I think it's difficult to tell whether "he (Oberstein) could have been much
more had things been different". In fact, this argument can apply to other
characters in the LoGH as well, with the single exception in the case of Kaiser
Reinhard. So Oberstein is not the only unfortunate man. If things had been
different, Reuental might have become the prime minister of the Reich of the
Goldenbaums, though he would not have dare create his own dynasty, as he
reveals to the his last mistress. Instead of doing the disgust job of killing
fellow human beings on the battlefields, Yang might have become a historian,
as he has dreamt of. As "heroes", they have to shine brilliantly like stars.
However, they cannot be too brilliant, because Reinhard is the hero among all
heroes; otherwise the whole plotting is destroyed is destroyed. Instead they
must shine for him, and him alone.
It is true that everyone seems so upset when they hear that Oberstein is
injured but not killed in the bombing in Book VIII. This feeling is unders
understandable. For most generals, it is just an extension of the cold
relation between them and Oberstein. Every general knows well that Oberstein
always regards them as "reserves for the `rebel army'", (which does not exist
up to that moment,) to borrow Mittermeyer's words. A further extension of this
feeling is the catalyst for Reuental's "rebellion" in Book IX. For those who
used to work under Siegfried Kircheis, the cold relation is replaced by the
more dangerous fire of hatred. They always regard Oberstein as the one to
blame for Kircheis' death. Usually they tend to hide the hatred, as do Wahlen
when he visits Oberstein and Lutz after that bombing. But sometimes they let
this fire burns furiously. Bergengruen, the chief assistant of Reuental, does
this at least twice: the first time after the arrest of Reuental for his last
mistress (Book VII), the second time just before his suicide after the failure
of Reuental's "rebellion" (Book IX).
Recently, a new idea concerning the LoGH comes to me. It is in the form of the
following question: "Was the LoGH written in the Wagnerian spirit?". I want
to answer "Yes, though it was done unconsciously, i.e. Mr. Tanaka did not
notice this even he had done it." Up to yesterday, I could offer only two
pieces of "superficial" evidence, that the LoGH finishes in the tone of a
Wagnerian tragedy (I mentioned it before), and that like "The Ring of the
Nibelungs" ("Der Ring des Nibelungen"), the LoGH is a story concerning power
and love, ending with love triumphant over (worldly) power, has enormous
length, and is a series of sub-stories (I think every book in the LoGH is a
self-contained story.). This morning another clue seems to appear to me. It is
the extensive use of symbols representing the characters and ideas in the LoGH,
just like the Leitmotif (leading motives) in the music of Wagner's music
dramas representing various characters and elements. Those who have read the
novel must have noticed that Mr. Tanaka tende to use phrases like "the red-
haird young man", "the noblest lady in the univers, with the same golden hair
as his (Reinhard's), instead of names, to express who he was referring to. (In
the above examples, they are Siegfried Kircheis and Annerose respectively.)
These phrases represent not only characters but also features, incidents, ideas,
etc.. In the case of Kircheis, the redness of his hair represents also blood,
that of his own shed on Geiersburg, and that of the people of Westerland, etc..
In the case of Annerose, her beauty, including her golden hair of course,
is the extension of the noble element in Reinhard. So whenever these symbols
are mentioned, the people and the things they represent appear as well. The
effect is just like the Leitmotif in Wagner's music dramas. I would like to
hear the comments from anyone, especially if he/she knows Mr. Tanaka, or he/she
(I mean he/she knows Mr. Tanaka in person), or he/she studies literature or
arts, or he/she is a Wagnerite like me.
Reinhard-Siegfried
p.s.: Miss Brown, you can call me Reinhard-Siegfried. Forget the "irrational"
"number" name in the e-mail adress.