Fatherland

More about the book

This study delves into the origins of German Romanticism through the lens of Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg, 1772-1801). Kenneth Calhoon introduces the work by linking Romanticism and psychoanalysis, emphasizing a shared experience of longing and disappointment, with mourning as a significant element. While recent analyses of Novalis have focused on his poetic and philosophical ideas, Calhoon shifts the focus to the psychological dimensions of his writings. He situates Freud alongside Novalis within the contemporary German discourse on the Enlightenment's legacy. Rather than relying solely on Freudian theory, Calhoon explores a radical reinterpretation of the Enlightenment's aspirations, particularly in the realm of identity formation and familial relationships. He employs Freud's concept of "Family Romance," illustrating how children grapple with paternal identity and idealize their origins through fantasies of heroic illegitimacy, framing these identity crises as a Romantic Journey. This approach serves as a framework for interpreting Novalis's novel, "Heinrich von Ofterdingen," where the father—symbolized as fatherland—is ultimately rediscovered after a complex exploration of maternal influences. The book also engages with works by Coleridge, Goethe, Joyce, Lessing, and P. O. Runge, enriching the discussion of Novalis and Freud.