Deadly Dishonor: The Duel and the Honor Code in the Works of Arthur Schnitzler

Abstract

This study analyzes the anachronistic tradition of the duel and the honor code in turn-of-the-century Vienna as portrayed by the Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931). Schnitzler's approach to this theme reveals the dialectics between personal ethics and the military honor code. It is shown that Schnitzler observed a transition of values in Viennese society, in which external representation was often considered more important than internal conviction.