The Conversations of Goethe. High School Part

Author: (German) Eckermann
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1978-09-01
Features: Goethe is one of the greatest poets in German history. Together with Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare, he is known as one of the four great cultural figures of Europe. The name of Goethe is already familiar to Chinese readers, and his works, such as The Sorrows of Young Werther, Faust, and Wilhelm Meister, are deeply loved by Chinese readers. Currently, two versions of the Collected Works of Goethe have been published in China. At the same time, there is another book that, although not written by Goethe himself, has also gained a large readership in China—that is, Goethe’s Conversations compiled by Eckermann. Goethe’s Conversations is divided into three parts, the first and second parts were published in 1836, and the third part was published in 1848. The 1830s and 1840s were revolutionary times in German history. Due to Goethe’s skeptical and detached attitude toward revolution, he became the target of attacks from the democratic radicals. Under these circumstances, this book by Eckermann, which records Goethe’s conversations, was naturally met with indifference from critics and the general public. After the failure of the 1848 revolution, the political situation in Germany changed, and Goethe gained increasing public attention. Especially after the unification of Germany in 1871, Goethe became the "Olympian God." The book that recorded the conversations of this "saint" also became the "sacred text." Academia regarded this book as essential reading for studying Goethe, with some experts even treating it as Goethe’s own work. Additionally, many scholars have absolutely no doubt that the scenes and conversations recorded in the book would be free of distortion and completely trust their reliability. In summary, from the late 19th century to the 20th century, most scholars viewed Eckermann’s book as an objective and faithful record of Goethe’s conversations, an absolutely reliable primary source. However, this view contradicts Eckermann’s own intentions. In the preface to the first and second parts, he wrote: "Goethe reveals different images to different people in different situations, so for me, I can only humbly say that this is my Goethe." Eckermann was fully aware that the scenes and conversations he recorded were subjective and that the Goethe he portrayed was only the one he saw, the one he knew, and the one he could express. Although he strove for accuracy, his ultimate goal was not to objectively convey what Goethe said but to erect a grand monument to Goethe. The "conversations" in Goethe’s Conversations compiled by Eckermann are not the original records of Goethe’s conversations but rather "conversations" that have been selected, organized, arranged, and processed by him. But the question is, even though the "conversations" of Goethe in the book are not his actual words, some rigorous and authoritative Goethe scholars still believe that these "conversations" are Goethe’s original words. They do not do so out of ignorance or carelessness but out of a firm conviction. So, why did Eckermann’s book have such an effect? To answer this question, we need to understand the relationship between Eckermann and Goethe, as well as the process by which Eckermann recorded, processed, and published Goethe’s conversations.