TeachInnstetten & ReadOutMelusine. CD-unterstützte Fontane-Interpretation

Abstract

The hesitancy with which literary scholarship and criticism make use of the new electronic media is unfounded. Especially the CD-ROM can be used to solve old problems and locate fruitful areas of inquiry thanks to the search function. Specifically, two open issues involving the novels of Theodor Fontane can be objectivized with the help of the CD-ROM: (1) What is the significance of the name of the main male character in Effi Briest, Innstetten? Of the three popular explanations, the one deriving it from the English phrase in front of can be evaluated particularly well using the CD-ROM. ›In Front von/[Genitive]‹, although almost unheard of in German, is a favorite turn of speech in Fontane’s works, on which basis we can compare all three hypotheses. (2) What is the significance of Fontane’s repeated allusions to the mythical figure of Melusine? The CD-ROM allows us to compare all references. We find that Fontane borrowed from both French and German traditions, creating a dialectic which runs through his works beginning in 1882. — The CD-ROM replaces neither careful reading nor genuine literary research, but can access areas of inquiry which, since they require time-consuming empirical work, are rarely pursued. Interpretation based on such results gains in substance, since all works on CD and even details and peculiarities of writing style can be quickly consulted.