels, one gains insights into the Weimar period. Three social contexts prevail: The "gang" or "clique" in the city, the boarding school in a rural setting and two companions in Berlin. Each novel projects an alternative model of social organization, a "better reality." While many novels constructed a separate society of youth according to traditional ideals, some confronted political and economic issues affecting youth at that time.;In Emil und die Detektive, Erich Kastner portrays model youths who act with bureaucratic rationality. Carl Aloys Schenzinger contributes to Nazi mythology with the novel Der Hitlerjunge Quex. Wolf Durian's Kai aus der Kiste, and Wilhelm Matthiesen's Das Rote U formulate a more "metaphysical" understanding of the world: Children band together into a holistic community based on ritual, mysterious authority and a sense of mission. Unquestioned belief precludes a critical, self-reflective moment. Ultimately, conflicts escalate to a near warlike attitude of children versus adults.;The boarding school defines a realm in which young people demonstrate ideal alternatives to an imperfect modern society. Kastner's Das fliegende Klassenzimmer, Wilhelm Speyer's Der Kampf der Tertia with its sequel Die goldene Horde, and Erich Ebermayer's Der Kampf um Odilienberg emerge from the personal experiences of the authors. These texts also convey a metaphysical view of the world, enhanced by the libidinous energies that bind a close-knit group of classmates. Moreover, the holism and eroticism in these books heighten the urgency of struggle, glorifying a warrior mentality.;Set in the urban environment of Berlin, Kastner's Punktchen und Anton, Alex Wedding's Ede und Unku and Lisa Tetzner's Erwin und Paul relate the plight of poor, working-class youths who find ways to deal with their poverty. Friendship acquires political significance, cultivating solidarity and critical perspectives. Within the exigencies of economic systems, friendship offers bonds of communication and understanding, through which young people contend against bureaucratic rationalization, and society's brutal indifference to their lives. |
