Critical Theory Essay

“Ideas” Reflection of History

Evelyn Williams

Critical Theory

Leslie Jewkes

English 201-002W

April 22, 2013

Abstract

The essay focuses on the story “Ideas” by Patricio Pron with the literary theory of Historicism. The story closely relates to the post-war society of a small town in East Germany before the unification in 1991. The elements drawn forth in the story are the economy, the society and the government. The economy after the war lacked in resources and hard labor came by working in farms. With the society, how the people were treated and how they adjusted to the times in order to survive. The views of the government were shown in the story how little they thought of them. The story “Ideas” presented when a boy named Peter became similar to the Pied Piper of Hamelin but with a different ending.

Published in 2009 and translated from Spanish by Mara Faye Lethen, Patricio Pron’s short story “Ideas” was writing in the time before Germany unified in 1990. The characters of the story are between the narrator and Peter Mӧhlendorf, who similarly relates to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Set in East Germany in a small village, the story follows the events that tell of Peter’s involvement and the living conditions during that time. Peter became the Pied Piper that leads the children from the village where no parents are able to find them. This brings about the fear and hopelessness of losing the children. Tied similarly to Pied Piper, the story “Ideas” opens up the fear and confusion the events brings much like after the post-war.

The narrator of the story starts with an introduction to the stories antagonist, Peter with “little Peter Mӧhlendorf, who everyone called der schwarze Peter, ‘black Peter” (Pron p.316). There is no explanation to why Peter is given this name but as the story progresses the reader begins to understand the reason. The next sentence shows an insight hold the village’s main resource by stating in the story, “East German town of Magdeburn who main economic activity is farming — asparagus, mostly” (Pron p.316) The post-war of Germany, the nation was split up and separate nations took them over. The economic industry was fallen that left little choice to the people living there to seek work in farmlands. When comparing the heavy labor and the disappearing children gives the adults a harsh reality. As the Piper, Peter brings along the children with him away from such reality.

“The authorities of the so-called Democratic Republic of Germany”(Pron p.317) is a criticism on the government and told how the people of this time felt about it. Nazi’s and other offenders mainly left unpunished continued to roam freely after the war. As part of the rural areas, it is stated “in the forest, which was the only place that held any potential for danger in or near the town” when the villagers search for Peter after he disappeared. They doubted any accident within the town with the belief that it is impossible. This belief shows the townspeople believe no one in the town can cause an act of violence. The thought that goes through each mind of the parents are of their children. Their worries grown and make up an idea that Peter “gotten lost in the woods” as a way of coping with their worries. With the idea of theirs, they focus on it like a lifeline.

Peter is by himself with many of the parents and the police searching for him though none are able to find him. The ways they searched are not sufficient in their worry and when they bring in the police, the search is still unhelpful. When Peter’s mother comes, she tells them “she had seen Peter crouched on the hill behind their yard” (Pron p.318). The way Peter runs tells that he does not want to be caught but it shows that it is not as if he does not want to be found. The idea that he is alive gives the parents relief that he is not hurt but it confounds them. As the narrator describes “a reflection or prolongation” (Pron p.319). There is nothing to suggest a reason for his actions. No solid conclusion of what Peter’s thoughts may be. The parents are left without knowing why Peter isn’t returning home or why he evades them.

The first scare from Peter’s disappearance fades only to bring another scare tied in with confusion. Two children disappeared with Peter then others begin to follow him. Like the Pied Piper calling children, Peter “gained influence over the other children in the town and was dragging them along with him” (Pron p.319). Perhaps the children saw something in Peter that pulled them towards him. Not knowing how, the parents begin to drag their children inside, locking them up as a way of relieving their fears. However, “the children always managed to get out anyway” (Pron p.319) despite their tries. The fears grow on the minds of the parents yet none of the children showed such fear. Whether they were curious or elevated by Peter did not show but instead only the actions of the parents were. When a strong or an ideal leader rises, those beneath them cannot help but drawn to him.

When people became too used to misfortunate events they start to accept it and treat it as an everyday life. “This parenthesis seemed to offer a new normality comprised of disappearances that, in their proliferation, we feared would eventually make us indifferent to them” (Pron p.320). The post war events in East Germany caused misfortune and in the end, the people lived a life of hard labor. By not adapting people would break under pressure and fast changes but it may look as though they don’t care. The parent’s in “Ideas” adapted to their fears by accepting their children’s disappearances. “All kids, imaginary or not, were just an idea of their parents and, like ideas, could be forgotten or set aside when another better idea arrived” (Pron p.320). Sometimes, cold or not, it is a way to survive.

None found the children or caught them. The townspeople gave up and treated it as “a substantial and incomprehensible part of life in the so-called Democratic Republic of Germany” (Pron p.321). The Democratic Republic of Germany sought making a Five Year Plan that failed the first time but they still tried again. Have the farms grow high quality crops, have more labor and ways of making East Germany a better country after the post-war. Other than trying to live, the best way they could the people of East Germany did not accept or refute the government’s plan. Perhaps they were tired with the hard labor or they did not care anymore and yet some complained about such life despite not changing it themselves.

The changes inflicted on a once whole country that was split, people reacted about it their own way. Some tried to get involved in the government, some ignored it and some just tried to live the best way they were able. Years after the change in the country, many became used to it but the disappearances of the children cause yet another conflict. The townspeople wrought with fear for their newly accustomed life they sought ways to keep it from falling apart. When it was too much they accepted it with indifference just like they did before. At last at the end of the “Ideas” short story, Peter and the children come back like nothing ever happened. Instead of celebrating their return, the people of the town continued like nothing happened as well.

Works Cited

Ashliman, Professor D.L. The Pied Piper of Hameln. 19 March 2013. 9 April 2013 <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/hameln.html>.

Congress, Library of. A Country Study: Germany, East (Former). 27 July 2010. 9 April 2013 <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/gxtoc.html>.

Facts About Germany. The two German states. April 2013. 9 April 2013 <http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/history/main-content-03/1949-1990-the-two-german-states.html>.

German Culture. The Birth of the German Democratic Republic. 2012. 9 April 2013 <http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/history/bl_gdr.htm>.

Libros Deespana. Patricio Pron. 2012. 9 April 2013 <http://www.newspanishbooks.com/author/patricio-pron>.

Pron, Patricio. "Ideas." Eggers, Dave and David Sedaris. The Best American Nonrequired Reading. Bostan: Mariner, 2010. 484.