The Several Aspects of Fire in Achim von Arnim's der Tolle Invalide

Abstract

In reading Achim von Arnim's Novelle, Der tolle Invalide, one is soon aware of the frequent occurrence of the word Feuer and related expressions. This seems at first to be merely clever word play, but a closer inspection shows that the various aspects of fire are so intimately connected with the events and characters of the story that they reflect the basic structure of the Novelle.' Fire is an unusually complex motif because it is so rich in connotative associations. From the earliest mention in primitive mythology, man has endowed fire with both natural and supernatural significance. He has sought it for its positive creative potentialities and has, at the same time, feared its destructive powers. Fire has thus come to represent symbolically things as various as home, love, heavenly grace, and on the other hand, war, hatred, and eternal damnation. Arnim's awareness of the basic complexity of his motif is evident in the opening scene of the narrative. Count Diirande, the elderly commander of disabled veterans at Marseilles, is shown complaining of two kinds of coldness. The penetrating dampness of the October air makes him shiver physically, while the thoughtless gaiety of people in the street on their way to a ball chills him psychologically with a sense of being left out of social affairs (einsam frierend, 317).2 To overcome his physical discomfort, the old commander shoves fuel onto the fire on his hearth, using his wooden leg as a poker. In addition to its warming effect, the fire also inspires his imagination by calling to mind his favorite hobby, fireworks. Diirande becomes so absorbed in daydreams that he forgets the danger inherent in the flames and