Hausfairy tales

Author: Hauff
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-05-01
Features: The main content of Tales of Hauff is set in Germany during Hauff's time, where feudal relationships still held dominance, but capitalist factors had begun to grow. In capitalist society, money ruled everything. Having money meant having status, power, and honor, leading to rampant greed in society. People would go to any lengths to make money, committing the most despicable acts. Stories like The Boy Who Cut Off His Hand, The Strange Ship, and The Cold Heart vividly depict such ugliness. Additionally, some tales reveal the vulgarity, mediocrity, and hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie—Lapoucette, unwilling to be content with his simple labor and humble life, even becomes a trickster out of vanity (The False Prince). The young man Alexander only envies the bishop's wealth because he believes money can fulfill his private desires—eating, drinking, and having a good time—before ultimately accepting the bishop's generosity and becoming his sycophant (Alexander the Bishop and His Servant). But the satire is especially sharp in The Young Englishman. Here, Hauff tears off the oriental facade and bluntly states that it reflects the reality of Germany at the time, using a sharp and incisive pen to starkly expose the face of the German bourgeoisie. The vulgarity, frivolity, and obsessive pursuit of fashion and foreign trends in the society of Grinzwedel are both laughable and contemptible.